Configuration¶

k13d uses a YAML configuration file located at ~/.config/k13d/config.yaml.

Quick Setup¶

Recommended: Upstage Solar¶

The easiest way to get started with AI features:

Get your API key from Upstage Console ($10 free credits)
Create the config file:

~/.config/k13d/config.yaml

llm:
  provider: solar
  model: solar-pro2
  endpoint: https://api.upstage.ai/v1
  api_key: your-upstage-api-key

language: en
beginner_mode: true
enable_audit: true

Full Configuration Reference¶

~/.config/k13d/config.yaml

# LLM Configuration
llm:
  provider: solar           # solar, openai, ollama, azure, anthropic
  model: solar-pro2         # Model name
  endpoint: ""              # Custom endpoint (optional)
  api_key: ""               # API key

# Language & UX
language: en                # en, ko, zh, ja
beginner_mode: true         # Simple explanations for complex resources

# Security & Audit
enable_audit: true          # Log all operations to SQLite

# Authorization (Teleport-inspired)
authorization:
  default_tui_role: admin   # admin, user, viewer
  access_request_ttl: 30m   # Just-in-time access duration
  require_approval_for:
    - dangerous             # Dangerous commands need approval
  impersonation:
    enabled: false          # K8s impersonation headers
  jwt:
    token_duration: 1h
    refresh_window: 15m

# Tool Approval Policy
tool_approval:
  auto_approve_read_only: true
  require_approval_for_write: true
  require_approval_for_unknown: true
  block_dangerous: false
  blocked_patterns: []
  approval_timeout_seconds: 60

LLM Providers¶

Upstage Solar (Recommended)¶

Best balance of quality, speed, and cost. Excellent tool calling support.

llm:
  provider: solar
  model: solar-pro2
  endpoint: https://api.upstage.ai/v1
  api_key: your-key

OpenAI¶

Best tool support, industry standard.

llm:
  provider: openai
  model: gpt-4              # or gpt-4o, gpt-3.5-turbo
  api_key: sk-your-key

Anthropic¶

Strong reasoning and analysis capabilities.

llm:
  provider: anthropic
  model: claude-3-sonnet     # or claude-3-opus, claude-3-haiku
  api_key: your-anthropic-key

Google Gemini¶

Multimodal capable with large context windows.

llm:
  provider: gemini
  model: gemini-2.5-flash    # or gemini-2.5-pro, gemini-2.0-flash
  api_key: your-gemini-key

Azure OpenAI¶

For enterprise deployments with Azure infrastructure.

llm:
  provider: azure
  model: gpt-4
  endpoint: https://your-resource.openai.azure.com
  api_key: your-azure-key

AWS Bedrock¶

Access Claude, Llama, and Mistral models via AWS.

llm:
  provider: bedrock
  model: anthropic.claude-3-sonnet
  region: us-east-1

Ollama (Local)¶

Run models locally for air-gapped environments.

# Install and run Ollama
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
ollama pull qwen2.5:3b

llm:
  provider: ollama
  model: qwen2.5:3b
  endpoint: http://localhost:11434/v1

Recommended Ollama Models:

Model	Size	Notes
`qwen2.5:3b`	2GB	Best for low-spec machines
`qwen2.5:7b`	4.5GB	Better reasoning
`llama3.2:3b`	2GB	Good general model

Embedded LLM¶

Zero external dependencies - built-in llama.cpp.

Limited Capability

Embedded models have significantly reduced capabilities. Use only for testing or when no other option is available.

# Download model (one-time)
./k13d --download-model

# Run with embedded LLM
./k13d --embedded-llm -web -auth-mode local

Configuration Files¶

k13d uses multiple configuration files in ~/.config/k13d/:

File	Purpose
`config.yaml`	Main configuration (LLM, language, model profiles)
`hotkeys.yaml`	Custom hotkey bindings
`plugins.yaml`	External plugin definitions
`aliases.yaml`	Resource command aliases
`views.yaml`	Per-resource view settings (sort defaults)

Custom Hotkeys (hotkeys.yaml)¶

Define custom keyboard shortcuts that execute external commands, similar to plugins but designed for quick operations on resources.

