website/content/en/docs/tasks/tools/install-kubectl-macos.md

reviewers	title	content_type	weight	card
mikedanese	Install and Set Up kubectl on macOS	task	10	name weight title tasks 20 Install kubectl on macOS

{{% heading "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.

Install kubectl on macOS

The following methods exist for installing kubectl on macOS:

• Install kubectl binary with curl on macOS
• Install with Homebrew on macOS
• Install with Macports on macOS
• Install on macOS as part of the Google Cloud SDK

Install kubectl binary with curl on macOS

1. Download the latest release:

   curl -LO "https://dl.k8s.io/release/$(curl -L -s https://dl.k8s.io/release/stable.txt)/bin/darwin/amd64/kubectl"
   

   {{< note >}} To download a specific version, replace the $(curl -L -s https://dl.k8s.io/release/stable.txt) portion of the command with the specific version.

   For example, to download version {{< param "fullversion" >}} on macOS, type:

   curl -LO https://dl.k8s.io/release/{{< param "fullversion" >}}/bin/darwin/amd64/kubectl
   

   {{< /note >}}

2. Validate the binary (optional)

   Download the kubectl checksum file:

   curl -LO "https://dl.k8s.io/$(curl -L -s https://dl.k8s.io/release/stable.txt)/bin/darwin/amd64/kubectl.sha256"
   

   Validate the kubectl binary against the checksum file:

   echo "$(<kubectl.sha256)  kubectl" | shasum -a 256 --check
   

   If valid, the output is:

   kubectl: OK
   

   If the check fails, shasum exits with nonzero status and prints output similar to:

   kubectl: FAILED
   shasum: WARNING: 1 computed checksum did NOT match
   

   {{< note >}} Download the same version of the binary and checksum. {{< /note >}}

3. Make the kubectl binary executable.

   chmod +x ./kubectl
   

4. Move the kubectl binary to a file location on your system PATH.

   sudo mv ./kubectl /usr/local/bin/kubectl
   sudo chown root: /usr/local/bin/kubectl
   

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

   kubectl version --client
   

Install with Homebrew on macOS

If you are on macOS and using Homebrew package manager, you can install kubectl with Homebrew.

1. Run the installation command:

   brew install kubectl 
   

   or

   brew install kubernetes-cli
   

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

   kubectl version --client
   

Install with Macports on macOS

If you are on macOS and using Macports 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 up-to-date:

   kubectl version --client
   

Install on macOS as part of the Google Cloud SDK

{{< include "included/install-kubectl-gcloud.md" >}}

Verify kubectl configuration

{{< include "included/verify-kubectl.md" >}}

Optional kubectl configurations

Enable shell autocompletion

kubectl provides autocompletion support for Bash and Zsh, which can save you a lot of typing.

Below are the procedures to set up autocompletion for Bash and Zsh.

{{< tabs name="kubectl_autocompletion" >}} {{< tab name="Bash" include="included/optional-kubectl-configs-bash-mac.md" />}} {{< tab name="Zsh" include="included/optional-kubectl-configs-zsh.md" />}} {{< /tabs >}}

{{% heading "whatsnext" %}}

{{< include "included/kubectl-whats-next.md" >}}