Kubens

Kubens is a command-line utility that simplifies switching the active namespace in Kubernetes contexts when using kubectl. It is part of the kubectx project and is designed to complement kubectx, which switches between contexts. Kubens updates the current-context in the kubeconfig to set the specified namespace, allowing subsequent kubectl commands to operate in that namespace without needing to specify --namespace each time. The change applies to the selected context, so different contexts can maintain their own default namespaces.

Usage and behavior

Kubens can switch namespaces either non-interactively or interactively. If you provide a namespace name as an argument, kubens updates the current-context to that namespace. If invoked without arguments, it presents a list of available namespaces from the kubeconfig and prompts the user to select one, enabling quick switching. Some installations may integrate with interactive tools like fuzzy finders to aid selection when available.

Installation and availability

Kubens is commonly distributed as part of the kubectx/kubens toolset. It can be installed by downloading the script from the project's GitHub repository and making it executable, or via package managers on some platforms (for example, Homebrew on macOS or others that package kubectx/kubens). It runs on Unix-like systems with a functional kubeconfig and kubectl installed and configured.

See also

Kubectl context and namespace management, kubectx. Kubens is often used in tandem with kubectx to streamline switching both contexts and namespaces during multi-cluster workflows.