install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install kubectl-tree

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#kubectl-tree

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ku/kubectl-tree/package.nix · source: api.github.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install kubectl-tree

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · kubectl-tree · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

Kubectl plugin to browse Kubernetes object hierarchies as a tree

Project links

Commands and aliases

kubectl-tree

history

Project history and usage

kubectl-tree is a kubectl plugin for browsing Kubernetes object ownership as a tree. It follows `ownerReferences` between objects, letting users see how resources such as Deployments, ReplicaSets, Pods, Knative Services, or other controllers relate at runtime.

Project history

The GitHub repository was created on 2019-12-23 by Ahmet Alp Balkan. Its README says the tool explores ownership relationships through Kubernetes `ownerReferences` and acknowledges inspiration from knative-inspect, generalized beyond a single ecosystem.

Later releases added filters for namespaces, selectors, condition types, API groups, and resources, reflecting its evolution from a tree visualizer into a practical inspection tool for larger clusters.

Adoption history

kubectl-tree became one of the more recognizable third-party kubectl plugins because object ownership is a common Kubernetes troubleshooting question and the tree view is easy to understand in terminal output.

The repository metadata observed on 2026-07-01 showed more than 3000 GitHub stars. Its package-manager presence in Homebrew, Nix, and zypper complements Krew installation and makes it available in repeatable workstation environments.

How it is used

Users install it as a kubectl plugin and run commands such as `kubectl tree` with namespace, selector, API group, and resource filters. The README warns that filtering out intermediate owner resources can stop traversal and hide descendants, which is a useful operational detail for large clusters.

The package is commonly useful when answering why an object exists, what controller owns it, or how custom resources fan out into lower-level Kubernetes objects.

Why package nerds care

kubectl-tree is package-nerd notable because it turns a native Kubernetes metadata field into a Unix-friendly visualization. It is small, script-adjacent, installable as a kubectl plugin, and expressive enough to become part of many operators' ad hoc debugging toolbox.

Timeline

2019-12-23: GitHub repository created.
2025-11-15: Release v0.4.6 published.
2026-03-20: Release v0.5.0 published.
2026-03-24: Release v0.6.0 published.

Related projects

Related projects include kubectl, Krew, Kubernetes ownerReferences, knative-inspect, and kube-lineage. The README contrasts kube-lineage as a similar plugin that can understand some logical relationships even without ownerReferences.

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

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
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.

Unix: ~/.kube/config

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`kubectl-tree`	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 version0.6.0

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv0.6.0

https://github.com/ahmetb/kubectl-tree

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:kubectl-tree
Version	0.6.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/kubectl-tree
Homepage	https://github.com/ahmetb/kubectl-tree
Repository	https://github.com/ahmetb/kubectl-tree
Upstream docs	https://github.com/ahmetb/kubectl-tree#readme
License	Apache-2.0
Source archive	https://github.com/ahmetb/kubectl-tree/archive/refs/tags/v0.6.0.tar.gz
Dependencies	kubernetes-cli
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	kubectl-tree
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%

kubectl-tree

nix profile install nixpkgs#kubectl-tree

normalized package name match
Matched by: Kubectl Tree

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ku/kubectl-tree/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

zypper95%

kubectl-tree 0.6.0-1.2

Kubectl plugin to browse Kubernetes object hierarchies as a tree

https://github.com/ahmetb/kubectl-tree

sudo zypper install kubectl-tree

License: Apache-2.0
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: kubectl-tree
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Kubectl Tree

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: kubectl-tree from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

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/kubectl-tree.yml

Used sources

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

Install kubectl-tree with Homebrew, Nix, zypper