How To Install Krew Plugin Manager For Kubectl CLI

Did you know that you can enhance its functionality further with the Krew plugin manager? As a Linux user and a Kubernetes enthusiast, you understand the power and flexibility of the Kubectl CLI. Krew allows you to easily discover, install, and manage plugins for Kubectl, enabling you to streamline your Kubernetes workflows. In this comprehensive tutorial, we will guide you through the step-by-step process of installing Krew on Linux, empowering you to take full advantage of this incredible tool.

Table of Contents

Prerequisites:

Before we dive into the installation process, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place:

Linux Distribution: Ensure that you are using a Linux distribution as your operating system. Krew is compatible with various Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, CentOS, and Fedora.
Kubectl: Make sure you have Kubectl installed on your system. If you haven’t installed it yet, you can follow the official Kubernetes documentation to install Kubectl.
Internet Connection: Ensure that you have a stable internet connection as we will be downloading and installing Krew and its plugins from the internet.

Installing Krew Plugin Manager on Linux

Open a terminal on your Linux system.

Generate a file called “krew.sh” and open it using your preferred text editing software(nano krew.sh). Afterward, insert the subsequent lines into the file:

(
set -x; cd "$(mktemp -d)" &&
OS="$(uname | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')" &&
ARCH="$(uname -m | sed -e 's/x86_64/amd64/' -e 's/\(arm\)\(64\)\?.*/\1\2/' -e 's/aarch64$/arm64/')" &&
KREW="krew-${OS}_${ARCH}" &&
curl -fsSLO "https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/krew/releases/latest/download/${KREW}.tar.gz" &&
tar zxvf "${KREW}.tar.gz" &&
./"${KREW}" install krew
)

Subsequently, in order to execute the file, it is necessary to grant it permission to execute using the “chmod” command, as illustrated in the following manner:

chmod +x krew.sh
./krew.sh

After successfully executing the file, the Krew Plugin Manager will be installed.

How to Install Krew Plugin Manager for Kubectl CLI

Add the Krew binary to your system’s PATH:

export PATH="${KREW_ROOT:-$HOME/.krew}/bin:$PATH"

Verify that Krew is installed correctly:

kubectl krew version

Using Krew to Manage Plugins

Now that you have Krew installed and configured, let’s explore how to use it to manage plugins for Kubectl:

To search for available plugins, run:

kubectl krew search

To get detailed information about a specific plugin, run:

kubectl krew info PLUGIN_NAME

To install a plugin, run:

kubectl krew install PLUGIN_NAME

To list all installed plugins, run:

kubectl krew list

To update a specific plugin, run:

kubectl krew upgrade PLUGIN_NAME

To uninstall a plugin, run:

kubectl krew uninstall PLUGIN_NAME

Final Thoughts

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Krew Plugin Manager for Kubectl CLI on your Linux system. With Krew, you can now easily discover, install, and manage plugins for Kubectl, enhancing your Kubernetes workflows. Take some time to explore the available plugins and find the ones that suit your needs. Happy Kubectl plugin management!

Remember to check the official Krew documentation and plugin documentation for additional information and usage examples.

Note: It’s always recommended to verify the compatibility and reliability of plugins before installing them on your production environment.