kubectl-auth
Configure kubectl authentication
TLDR
Check if the current user can perform all actions on all resources in a specific namespace
Check if the current user can perform a specific verb on a specific resource
Check if a specific user or service account can perform an action on a resource
List all actions the current user is allowed to perform in a namespace
SYNOPSIS
kubectl-auth [OPTIONS] [ARGS]
PARAMETERS
--help
Show help for kubectl-auth
--kubeconfig
Path to kubeconfig file
--context
Kubernetes context name
--user
Specific user to authenticate
--token
Bearer token for auth
--verify
Verify current authentication status
DESCRIPTION
'kubectl-auth' is not a standard Linux command or built-in kubectl subcommand in official Kubernetes distributions.
It may refer to a third-party plugin, custom script, or tool for managing Kubernetes authentication, such as handling kubeconfig, tokens, or OIDC flows. Standard kubectl authentication is managed via the kubeconfig file (~/.kube/config), service accounts, or plugins like kubelogin for Azure AD/OIDC.
Common auth-related tasks use:
- kubectl config for viewing/editing contexts, users, clusters.
- kubectl config use-context, set-credentials.
- Plugins: aws-iam-authenticator, gke-gcloud-auth-plugin.
If 'kubectl-auth' is from a specific project (e.g., GitHub repo or vendor tool), check its documentation. Without context, assume it's for reconciling or testing auth permissions, similar to kubectl auth can-i.
CAVEATS
Not part of core kubectl; may require installation via plugin manager like krew. Incompatible with standard auth without setup.
Errors if missing dependencies (e.g., OIDC client). Use kubectl krew install auth if plugin exists.
INSTALLATION
Typically via kubectl krew install auth or download binary from GitHub. Verify with kubectl krew plugins.
ALTERNATIVES
Use kubectl config view --minify for auth info; az aks get-credentials for Azure; eksctl for AWS.
HISTORY
Emerged in Kubernetes ecosystem ~2020s as custom auth helpers amid rise of cloud-native auth (OIDC, EKS, AKS). No official inclusion; community-driven for simplifying multi-cluster auth workflows.