Hotkey Structure¶

~/.config/k13d/hotkeys.yaml

hotkeys:
  hotkey-name:
    shortCut: "Shift-L"          # Required - key combination
    description: "Description"   # Required - shown in help
    scopes: [pods]               # Required - target resource types
    command: "stern"             # Required - command to execute
    args: ["-n", "$NAMESPACE"]   # Optional - arguments with variables
    dangerous: false             # Optional - requires confirmation

Configuration Options¶

Key	Type	Required	Description
`shortCut`	string	Yes	Key combination (e.g., `Shift-L`, `Ctrl-P`, `Alt-K`)
`description`	string	Yes	Human-readable description
`scopes`	list	Yes	Resource types: `[pods]`, `[pods, services]`, or `["*"]`
`command`	string	Yes	CLI command to execute (must be in PATH)
`args`	list	No	Command arguments with variable expansion
`dangerous`	bool	No	`true` = show confirmation before execution (default: `false`)

Available Variables¶

Same variables as plugins:

Variable	Description
`$NAMESPACE`	Resource namespace
`$NAME`	Resource name
`$CONTEXT`	Current Kubernetes context

Example Hotkeys¶

~/.config/k13d/hotkeys.yaml

hotkeys:
  # Multi-pod log streaming with stern
  stern-logs:
    shortCut: "Shift-L"
    description: "Stern multi-pod logs"
    scopes: [pods, deployments]
    command: stern
    args: ["-n", "$NAMESPACE", "$NAME"]
    dangerous: false

  # Quick port-forward to 8080
  port-forward-8080:
    shortCut: "Ctrl-P"
    description: "Port forward to 8080"
    scopes: [pods, services]
    command: kubectl
    args: [port-forward, -n, "$NAMESPACE", "$NAME", "8080:8080"]
    dangerous: false

Hotkeys vs Plugins

Hotkeys and plugins share a similar structure. The main difference is that hotkeys use dangerous for confirmation while plugins use confirm and background. Use whichever fits your workflow.

Resource Aliases (aliases.yaml)¶

Define custom command shortcuts for quick resource navigation. Aliases map short names to full resource type names and integrate with the command bar autocomplete.

~/.config/k13d/aliases.yaml

aliases:
  pp: pods
  dep: deployments
  svc: services
  sec: secrets
  cm: configmaps
  ds: daemonsets
  sts: statefulsets
  rs: replicasets
  cj: cronjobs

How Aliases Work¶

Type :pp in the command bar → resolves to :pods and navigates to Pods view
Custom aliases appear in autocomplete suggestions alongside built-in commands
Use :alias to view all active aliases (built-in + custom)

Built-in Aliases¶

k13d includes many built-in aliases (e.g., :po → pods, :svc → services). Custom aliases in aliases.yaml extend these. If a custom alias conflicts with a built-in, the custom alias takes precedence.

Alias Tips

Keep aliases short (2-3 characters) for quick typing
Use :alias in TUI to see the full list of available aliases
Aliases are case-insensitive

Plugins (plugins.yaml)¶

Extend k13d with external CLI commands triggered by keyboard shortcuts. Plugins follow the k9s plugin pattern.

