3 Useful Kubernetes Developer Tools

Managing Multiple Clusters and Namespaces

We have multiple clusters and namespaces: some for production, some for load testing, and some for development. In the course of our day-to-day development, we’ve found a number of useful tools that improve our productivity.

Essential Tools for Kubernetes Productivity

(ProTip: A productivity killer is typing

… in the wrong cluster. The first two tools below help address that problem.)

• kubectx/kubens, which lets you easily switch between clusters and namespaces.
• kube-ps1, which adds the current Kubernetes context and namespace to your Bash or zsh prompt (along with the Kubernetes logo).
• Stern, which lets you tail multiple pods or containers on your cluster. Stern color codes the output so you can tell what’s going on with each of your pods.

Here’s an example of Kube-PS1 and stern:

Bonus Tool: Telepresence for Faster Development

We have an extra for you: Telepresence, a powerful tool for streamlining development in Kubernetes environments. Telepresence enables developers to run local services as if they were part of the remote cluster, eliminating the need for constant redeployment. This means you can code, test, and debug services locally while seamlessly integrating with a live Kubernetes environment. By intercepting traffic and routing it to your local machine, Telepresence significantly reduces iteration cycles, making development faster and more efficient—especially when working across multiple clusters and namespaces.

Telepresence, Now in Blackbird

Speed up Kubernetes development with Telepresence—code, test, and debug locally with seamless remote integration

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