kind
runs Kubernetes clusters in Docker containers
TLDR
SYNOPSIS
kind command [options]
DESCRIPTION
kind (Kubernetes IN Docker) creates and manages local Kubernetes clusters using Docker containers as nodes. Each cluster node runs as a separate Docker container with systemd, kubelet, and containerd inside it, providing a lightweight alternative to virtual machine-based solutions like minikube for local development and CI/CD testing.The tool supports multi-node clusters including multiple control plane nodes for testing high-availability configurations, and accepts YAML configuration files to customize node counts, port mappings, mounted volumes, and Kubernetes feature gates. Local Docker images can be loaded directly into the cluster without pushing to a registry, which accelerates the inner development loop.kind was created by the Kubernetes SIG Testing team and is used extensively in the Kubernetes project's own CI pipelines. It is optimized for fast cluster creation and teardown, making it well-suited for automated testing workflows, but is not intended for production use.
PARAMETERS
create cluster
Create a new cluster. Takes flags such as --name, --config, --image, --kubeconfig, --wait, --retain.delete cluster
Delete a cluster by name.delete clusters
Delete all kind clusters.get clusters
List currently running kind clusters.get nodes
List the Docker containers acting as nodes for a given cluster.get kubeconfig
Print the kubeconfig for a cluster to stdout.export kubeconfig --name NAME
Merge the cluster's credentials into the active kubeconfig file.export logs DIR
Export logs from all nodes of the cluster to DIR.load docker-image IMAGE
Sideload a local Docker image into the cluster nodes.load image-archive FILE
Sideload an image archive (docker save output) into the cluster nodes.build node-image
Build a kind node image from Kubernetes source or a release tarball.version
Print the kind version.--name NAME
Cluster name (default kind).--config FILE
Path to a kind configuration YAML file.--image IMAGE
Node image to use (overrides the default kindest/node image).--kubeconfig FILE
Write the cluster kubeconfig to FILE instead of the default.--wait DURATION
Wait up to DURATION for control plane readiness.--retain
Keep nodes when cluster creation fails (useful for debugging).--help
Display help information.
CAVEATS
Requires Docker. Development focused. Not for production.
HISTORY
kind (Kubernetes IN Docker) was created by the Kubernetes SIG Testing as a tool for testing Kubernetes itself.
