Kube9
Visual Kubernetes Management for VS Code with AI-Powered Insights
Overview
Kube9 is a VS Code extension that brings visual Kubernetes cluster management directly into your development environment. Start with powerful free features, then unlock advanced AI-powered insights and rich dashboards with a Pro account.
Freemium Model
Free Tier - Visual kubectl replacement:
- ✅ Tree view cluster navigation
- ✅ Resource detail viewer (form + YAML)
- ✅ Edit and save resources to cluster
- ✅ Launch workloads with freeform YAML
- ✅ Multi-cluster support via kubeconfig
Pro Tier - AI-powered intelligence (Learn More →):
- ✨ Advanced dashboards with real-time charts
- ✨ AI-powered recommendations and insights
- ✨ Historical metrics and trends
- ✨ Log aggregation with advanced search
- ✨ Anomaly detection and alerts
- ✨ Team collaboration features
Architecture
Kube9 uses a progressive enhancement architecture that adapts to user tier:
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ VSCode Extension (Smart Router) │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Free Tier: │ │
│ │ - Generates HTML locally │ │
│ │ - Simple webviews │ │
│ │ - Basic CRUD operations │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Pro Tier (with operator): │ │
│ │ - Loads from kube9-server │ │
│ │ - Rich web applications │ │
│ │ - No CSP restrictions │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
│
↓ (Pro users only)
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ kube9-server │
│ - Receives metrics from operator │
│ - Serves rich UI applications │
│ - AI analysis and recommendations │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
↑
│ (Pro users only)
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ kube9-operator (in cluster) │
│ - Collects sanitized metrics │
│ - Pushes to kube9-server │
│ - No cluster ingress needed │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
How It Works
Free Users:
- Extension uses your kubeconfig to interact with clusters
- All UI is generated locally in VS Code webviews
- Simple, functional interfaces with CSP restrictions
- No data sent to external servers
Pro Users:
- Install kube9-operator in your cluster
- Operator pushes sanitized metrics to kube9-server
- Extension loads rich web UIs from kube9-server in iframes
- Advanced features: AI insights, charts, historical data
- Your kubeconfig never leaves your machine
Getting Started
Installation
From VS Code Marketplace (Recommended)
- Open VS Code
- Go to Extensions (
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + X)
- Search for "Kube9"
- Click Install
For Developers
git clone <repository-url>
cd kube9
npm install
npm run compile
# Press F5 to launch Extension Development Host
Quick Start (Free Tier)
Open kube9
- Look for the Kube9 icon in VS Code activity bar
- Extension automatically reads your
~/.kube/config
Navigate Your Cluster
- Expand clusters in tree view
- Click namespaces to view resources
- Click resources to view/edit details
Edit Resources
- Form view for common fields
- YAML view for advanced editing
- Save changes directly to cluster
Launch Workloads
- Use "Launch Workload" command
- Paste or write YAML manifests
- Apply to cluster with one click
Upgrade to Pro
Step 1: Install Operator
The operator runs in your cluster to enable Pro features. Visit app.kube9.io for complete installation instructions including API key setup.
Option A: Automatic (requires Helm)
# Extension detects Helm and offers one-click install
# Or run manually:
helm repo add kube9 https://charts.kube9.io
helm install kube9-operator kube9/kube9-operator \
--namespace kube9-system \
--create-namespace
Option B: Manual
kubectl apply -f https://install.kube9.io/operator.yaml
Follow the operator configuration instructions at app.kube9.io to enable Pro tier features.
That's it! The extension automatically detects the operator and enables Pro features.
Features by Tier
Free Tier Features
Resource Management
- Tree view navigation (clusters → namespaces → resources)
- Resource detail viewer with form and YAML tabs
- Edit common fields (replicas, image, labels, etc.)