Plugin Structure¶

~/.config/k13d/plugins.yaml

plugins:
  plugin-name:
    shortCut: "Ctrl-I"          # Required - key combination
    description: "Description"  # Required - shown in :plugins view
    scopes: [pods]              # Required - target resource types
    command: my-command         # Required - command to execute
    args: [$NAME, $NAMESPACE]   # Optional - arguments with variables
    background: false           # Optional - run without suspending TUI
    confirm: false              # Optional - show confirmation before execution

Configuration Options¶

Key	Type	Required	Description
`shortCut`	string	Yes	Key combination (e.g., `Ctrl-I`, `Shift-D`, `Alt-K`)
`description`	string	Yes	Displayed in `:plugins` modal
`scopes`	list	Yes	Resource types: `[pods]`, `[pods, deployments]`, or `["*"]` for all
`command`	string	Yes	CLI command to execute (must be in PATH)
`args`	list	No	Command arguments, supports variable expansion
`background`	bool	No	`true` = run without suspending TUI (default: `false`)
`confirm`	bool	No	`true` = show confirmation modal before execution (default: `false`)

Available Variables¶

Variables are automatically expanded from the currently selected resource:

Variable	Description	Example Use
`$NAMESPACE`	Resource namespace	`kubectl -n $NAMESPACE`
`$NAME`	Resource name	`kubectl logs $NAME`
`$CONTEXT`	Current Kubernetes context	`lens --context $CONTEXT`
`$IMAGE`	Container image (pods only)	`dive $IMAGE`
`$LABELS.key`	Label value by key	`stern $LABELS.app`
`$ANNOTATIONS.key`	Annotation value by key	`$ANNOTATIONS.deployment.kubernetes.io/revision`

Shortcut Format¶

Format	Example	Description
Single key	`"p"`	Plain key press
Ctrl + key	`"Ctrl-D"`	Control modifier
Shift + key	`"Shift-L"`	Shift modifier
Alt + key	`"Alt-I"`	Alt/Option modifier
Combined	`"Ctrl-Shift-D"`	Multiple modifiers

Shortcut Conflicts

Avoid shortcuts that conflict with built-in keybindings (e.g., Ctrl-D is Delete, y is YAML). Use Ctrl-, Shift-, or Alt- combinations to avoid conflicts.

Execution Modes¶

Foreground (background: false, default):

Suspends the TUI while the command runs
Command gets full terminal access (stdin/stdout/stderr)
TUI restores automatically when the command finishes
Use for: interactive commands like dive, kubectl exec, vim

Background (background: true):

Runs silently without interrupting the TUI
Use for: commands that open separate windows (Lens, browser) or long-running tasks (port-forward)

Example Plugins¶

~/.config/k13d/plugins.yaml

plugins:
  # Analyze container image layers with dive
  dive:
    shortCut: "Ctrl-I"
    description: "Dive into container image layers"
    scopes: [pods]
    command: dive
    args: [$IMAGE]

  # Debug pod with ephemeral container
  debug:
    shortCut: "Shift-D"
    description: "Debug pod with ephemeral container"
    scopes: [pods]
    command: kubectl
    args: [debug, -n, $NAMESPACE, $NAME, -it, --image=busybox]
    confirm: true

  # Port-forward in background
  port-forward:
    shortCut: "Shift-F"
    description: "Port-forward to localhost:8080"
    scopes: [pods, services]
    command: kubectl
    args: [port-forward, -n, $NAMESPACE, $NAME, "8080:80"]
    background: true
    confirm: true

  # Multi-pod log streaming with stern
  stern:
    shortCut: "Shift-S"
    description: "Stream logs with stern (by app label)"
    scopes: [deployments]
    command: stern
    args: [-n, $NAMESPACE, $LABELS.app]

  # Open in Lens (all resources)
  lens:
    shortCut: "Ctrl-O"
    description: "Open in Lens"
    scopes: ["*"]
    command: lens
    args: [--context, $CONTEXT]
    background: true

Default Plugins

If plugins.yaml doesn't exist, k13d loads two built-in plugins: dive (Ctrl-D) and debug (Shift-D).

Per-Resource Sort Defaults (views.yaml)¶

Configure default sort column and direction per resource type. Sort preferences are applied automatically when navigating to each resource.

