Credential access
Reads kubeconfig, cluster tokens, and pod/secret views allowed by the current context.
brew
Install k9s with Homebrew, apk, chocolatey, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, winget, zypper
Kubernetes CLI To Manage Your Clusters In Style! Version 0.51.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-06.
agent safety
Agent safety answer
k9s is an interactive Kubernetes UI with cluster read and mutation capability.
Remote mutation
Can delete, edit, scale, and exec into Kubernetes resources.
Publish/artifact risk
Can change live workloads and configuration.
Recommended control
Gate launch in privileged contexts and commands that mutate resources.
Agent-use guidance
Use read-only contexts for agents; require approval before interactive cluster mutation.
install
Additional install commands
macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install k9slocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install k9sMacPorts ports tree · sysutils/k9s/Portfile · source: api.github.com
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add k9sAlpine Linux edge package indexes · k9s · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install k9sFedora Rawhide package metadata · k9s · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#k9snixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/k9/k9s/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S k9sArch Linux sync databases · k9s · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install k9sopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · k9s · source: download.opensuse.org
Windows
Chocolateyverified · 92%
choco install k9sChocolatey community package catalog · k9s · source: community.chocolatey.org
Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install main/k9sScoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/k9s.json · source: api.github.com
Windows Package Managerverified · 92%
winget install --id Derailed.k9s -eWindows Package Manager source index · Derailed.k9s · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com
overview
Package summary
Kubernetes CLI To Manage Your Clusters In Style!
Project links
Commands and aliases
- k9s
history
Project history and usage
K9s is a terminal user interface for Kubernetes that turns cluster navigation, inspection, and common operations into a keyboard-driven local app. It became one of the recognizable post-kubectl tools for operators who wanted a faster view of resources without moving into a full graphical dashboard.
Project history
The derailed/k9s repository was created in January 2019. The project describes K9s as a Kubernetes CLI for managing clusters in style and says it provides a terminal UI that continually watches Kubernetes resources for changes.
K9s evolved around the idea that many Kubernetes workflows are repetitive inspection loops: list pods, jump to logs, describe resources, edit manifests, switch namespaces, and watch status. Its documentation grew into topics for installation, configuration, skins, plugins, benchmarks, and operational commands.
Adoption history
K9s spread through the normal cross-platform CLI packaging routes. Its official install documentation lists Homebrew and MacPorts on macOS, Linuxbrew and Pacman on Linux, and Scoop or Chocolatey on Windows, which made it easy to add to existing Kubernetes workstations.
The project reached a scale visible in repository metadata: tens of thousands of GitHub stars and thousands of forks by July 2026. That level of attention is unusual for a single-purpose terminal UI and reflects the centrality of Kubernetes day-to-day operations.
How it is used
K9s is used as an interactive cluster console. Operators open it against a kubeconfig context, watch resource tables update, drill into pods and workloads, tail logs, and trigger common commands without repeatedly composing kubectl invocations.
It complements rather than replaces kubectl: kubectl remains the scriptable primitive, while K9s is the fast human interface for scanning, debugging, and moving around clusters.
Why package nerds care
K9s is package-nerd catnip because it packages a large Kubernetes workflow into one local binary with a memorable name, broad package-manager coverage, and obvious daily utility. It is also a marker of the TUI renaissance in infrastructure tooling, alongside projects that use terminal layouts as serious operational interfaces.
Its configuration paths differ across Linux, macOS, and Windows, which makes it a useful example for package databases that track real application state rather than only executable names.
Timeline
- 2019-01: Public GitHub repository created.
- 2021: The release stream had reached the v0.24 and v0.25 series.
- 2026-07-01: Repository metadata showed more than 34,000 stars and more than 2,200 forks.
Related projects
- K9s sits beside kubectl, kubectx, kubens, Stern, Lens, OpenLens, Helm, and K8sGPT in the Kubernetes operator toolbox. Its closest conceptual relatives are terminal dashboards and resource browsers rather than deployment or package managers.
Sources
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:kubernetes,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.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Linux
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/k9s/config.yaml~/.config/k9s/config.yaml- macOS
~/Library/Application Support/k9s/config.yaml- Windows
%LOCALAPPDATA%\k9s\config.yaml
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
k9s | cli | global 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 version0.51.0
manager updated2026-06-06
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://github.com/derailed/k9s
- infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/derailed/k9snone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:k9s |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.51.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/k9s |
| Homepage | https://k9scli.io/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/derailed/k9s |
| Upstream docs | https://k9scli.io/ |
| License | Apache-2.0 |
| Source archive | https://github.com/derailed/k9s.git |
| Last updated | 2026-06-06T20:47:06Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Build dependencies | go |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | k9s |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
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%
k9s
nix profile install nixpkgs#k9s- normalized package name match
- Matched by: K9s
apk95%
k9s 0.50.18-r5
Kubernetes TUI
sudo apk add k9s- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: k9s
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: K9s
apk95%
k9s-bash-completion 0.50.18-r5
Bash completions for k9s
sudo apk add k9s-bash-completion- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: k9s
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: K9s
apk95%
k9s-fish-completion 0.50.18-r5
Fish completions for k9s
sudo apk add k9s-fish-completion- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: k9s
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: K9s
apk95%
k9s-zsh-completion 0.50.18-r5
Zsh completions for k9s
sudo apk add k9s-zsh-completion- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: k9s
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: K9s
dnf95%
k9s 0.51.0-1.fc45
Kubernetes CLI To Manage Your Clusters In Style
https://github.com/derailed/k9s
sudo dnf install k9s- License: 0BSD AND Apache-2.0 AND BSD-2-Clause AND BSD-3-Clause AND ISC AND LicenseRef-Fedora-Public-Domain AND MIT AND MPL-2.0 AND Unlicense AND (Apache-2.0 OR
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: k9s
- 3 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: K9s
pacman95%
k9s 0.50.18-2
TUI for managing Kubernetes clusters and pods
https://github.com/derailed/k9s
sudo pacman -S k9s- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: K9s
zypper95%
k9s 0.51.0-1.1
Curses based terminal UI for Kubernetes clusters
https://github.com/derailed/k9s
sudo zypper install k9s- License: Apache-2.0
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: k9s
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: K9s
MacPorts95%
k9s
sudo port install k9s- normalized package name match
- Matched by: K9s
Chocolatey95%
k9s
choco install k9s- normalized package name match
- Matched by: K9s
Scoop95%
main/k9s
scoop install main/k9s- normalized package name match
- Matched by: K9s
winget95%
Derailed.k9s
winget install --id Derailed.k9s -e- normalized package name match
- Matched by: K9s
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.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated agent safety answer
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment