Cluster Manage
Switch between Docker and Kubernetes backends for Kurtosis.
Check current cluster
kurtosis cluster get
Returns docker or kubernetes.
List available clusters
kurtosis cluster ls
Switch cluster
# Switch to Docker
kurtosis cluster set docker
# Switch to Kubernetes (uses current kubectl context)
kurtosis cluster set kubernetes
After switching, restart the engine:
kurtosis engine restart
Kubernetes setup
When using Kubernetes:
- Ensure
kubectlis configured and can reach your cluster:
``bash kubectl cluster-info kubectl get nodes ``
- Switch Kurtosis to Kubernetes:
``bash kurtosis cluster set kubernetes kurtosis engine start ``
- Start the gateway (required for local CLI to reach the k8s-based engine):
``bash kurtosis gateway & ``
- Verify:
``bash kurtosis engine status ``
Config file
The cluster setting is stored in the Kurtosis config file:
kurtosis config path
Typically at ~/Library/Application Support/kurtosis/kurtosis-config.yml on macOS.