install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install kbld

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#kbld

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

overview

Package summary

Tool for building and pushing container images in development workflows

Project links

Commands and aliases

kbld

history

Project history and usage

kbld is a Carvel CLI for Kubernetes and YAML workflows that builds, pushes, resolves, locks, packages, and relocates container image references.

Project history

The kbld repository began in April 2019. Its README and Carvel site describe a tool that delegates image building to mature tools such as Docker and Buildpacks pack, then rewrites YAML configuration to immutable digest references.

kbld grew as part of the k14s/Carvel family rather than as a standalone monolith. Carvel documentation presents ytt, kbld, and kapp as composable tools: ytt structures and overlays YAML, kbld handles images, and kapp deploys and diffs Kubernetes resources.

Adoption history

Carvel's public materials describe the suite as born from frustration with monolithic Kubernetes deployment tools and built around Unix-style composition. kbld's adoption follows that pattern: it appears in Homebrew, Nix, and Carvel install flows as one small command in a larger Kubernetes delivery toolchain.

How it is used

Typical kbld usage pipes or reads YAML, finds image references, builds or resolves them, and emits YAML with digest-pinned images. Its docs also cover lock files, registry pushes, packaging images into tarballs, and relocation between registries.

Why package nerds care

kbld is package-nerd interesting because it makes image immutability a CLI transformation step. Instead of hiding build metadata in a platform service, it keeps the artifact graph visible in YAML and lock files that can be piped into other tools.

Timeline

2019-04-19: Repository initialized
2019: k14s tools including kbld were released as composable Kubernetes workflow tools
2020-08: k14s was rebranded as Carvel
2022-10: VMware announced Carvel's move into the CNCF Sandbox
2026-06-17: v0.49.1 release appeared in the GitHub release list

Related projects

kbld is closely related to Carvel ytt, kapp, imgpkg, vendir, kapp-controller, Docker, Buildpacks pack, Kubernetes manifests, Helm, and kustomize.

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:container

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

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`kbld`	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 version0.49.1

manager updated2026-06-17

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv0.49.1

https://github.com/carvel-dev/kbld

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:kbld
Version	0.49.1
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/kbld
Homepage	https://carvel.dev/kbld/
Repository	https://github.com/carvel-dev/kbld
Upstream docs	https://carvel.dev/kbld
License	Apache-2.0
Source archive	https://github.com/carvel-dev/kbld/archive/refs/tags/v0.49.1.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-06-17T14:42:48Z
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	kbld
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	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%

kbld

nix profile install nixpkgs#kbld

normalized package name match
Matched by: Kbld

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/kb/kbld/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/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.

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.

combined/kbld.yml

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

Install kbld with Homebrew, Nix