kind

Kubernetes in Docker.

kind ("Kubernetes IN Docker") runs a Kubernetes cluster as a set of Docker containers on the local host. Each container plays the role of a node, and the kind CLI bootstraps a cluster from a small YAML configuration. It is faster and lighter than a VM-based local cluster: cluster start-up takes seconds, not minutes.

kind is the testing tool used by the Kubernetes project itself for end-to-end test runs in CI. Many Kubernetes-adjacent projects (Knative, Istio, Argo CD, OpenTelemetry Operator) ship kind-based examples for trying their software locally without needing a cloud account or a long-running cluster.

The Kubernetes SIG Testing group maintains kind. It is the preferred local cluster tool for many Kubernetes developers, with minikube remaining popular as a more "batteries-included" alternative and k3s as the leader for edge and homelab deployments.

License: Apache-2.0

Category: Containers

Website: https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/

Install

Linux:
  curl -Lo ./kind https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/dl/v0.23.0/kind-linux-amd64
  chmod +x ./kind && sudo mv ./kind /usr/local/bin/kind
macOS: brew install kind

Authors

Kubernetes SIG Testing

PreviousKibana NextKodi