Key Commands

While the KubeKanvas CLI offers many commands, three form the essential workflow for connecting your Kubernetes clusters to the visual IDE. Understanding these three commands is all you need to get started.

1. login — Authenticate Your Identity

Every interaction with KubeKanvas starts with authentication. The login command uses a secure, browser-based authentication method that works even in headless environments like SSH sessions or remote servers.

The CLI displays a URL and a one-time code. Open the URL in any browser, enter the code, and confirm. The CLI receives an access token and stores it securely in your system keychain.

2. configure — Discover and Register Clusters

The configure command is the most feature-rich command in the CLI. It performs automated Kubernetes cluster discovery by scanning your kubeconfig files, tests connectivity, and registers clusters with your KubeKanvas organization.

During configuration, the CLI:

• Scans ~/.kube/ for valid kubeconfig files
• Discovers all Kubernetes cluster contexts
• Tests connectivity by reaching the kube-system namespace
• Optionally creates a dedicated kubekanvas-agent user with RBAC roles for security isolation
• Generates and uploads encryption keys for secret protection
• Registers each cluster with your KubeKanvas organization

You can also scan a custom kubeconfig directory:

3. connect — Listen for Deployment Commands

The connect command is what makes KubeKanvas a real-time Kubernetes deployment platform. It establishes a persistent connection to the KubeKanvas server and listens for deployment commands from the visual IDE.

When you click “Deploy” in the KubeKanvas editor, the following happens automatically:

1. The server generates a Helm chart from your visual project design
2. A deployment command is sent to your CLI
3. The CLI downloads the Helm chart and runs the appropriate Helm operation
4. Status updates flow back to the IDE

The connection persists until you stop it with Ctrl+C. For production use, you can run the CLI as a background process or system service.

Putting It All Together

That is it — three commands to connect your Kubernetes infrastructure to the KubeKanvas visual IDE. Everything else (Helm chart generation, namespace management, release lifecycle) is handled automatically.