~/.config/k13d/views.yaml

views:
  pods:
    sortColumn: AGE
    sortAscending: false       # Newest pods first
  deployments:
    sortColumn: NAME
    sortAscending: true        # Alphabetical A-Z
  services:
    sortColumn: TYPE
    sortAscending: true
  nodes:
    sortColumn: STATUS
    sortAscending: true

Configuration Options¶

Key	Type	Description
`sortColumn`	string	Column header name (e.g., `NAME`, `AGE`, `STATUS`, `READY`, `RESTARTS`)
`sortAscending`	bool	`true` = ascending (A-Z, oldest first), `false` = descending (Z-A, newest first)

Smart Sort Types¶

k13d automatically detects column types for proper sorting:

Column Type	Examples	Sort Behavior
Numeric	RESTARTS, COUNT, DESIRED, CURRENT, AVAILABLE	Numeric comparison
Ready format	READY (e.g., `1/2`, `3/3`)	Compares X/Y ratio
Age format	AGE (e.g., `5d`, `3h`, `10m`)	Converts to seconds for comparison
String	NAME, STATUS, TYPE, NAMESPACE	Case-insensitive alphabetical

Model Profiles¶

Configure multiple LLM profiles and switch between them at runtime. This is useful when you want to use different models for different tasks (e.g., a fast model for simple queries and a powerful model for complex analysis).

~/.config/k13d/config.yaml

models:
  - name: solar-pro2
    provider: solar
    model: solar-pro2
    endpoint: https://api.upstage.ai/v1
    api_key: your-upstage-key
    description: "Upstage Solar Pro2 (Recommended)"

  - name: gpt-4o
    provider: openai
    model: gpt-4o
    api_key: sk-your-openai-key
    description: "OpenAI GPT-4o (Faster)"

  - name: qwen2.5-local
    provider: ollama
    model: qwen2.5:3b
    endpoint: http://localhost:11434
    description: "Local Ollama (Korean, low-spec friendly)"

active_model: solar-pro2

Profile Fields¶

Field	Required	Description
`name`	Yes	Unique profile name (used in `:model <name>`)
`provider`	Yes	LLM provider: `solar`, `openai`, `ollama`, `anthropic`, `azure`
`model`	Yes	Model identifier (e.g., `gpt-4o`, `solar-pro2`, `qwen2.5:3b`)
`endpoint`	No	Custom API endpoint (required for Ollama/Azure)
`api_key`	No	API key (can also use environment variables)
`description`	No	Human-readable description shown in model selector

Switching Models¶

TUI:

Type :model to open the model selector modal (active model marked with *)
Type :model gpt-4o to switch directly to a named profile
The switch takes effect immediately and persists to config.yaml

Web UI:

Go to Settings > LLM Settings to change the active model
Or use the model dropdown in the AI chat panel

Cost Optimization

Use a lightweight model (e.g., Ollama local) for routine monitoring and switch to a powerful model (e.g., GPT-4o) only when you need deep analysis.

Environment Variables¶

All configuration can be overridden with environment variables:

Variable	Description
`K13D_LLM_PROVIDER`	LLM provider
`K13D_LLM_MODEL`	Model name
`K13D_LLM_ENDPOINT`	Custom endpoint
`K13D_LLM_API_KEY`	API key
`K13D_AUTH_MODE`	`local`, `token`, `ldap`, `oidc`
`K13D_NO_AUTH`	Disable authentication
`K13D_USERNAME`	Default admin username (local auth mode)
`K13D_PASSWORD`	Default admin password (local auth mode)
`K13D_PORT`	Web server port (default: 8080)
`K13D_CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS`	Allowed CORS origins
`OPENAI_API_KEY`	OpenAI API key (alternative to config)
`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`	Anthropic API key (alternative to config)

Web UI Configuration¶

Settings can also be changed via the Web UI:

Click ⚙️ Settings in the top-right corner
Navigate to "LLM Settings" section
Configure provider, model, and API key
Click Save Settings

Changes take effect immediately without restart.