Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install k3sup with Homebrew, apk, MacPorts, Nix, scoop, zypper

Utility to create k3s clusters on any local or remote VM. Version 0.13.12 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install k3sup

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install k3sup

MacPorts ports tree · sysutils/k3sup/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add k3sup

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · k3sup · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#k3sup

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/k3/k3sup/package.nix · source: api.github.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install k3sup

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · k3sup · source: download.opensuse.org

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install main/k3sup

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/k3sup.json · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Utility to create k3s clusters on any local or remote VM

Commands and aliases

  • k3sup

history

Project history and usage

k3sup is Alex Ellis's lightweight SSH-based installer for getting from a machine or VM to a usable k3s kubeconfig quickly.

Project history

k3sup appeared in August 2019 during the early wave of enthusiasm around Rancher's k3s. The initial release established a small Go binary that could install k3s over SSH and return kubectl access without requiring users to memorize the full server, token, and kubeconfig dance.

Early releases quickly added cluster-joining support, Windows binaries, version pinning, and ergonomics for multi-node k3s clusters. The project kept the deliberately small surface: install a server, join agents, fetch kubeconfig, and smooth out the SSH workflow.

Adoption history

k3sup became popular in homelab, edge, Raspberry Pi, and small-cloud Kubernetes examples because it matched k3s's promise: make a usable cluster with ordinary Linux hosts and SSH access.

The creator's tutorials and community posts helped make k3sup part of the k3s tooling vocabulary even though it remains an independent project rather than a k3s subcommand.

How it is used

A typical workflow runs `k3sup install` against the first host, then `k3sup join` for additional agents or servers. The tool handles SSH, remote installation, token handling, and kubeconfig retrieval so users can move directly to kubectl.

Why package nerds care

k3sup is the kind of tiny infrastructure binary package managers are good at distributing: no service, no local state database, just a CLI that turns a fiddly bootstrap procedure into a repeatable command.

Timeline

  • 2019: k3sup 0.1.0 was released in August as an initial working release.
  • 2019: 0.2.0 added the `join` command for forming a complete cluster.
  • 2019: 0.2.2 added Windows binary support.
  • 2019: 0.3.0 added k3s version pinning.
  • 2020: The project was widely documented for bare-metal and highly available k3s workflows.

Related projects

  • k3sup is built around k3s and SSH. It overlaps conceptually with k0sctl, kubeadm automation scripts, and other small cluster-bootstrap CLIs.

security posture

Risk level: orange

infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal.

Risk classifier

orange risk · medium confidence · infrastructure

Why

  • infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal

Signals

  • text:cluster

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
k3supcliglobal 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 version0.13.12
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/alexellis/k3sup

  • infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
  • infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/alexellis/k3supnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:k3sup
Version0.13.12
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/k3sup
Homepagehttps://k3sup.dev
Repositoryhttps://github.com/alexellis/k3sup
Upstream docshttps://github.com/alexellis/k3sup#readme
LicenseMIT
Source archivehttps://github.com/alexellis/k3sup.git
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 Namek3sup
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%

k3sup

nix profile install nixpkgs#k3sup
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K3sup
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/k3/k3sup/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
apk95%

k3sup 0.13.6-r15

A light-weight utility to get from zero to KUBECONFIG with k3s

https://k3sup.dev/

sudo apk add k3sup
  • License: MIT
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: k3sup
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K3sup
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: k3sup from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

k3sup-bash-completion 0.13.6-r15

Bash completions for k3sup

https://k3sup.dev/

sudo apk add k3sup-bash-completion
  • License: MIT
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: k3sup
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K3sup
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: k3sup-bash-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

k3sup-fish-completion 0.13.6-r15

Fish completions for k3sup

https://k3sup.dev/

sudo apk add k3sup-fish-completion
  • License: MIT
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: k3sup
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K3sup
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: k3sup-fish-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

k3sup-zsh-completion 0.13.6-r15

Zsh completions for k3sup

https://k3sup.dev/

sudo apk add k3sup-zsh-completion
  • License: MIT
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: k3sup
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K3sup
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: k3sup-zsh-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
zypper95%

k3sup 0.13.12-1.3

Bootstrap Kubernetes with k3s over SSH < 1 min

https://github.com/alexellis/k3sup

sudo zypper install k3sup
  • License: MIT
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: k3sup
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K3sup
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: k3sup from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst
MacPorts95%

k3sup

sudo port install k3sup
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K3sup
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/k3sup/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Scoop95%

main/k3sup

scoop install main/k3sup
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K3sup
Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/k3sup.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1

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

  • k3dShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, k3s, kubernetes.
  • ktyShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, kubernetes, ssh.
  • 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