Back to the canvas

Set it up

About ten minutes, once. k8n runs on your own machine, next to your cluster, so your credentials never leave it.

1A Kubernetes cluster on your computer

Already have one — kind, minikube, k3d, a cloud cluster in your kubeconfig? Skip to step 2.

  1. Install Docker Desktop — from docker.com/products/docker-desktop, keeping “Use WSL 2” ticked, or with winget:
    winget install Docker.DockerDesktop
  2. Restart if asked, open Docker Desktop and wait for “Engine running”.
  3. Settings → Kubernetes → Enable Kubernetes → Apply & restart. The first start takes a minute or three.
  4. kubectl comes with it. In a new terminal, every node should say Ready:
    kubectl get nodes

2Download k8n

One file. No installer, no Node, no Docker image.

Windows (x64)All downloads and checksums

3Run it

  1. Double-click it. Windows SmartScreen will warn that it is unsigned: More info → Run anyway. It opens your browser by itself, already paired. From a terminal instead:
    .\k8n-windows-amd64.exe

Keep that terminal open — closing it stops k8n. It prints two links:

  Open this link to pair your browser:
    http://127.0.0.1:8080/?t=…

  Or use it from the web:
    https://k8n.pages.dev/?engine=http%3A%2F%2F127.0.0.1%3A8080&t=…

4Connect this page to it

  1. Open the second link — “Or use it from the web”.
  2. If your browser asks whether this site may reach apps and services on this device, choose Allow. That is this page asking to talk to k8n.
  3. That is all: it remembers the engine. Next time, start k8n and open this site.
Looking for k8n…

Then

  • New to Kubernetes? Press Ctrl+K on the canvas and choose “Start the guided tour”.
  • What is already running is under Deployed, grouped by application.
  • The assistant is optional: open it, pick a provider and paste a key. The key stays on your machine.

If something is not right

“k8n runs on your machine” instead of the app
The engine is not running, or runs on another port. Start it, or give the address it printed on that screen.
You clicked Block on the browser's prompt
Click the icon left of the address bar → Site settings → allow local network access (called “Apps on this device” in newer Chrome), then reload.
“Not paired with this k8n”
Its token changed. Open the “Or use it from the web” link it prints again.
Something else uses port 8080
k8n moves to the next free port by itself and says so; the links it prints use that port. To pick one yourself: --port 9000.
No cluster, or no contexts to pick
Make sure kubectl get nodes works in a terminal first. If your kubeconfig lives elsewhere, set KUBECONFIG before starting k8n.
The cluster is gone after a restart
Start Docker Desktop and wait for Kubernetes to go green. If it never does: Settings → Kubernetes → Reset Kubernetes Cluster (this deletes what was on it).
Safari
Safari will not let a website reach a program on your computer. Use Chrome, Edge or Firefox — or the first link k8n prints, which serves this same app from your machine.