- Save changes back to cluster
- Delete resources with confirmation
YAML Operations
- Syntax-highlighted YAML editor
- Apply arbitrary YAML manifests
- Dry-run validation
- Quick templates (Deployment, Service, Pod, ConfigMap)
Multi-Cluster
- Automatic kubeconfig parsing
- Switch between clusters and contexts
- Multiple kubeconfig file support
Pro Tier Features
Advanced Dashboards
- Real-time cluster metrics with interactive charts
- Resource usage trends and forecasting
- Pod health visualization
- Network traffic analysis
AI-Powered Insights
- Intelligent recommendations for resource optimization
- Security vulnerability detection
- Cost optimization suggestions
- Configuration best practices
- Anomaly detection and alerts
Enhanced Resource Views
- Rich tabbed interfaces (Overview, Metrics, Logs, Events, YAML)
- Historical data and trend analysis
- Log aggregation with advanced search
- Event timeline visualization
- Dependency graph views
Team Features
- Shared cluster annotations
- Team activity feed
- Collaborative troubleshooting
Project Structure
kube9/
├── src/
│ ├── extension.ts # Main entry point
│ ├── providers/
│ │ ├── ClusterTreeProvider.ts
│ │ └── NamespaceWebview.ts
│ ├── commands/ # Command implementations
│ ├── services/
│ │ ├── KubernetesService.ts
│ │ └── TierManager.ts # Free vs Pro logic
│ ├── webviews/
│ │ ├── free/ # Local HTML generators
│ │ └── pro/ # Remote URL loaders
│ └── utils/
├── ai/ # Forge context files
│ ├── contexts/
│ ├── decisions/
│ ├── features/
│ └── specs/
└── dist/ # Compiled output
Development
Prerequisites
- Node.js 22+ (LTS recommended)
- npm or yarn
- kubectl configured for testing
- VS Code 1.80.0+
Setup
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Compile TypeScript
npm run compile
# Watch mode for development
npm run watch
# Run extension (opens Extension Development Host)
# Press F5 in VS Code
# Run tests
npm test
# Package extension
npm run package
Testing Tiers
Testing Free Tier:
- Don't install the kube9-operator
- Extension should show local webviews
- Verify basic CRUD operations work
Testing Pro Tier:
- Set up local kube9-server instance
- Install and configure kube9-operator in test cluster
- Extension should load remote webviews
- Verify advanced features appear
Technology Stack
- Framework: VS Code Extension API
- Language: TypeScript (ES2020)
- Runtime: Node.js 22+ (LTS)
- Kubernetes: kubectl CLI + @kubernetes/client-node
- Build: webpack + TypeScript compiler
- Package Manager: npm
Configuration
Settings
{
// Optional: Enable debug logging
"kube9.debugMode": false
}
Pro tier features are automatically enabled when the kube9-operator is installed in your cluster.
Contributing
We welcome contributions! Please see our Contributing Guide for details on:
- How to set up your development environment
- Our code style and conventions
- How to submit pull requests
- Our development workflow
This project uses the Forge methodology for context engineering:
- Check
ai/tasks/ for current priorities
- Review
ai/decisions/ for architectural context
- Follow specifications in
ai/specs/
- Update progress in
ai/tasks/
Quick Start for Contributors
# Fork and clone
git clone https://github.com/alto9/kube9-vscode.git
cd kube9-vscode
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Run in development mode
npm run watch
# Press F5 in VS Code to launch Extension Development Host
Security
For security concerns, please see our Security Policy.
Free Tier
- All data stays on your machine
- Uses your kubeconfig for cluster access
- No external API calls
- No data collection
Pro Tier
- Operator sends only sanitized metrics (no secrets, credentials, or sensitive data)
- Communication over HTTPS
- Data sanitization at source (operator level)
- User controls what operator can access via RBAC
- API keys managed at operator level, not in VSCode extension
To report a security vulnerability, please email security@alto9.com (do not open a public issue).
License
MIT License - see LICENSE file for details
Support
Built with ❤️ by Alto9 - Making Kubernetes management visual and intelligent
