---
reviewers:
- bgrant0607
- mikedanese
title: Install and Set Up kubectl
content_template: templates/task
weight: 10
---

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Use the Kubernetes command-line tool, [kubectl](/docs/user-guide/kubectl/), to deploy and manage applications on Kubernetes. Using kubectl, you can inspect cluster resources; create, delete, and update components; look at your new cluster; and bring up example apps.
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{{% capture prerequisites %}}
You must use a kubectl version that is within one minor version difference of your cluster. For example, a v1.2 client should work with v1.1, v1.2, and v1.3 master. Using the latest version of kubectl helps avoid unforeseen issues.
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{{% capture steps %}}

## Install kubectl

Here are a few methods to install kubectl.

## Install kubectl binary using native package management

{{< tabs name="kubectl_install" >}}
{{< tab name="Ubuntu, Debian or HypriotOS" codelang="bash" >}}
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y apt-transport-https
curl -s https://packages.cloud.google.com/apt/doc/apt-key.gpg | sudo apt-key add -
echo "deb https://apt.kubernetes.io/ kubernetes-xenial main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/kubernetes.list
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y kubectl
{{< /tab >}}
{{< tab name="CentOS, RHEL or Fedora" codelang="bash" >}}cat <<EOF > /etc/yum.repos.d/kubernetes.repo
[kubernetes]
name=Kubernetes
baseurl=https://packages.cloud.google.com/yum/repos/kubernetes-el7-x86_64
enabled=1
gpgcheck=1
repo_gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=https://packages.cloud.google.com/yum/doc/yum-key.gpg https://packages.cloud.google.com/yum/doc/rpm-package-key.gpg
EOF
yum install -y kubectl
{{< /tab >}}
{{< /tabs >}}


## Install with snap on Ubuntu

If you are on Ubuntu or one of other Linux distributions that support [snap](https://snapcraft.io/docs/core/install) package manager, kubectl is available as a [snap](https://snapcraft.io/) application.

1. Switch to the snap user and run the installation command:

    ```
    sudo snap install kubectl --classic
    ```

2. Test to ensure the version you installed is sufficiently up-to-date:

    ```
    kubectl version
    ```

## Install with Homebrew on macOS

If you are on macOS and using [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/) package manager, you can install kubectl with Homebrew.

1. Run the installation command:

    ```
    brew install kubernetes-cli
    ```

2. Test to ensure the version you installed is sufficiently up-to-date:

    ```
    kubectl version
    ```

## Install with Macports on macOS

If you are on macOS and using [Macports](https://macports.org/) package manager, you can install kubectl with Macports.

1. Run the installation command:

    ```
    sudo port selfupdate
    sudo port install kubectl
    ```
    
2. Test to ensure the version you installed is sufficiently up-to-date:

    ```
    kubectl version
    ```

## Install with Powershell from PSGallery

If you are on Windows and using [Powershell Gallery](https://www.powershellgallery.com/) package manager, you can install and update kubectl with Powershell.

1. Run the installation commands (making sure to specify a `DownloadLocation`):

    ```
    Install-Script -Name install-kubectl -Scope CurrentUser -Force
    install-kubectl.ps1 [-DownloadLocation <path>]
    ```
    
    {{< note >}}
    If you do not specify a `DownloadLocation`, `kubectl` will be installed in the user's temp Directory.
    {{< /note >}}
    
    The installer creates `$HOME/.kube` and instructs it to create a config file

2. Test to ensure the version you installed is sufficiently up-to-date:

    ```
    kubectl version
    ```

    {{< note >}}
    Updating the installation is performed by rerunning the two commands listed in step 1.
    {{< /note >}}

## Install with Chocolatey on Windows

If you are on Windows and using [Chocolatey](https://chocolatey.org) package manager, you can install kubectl with Chocolatey.

1. Run the installation command:

    ```
    choco install kubernetes-cli
    ```
    
2. Test to ensure the version you installed is sufficiently up-to-date:

    ```
    kubectl version
    ```
3. Change to your %HOME% directory:

    For example: `cd C:\users\yourusername`

4. Create the .kube directory:

    ```
    mkdir .kube
    ```

5. Change to the .kube directory you just created:

    ```
    cd .kube
    ```

6. Configure kubectl to use a remote Kubernetes cluster:

    ```
    New-Item config -type file
    ```
    
    {{< note >}}
    Edit the config file with a text editor of your choice, such as Notepad.
    {{< /note >}}

## Download as part of the Google Cloud SDK

You can install kubectl as part of the Google Cloud SDK.

1. Install the [Google Cloud SDK](https://cloud.google.com/sdk/).
2. Run the `kubectl` installation command:

    ```
    gcloud components install kubectl
    ```
    
3. Test to ensure the version you installed is sufficiently up-to-date:

    ```
    kubectl version
    ```

## Install kubectl binary using curl

{{< tabs name="kubectl_install_curl" >}}
{{% tab name="macOS" %}}
1. Download the latest release:

    ```		 
    curl -LO https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/$(curl -s https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/stable.txt)/bin/darwin/amd64/kubectl
    ```

    To download a specific version, replace the `$(curl -s https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/stable.txt)` portion of the command with the specific version.

