k8shell Open Source
k8shell OSS is the open-source of the k8shell platform. It delivers the minimum set of services needed to provision and access Kubernetes-based developer workspaces over SSH. No proprietary infrastructure is required.
What's included
| Service | Role |
|---|---|
| SSH Proxy | Terminates inbound SSH connections, authenticates users using identity service, and forwards SSH channels to running workspaces. Learn more |
| Identity | Authenticates users via local credentials — SSH public key. Learn more |
| Provisioner | Creates and tears down workspaces in a target namespace based on workspace blueprints. Learn more |
| k8shelld | Workspace control plane; runs as PID 1 of the main workspace container. Learn more |
The full k8shell platform adds API Server, Session, Console, SSH Shield, Worktrace, and more.
Prerequisites
| Tool | Version |
|---|---|
Kubernetes + kubectl | 1.26+ with permission to create namespaces, RBAC, and workloads |
| Helm | 3.12+ |
openssl | Any recent version (key generation) |
Get started
→ Quick Start — install k8shell on any cluster in under 5 minutes using the quickstart script.
What's next
Once k8shell OSS is running, you can go further:
- Expose SSH Proxy — LoadBalancer or ingress setup
- Add users — add more users with SSH keys
- Add blueprints — add blueprints and configure storage or Podman
- Values reference — full
values.yamldocumentation