kubectl-mcp-server CLI commands for tool discovery, direct invocation, and diagnostics. Use when exploring available tools, calling tools from command line, or checking server health.
Command-line interface for kubectl-mcp-server operations.
Use this skill when:
| Priority | Rule | Impact | Tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Run doctor to check dependencies | CRITICAL | kubectl-mcp-server doctor |
| 2 | Use tools -d for descriptions | HIGH | kubectl-mcp-server tools -d |
| 3 | Use grep for tool discovery | MEDIUM | kubectl-mcp-server grep |
| 4 | Use call for direct invocation | MEDIUM | kubectl-mcp-server call |
| Task | Command | Example |
|---|---|---|
| List tools | tools -d | kubectl-mcp-server tools -d |
| Search tools | grep | kubectl-mcp-server grep "*pod*" |
| Call tool | call | kubectl-mcp-server call get_pods '{"namespace": "default"}' |
| Check health | doctor | kubectl-mcp-server doctor |
# stdio transport (for Claude Desktop)
kubectl-mcp-server serve
# HTTP transport (for remote clients)
kubectl-mcp-server serve --transport streamable-http --port 8000
# With debug logging
MCP_DEBUG=true kubectl-mcp-server serve
# Verify dependencies
kubectl-mcp-server doctor
# Shows:
# ✓ kubectl: found
# ✓ helm: found
# ✓ kubeconfig: valid
# ✓ cluster: connected
# List all tools
kubectl-mcp-server tools
# List with descriptions
kubectl-mcp-server tools -d
# JSON output
kubectl-mcp-server tools --json
# Search by pattern
kubectl-mcp-server grep "*pod*"
kubectl-mcp-server grep "*helm*"
kubectl-mcp-server grep "*velero*"
# Results show matching tool names
# Show tool parameters
kubectl-mcp-server tools get_pods
kubectl-mcp-server tools install_helm_chart
# Shows:
# - Description
# - Parameters (name, type, required)
# - Return type
# Call with JSON arguments
kubectl-mcp-server call get_pods '{"namespace": "default"}'
# Call with stdin
echo '{"namespace": "kube-system"}' | kubectl-mcp-server call get_pods
# Call with no arguments
kubectl-mcp-server call get_namespaces '{}'
# Get pods
kubectl-mcp-server call get_pods '{"namespace": "default"}'
# Describe pod
kubectl-mcp-server call describe_pod '{"name": "nginx-xxx", "namespace": "default"}'
# Get logs
kubectl-mcp-server call get_pod_logs '{"name": "nginx-xxx", "namespace": "default"}'
# Scale deployment
kubectl-mcp-server call scale_deployment '{"name": "nginx", "namespace": "default", "replicas": 3}'
# Install helm chart
kubectl-mcp-server call install_helm_chart '{
"name": "my-release",
"chart": "bitnami/nginx",
"namespace": "default"
}'
# Show current context
kubectl-mcp-server context
# Switch context
kubectl-mcp-server context production
# List available contexts
kubectl-mcp-server call list_contexts_tool '{}'
# Show server information
kubectl-mcp-server info
# Shows:
# - Version
# - Tool count
# - Resource count
# - Prompt count
# List available resources
kubectl-mcp-server resources
# Resources:
# - cluster://status
# - namespaces://list
# - pods://{namespace}
# - deployments://{namespace}
# - services://{namespace}
# - events://{namespace}
# - nodes://list
# - contexts://list
# List available prompts
kubectl-mcp-server prompts
# Prompts:
# - troubleshoot-pod
# - deploy-application
# - security-audit
# - cost-optimization
# - incident-response
# - helm-workflow
# - gitops-sync
# - multi-cluster-compare
# Core
export MCP_DEBUG=true # Enable debug logging
export MCP_LOG_FILE=/var/log/mcp.log # Log to file
export NO_COLOR=1 # Disable colors
# Browser (optional)
export MCP_BROWSER_ENABLED=true
export MCP_BROWSER_PROVIDER=browserbase
export BROWSERBASE_API_KEY=bb_...
{
"mcpServers": {
"kubectl": {
"command": "kubectl-mcp-server",
"args": ["serve"]
}
}
}
# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
alias kmcp='kubectl-mcp-server'
alias kmcp-tools='kubectl-mcp-server tools -d'
alias kmcp-call='kubectl-mcp-server call'
alias kmcp-grep='kubectl-mcp-server grep'