    For example, to download version {{< param "fullversion" >}} on macOS, type:
		  
    ```
    curl -LO https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/{{< param "fullversion" >}}/bin/darwin/amd64/kubectl
    ```

2. Make the kubectl binary executable.

    ```
    chmod +x ./kubectl
    ```

3. Move the binary in to your PATH.

    ```
    sudo mv ./kubectl /usr/local/bin/kubectl
    ```
{{% /tab %}}
{{% tab name="Linux" %}}

1. Download the latest release with the command:

    ```
    curl -LO https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/$(curl -s https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/stable.txt)/bin/linux/amd64/kubectl
    ```

    To download a specific version, replace the `$(curl -s https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/stable.txt)` portion of the command with the specific version.

    For example, to download version {{< param "fullversion" >}} on Linux, type:
    
    ```
    curl -LO https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/{{< param "fullversion" >}}/bin/linux/amd64/kubectl
    ```

2. Make the kubectl binary executable.

    ```
    chmod +x ./kubectl
    ```

3. Move the binary in to your PATH.

    ```
    sudo mv ./kubectl /usr/local/bin/kubectl
    ```
{{% /tab %}}
{{% tab name="Windows" %}}
1. Download the latest release {{< param "fullversion" >}} from [this link](https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/{{< param "fullversion" >}}/bin/windows/amd64/kubectl.exe).

    Or if you have `curl` installed, use this command:

    ```
    curl -LO https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/{{< param "fullversion" >}}/bin/windows/amd64/kubectl.exe
    ```

    To find out the latest stable version (for example, for scripting), take a look at [https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/stable.txt](https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/stable.txt).

2. Add the binary in to your PATH.
{{% /tab %}}
{{< /tabs >}}



## Configure kubectl

In order for kubectl to find and access a Kubernetes cluster, it needs a [kubeconfig file](/docs/tasks/access-application-cluster/configure-access-multiple-clusters/), which is created automatically when you create a cluster using kube-up.sh or successfully deploy a Minikube cluster. See the [getting started guides](/docs/setup/) for more about creating clusters. If you need access to a cluster you didn't create, see the [Sharing Cluster Access document](/docs/tasks/access-application-cluster/configure-access-multiple-clusters/).
By default, kubectl configuration is located at `~/.kube/config`.

## Check the kubectl configuration
Check that kubectl is properly configured by getting the cluster state:

```shell
kubectl cluster-info
```
If you see a URL response, kubectl is correctly configured to access your cluster.

If you see a message similar to the following, kubectl is not correctly configured or not able to connect to a Kubernetes cluster.

```shell
The connection to the server <server-name:port> was refused - did you specify the right host or port?
```

For example, if you are intending to run a Kubernetes cluster on your laptop (locally), you will need a tool like minikube to be installed first and then re-run the commands stated above.

If kubectl cluster-info returns the url response but you can't access your cluster, to check whether it is configured properly, use:

```shell
kubectl cluster-info dump
```

## Enabling shell autocompletion

kubectl includes autocompletion support, which can save a lot of typing!

The completion script itself is generated by kubectl, so you typically just need to invoke it from your profile.

Common examples are provided here. For more details, consult `kubectl completion -h`.

### On Linux, using bash
On CentOS Linux, you may need to install the bash-completion package which is not installed by default.

```shell
yum install bash-completion -y
```

To add kubectl autocompletion to your current shell, run `source <(kubectl completion bash)`.

To add kubectl autocompletion to your profile, so it is automatically loaded in future shells run:

```shell
echo "source <(kubectl completion bash)" >> ~/.bashrc
```

### On macOS, using bash
On macOS, you will need to install bash-completion support via [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/) first:

```shell
## If running Bash 3.2 included with macOS
brew install bash-completion
## or, if running Bash 4.1+
brew install bash-completion@2
```

Follow the "caveats" section of brew's output to add the appropriate bash completion path to your local .bashrc.

If you installed kubectl using the [Homebrew instructions](#install-with-homebrew-on-macos) then kubectl completion should start working immediately.

If you have installed kubectl manually, you need to add kubectl autocompletion to the bash-completion:

```shell
kubectl completion bash > $(brew --prefix)/etc/bash_completion.d/kubectl
```

The Homebrew project is independent from Kubernetes, so the bash-completion packages are not guaranteed to work.

### Using Zsh
If you are using zsh edit the ~/.zshrc file and add the following code to enable kubectl autocompletion:

```shell
if [ $commands[kubectl] ]; then
  source <(kubectl completion zsh)
fi
```

Or when using [Oh-My-Zsh](http://ohmyz.sh/), edit the ~/.zshrc file and update the `plugins=` line to include the kubectl plugin.

```shell
plugins=(kubectl)
```
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{{% capture whatsnext %}}
[Learn how to launch and expose your application.](/docs/tasks/access-application-cluster/service-access-application-cluster/)
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