Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install k3d with Homebrew, chocolatey, MacPorts, Nix, scoop, winget

Little helper to run CNCF's k3s in Docker. Version 5.9.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-02.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install k3d

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install k3d

MacPorts ports tree · sysutils/k3d/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#k3d

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/k3/k3d/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Little helper to run CNCF's k3s in Docker

Commands and aliases

  • k3d

history

Project history and usage

k3d is a lightweight wrapper for running k3s Kubernetes clusters inside Docker containers, aimed at fast local development, testing, and CI workflows.

Project history

The k3d project traces its lineage to `zeerorg/k3s-in-docker`, was reimplemented in Go by Thorsten Klein, and was later adopted into Rancher before moving under the community-led k3d-io organization.

Public releases began in April 2019, shortly after k3s itself made lightweight Kubernetes a popular target for local and edge experimentation. The v0.3.0 release was described as the first release in Rancher space, and the v1.0.0 release followed later that month.

The project later went through larger rewrites and major-version lines, including the v3 and v5 eras, while keeping the same basic promise: create and destroy containerized k3s clusters quickly from a single CLI.

Adoption history

k3d became popular with developers who wanted a real Kubernetes API locally without a virtual machine-heavy setup. It sits alongside kind and minikube, but its k3s base gives it a particularly small and quick profile.

The official k3s documentation lists k3d as a way to run k3s in Docker, which helped legitimize the tool for local development even though k3d's own README notes it is community-driven and not an official Rancher or SUSE product.

How it is used

Users commonly run `k3d cluster create` to start a local k3s cluster in Docker, then use kubeconfig output with kubectl and other Kubernetes tools. It is often used in CI jobs, demos, local operator development, and quick reproduction environments.

Why package nerds care

k3d is package-manager candy: one small CLI that summons an entire Kubernetes cluster by orchestrating Docker containers. It shows why local-cluster tools became standard developer dependencies once Kubernetes moved from production-only infrastructure into everyday application development.

Timeline

  • 2019: k3d v0.0.1 was released in April as a k3s-in-Docker helper.
  • 2019: v0.3.0 was described as the first release in Rancher space.
  • 2019: v1.0.0 was released later in April.
  • 2020: v3 releases reflected a major rewrite and expanded cluster-management surface.
  • 2022: v5.4.0 moved k3d images to GitHub Container Registry.

Related projects

  • k3d is built around k3s and Docker. It is commonly compared with kind and minikube, and it belongs to the broader family of local Kubernetes cluster tools.

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

  • narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

  • metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
  • Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
k3dcliglobal executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08
manager version5.9.0
manager updated2026-06-02
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv5.9.0

https://github.com/k3d-io/k3d

  • okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:k3d
Version5.9.0
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/k3d
Homepagehttps://k3d.io
Repositoryhttps://github.com/k3d-io/k3d
Upstream docshttps://k3d.io/
LicenseMIT
Source archivehttps://github.com/k3d-io/k3d/archive/refs/tags/v5.9.0.tar.gz
Last updated2026-06-02T15:53:19Z
Pulseupdated
Build dependenciesgo
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namek3d
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Head VersionHEAD
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • head
  • stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

k3d

nix profile install nixpkgs#k3d
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K3d
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/k3/k3d/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
MacPorts95%

k3d

sudo port install k3d
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K3d
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/k3d/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Chocolatey95%

k3d

choco install k3d
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K3d
Chocolatey community package catalog · community.chocolatey.org · Chocolatey community package catalog: k3d from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','jetbrains-rider'
Scoop95%

main/k3d

scoop install main/k3d
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K3d
Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/k3d.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1
winget95%

k3d.k3d

winget install --id k3d.k3d -e
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K3d
Windows Package Manager source index · cdn.winget.microsoft.com · Windows Package Manager source index: k3d.k3d from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Related tools

  • goBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • devspaceShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, docker, kubernetes.
  • k3supShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, k3s, kubernetes.
  • cdk8sShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, kubernetes.
  • chaoskubeShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, kubernetes.
  • clickShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, kubernetes.
  • cloud-provider-kindShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, kubernetes.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Used sources

  • Geiger risk classifier
  • Nucleus package database
  • av.db category and tag curation
  • cross-ecosystem install command graph
  • curated package history
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment