# 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. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:k9s ``` ## Agent safety answer k9s is an interactive Kubernetes UI with cluster read and mutation capability. - **Credential access:** Reads kubeconfig, cluster tokens, and pod/secret views allowed by the current context. - **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. Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install k9s ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install k9s ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/k9s/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add k9s ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: k9s from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install k9s ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: k9s from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#k9s ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/k9/k9s/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S k9s ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: k9s from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install k9s ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: k9s from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ### Windows - Chocolatey (92%): ```sh choco install k9s ``` Evidence: Chocolatey community package catalog: k9s from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','jetbrains-rider' - Scoop (92%): ```sh scoop install main/k9s ``` Evidence: Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/k9s.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - winget (92%): ```sh winget install --id Derailed.k9s -e ``` Evidence: Windows Package Manager source index: Derailed.k9s from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:k9s - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.51.0 - **Source summary:** Kubernetes CLI To Manage Your Clusters In Style! - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Apache-2.0 - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-06T20:47:06Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - k9s (cli) - k9s (alias) ## Build dependencies - go ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.51.0 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-06 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/derailed/k9s - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## 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 Notes infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal. - **Geiger risk:** orange / medium - infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal ## 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 - Linux: $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/k9s/config.yaml, ~/.config/k9s/config.yaml - macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/k9s/config.yaml - Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\k9s\config.yaml ## 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:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - k9s: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/k9/k9s/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - apk - k9s - 0.50.18-r5: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: k9s from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Kubernetes TUI | https://k9scli.io - apk - k9s-bash-completion - 0.50.18-r5: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: k9s-bash-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Bash completions for k9s | https://k9scli.io - apk - k9s-fish-completion - 0.50.18-r5: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: k9s-fish-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Fish completions for k9s | https://k9scli.io - apk - k9s-zsh-completion - 0.50.18-r5: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: k9s-zsh-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Zsh completions for k9s | https://k9scli.io - dnf - k9s - 0.51.0-1.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: k9s from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Kubernetes CLI To Manage Your Clusters In Style | https://github.com/derailed/k9s - pacman - k9s - 0.50.18-2: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: k9s from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | TUI for managing Kubernetes clusters and pods | https://github.com/derailed/k9s - zypper - k9s - 0.51.0-1.1: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: k9s from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Curses based terminal UI for Kubernetes clusters | https://github.com/derailed/k9s - MacPorts - k9s: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/k9s/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Chocolatey - k9s: normalized package name match | Chocolatey community package catalog: k9s from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','jetbrains-rider' - Scoop - main/k9s: normalized package name match | Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/k9s.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - winget - Derailed.k9s: normalized package name match | Windows Package Manager source index: Derailed.k9s from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix ## Related links - [Cloud CLI packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/cloud-clis/) - Belongs to a cloud or infrastructure command family. - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [go](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [clusterctl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/clusterctl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, cluster-management, kubernetes. - [kops](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/kops/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, cluster-management, kubernetes. - [kty](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/kty/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, kubernetes, tui. - [kubetui](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/kubetui/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, kubernetes, tui. - [mcp-server-kubernetes](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mcp-server-kubernetes/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, cluster-management, kubernetes. - [rke](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rke/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, cluster-management, kubernetes. - [talosctl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/talosctl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, cluster-management, kubernetes. - [cdk8s](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cdk8s/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, kubernetes. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/k9s.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/k9s.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph - curated agent safety answer