# podctl - Complete Documentation

> podctl is the native Kubernetes client for Apple platforms. Built with SwiftUI, it provides a beautiful, powerful interface for managing Kubernetes clusters that replaces kubectl for day-to-day operations.

## Product Overview

podctl brings Kubernetes management to Apple's native ecosystem. Instead of memorizing kubectl commands and switching between terminal windows, podctl provides a unified, visual interface that makes cluster management intuitive and efficient.

### Why podctl?

- **Native Performance**: Built with SwiftUI for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS. No Electron, no web views - pure native performance.
- **kubectl Reimagined**: Every kubectl command available through a beautiful UI with real-time feedback.
- **AI-First**: On-device AI assistant that understands your cluster state and provides intelligent troubleshooting.
- **Cross-Platform**: Manage clusters from your Mac, iPhone, iPad, or even Apple Vision Pro.

## Detailed Feature Documentation

### 1. AI-Powered Troubleshooting

The built-in AI assistant runs entirely on-device for privacy and speed. It can:
- Analyze pod crash loops and suggest fixes
- Explain Kubernetes error messages in plain language
- Recommend resource limit adjustments based on usage patterns
- Generate kubectl commands for complex operations
- Debug networking issues between services
- Identify security misconfigurations

### 2. Multi-Cluster Command Center

Connect to unlimited Kubernetes clusters simultaneously:
- **Unified Dashboard**: See health status of all clusters at a glance
- **Cross-Cluster Search**: Find resources across all connected clusters instantly
- **Context Switching**: One-click cluster switching without editing kubeconfig
- **Cluster Comparison**: Compare configurations between staging and production
- **Connection Methods**: Support for kubeconfig, service account tokens, OIDC, and cloud provider auth (EKS, GKE, AKS)

### 3. Chaos Engineering

Built-in chaos engineering with 12+ experiment types:
- **Pod Experiments**: Pod kill, pod failure injection, container kill
- **Network Experiments**: Network latency, packet loss, DNS failure, bandwidth limiting
- **Stress Experiments**: CPU stress, memory stress, I/O stress, disk fill
- **Node Experiments**: Node drain simulation, node failure
- **Scheduling**: Run experiments on schedules or manually
- **Safety**: Automatic rollback, blast radius controls, and experiment history

### 4. Cost Estimation & Optimization

Track and optimize Kubernetes spending:
- **Real-time Cost Tracking**: Per-pod, per-namespace, per-cluster cost estimation
- **Cloud Provider Support**: AWS, GCP, and Azure pricing integration
- **Optimization Recommendations**: Right-sizing suggestions for CPU and memory requests
- **Cost Trends**: Historical cost charts and forecasting
- **Budget Alerts**: Set spending thresholds and receive notifications
- **Idle Resource Detection**: Identify unused deployments, PVCs, and services

### 5. Database Connectivity

Connect directly to databases running in your cluster:
- **Supported Databases**: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch
- **Port Forwarding**: Automatic port-forward setup for database access
- **Query Interface**: Built-in query editor with syntax highlighting
- **Connection Profiles**: Save and organize database connections
- **SSL/TLS Support**: Secure connections with certificate management

### 6. Policy & Compliance

Manage cluster policies and ensure compliance:
- **Gatekeeper Integration**: View and manage OPA Gatekeeper constraints
- **Kyverno Integration**: Manage Kyverno policies and view reports
- **RBAC Auditing**: Visualize role bindings and identify excessive permissions
- **Policy Violations**: Real-time alerting on policy violations
- **Compliance Reports**: Generate compliance reports for auditing

### 7. Network Debugging Suite

Comprehensive network troubleshooting tools:
- **DNS Lookup**: Resolve service names and debug DNS issues
- **Connectivity Testing**: Test pod-to-pod, pod-to-service connectivity
- **Traceroute**: Trace network paths between pods
- **Port Scanning**: Discover open ports on services and pods
- **Network Policies**: Visualize and test network policy effects
- **Service Mesh**: Istio and Linkerd integration for mesh debugging

### 8. Full Helm Lifecycle

Complete Helm chart management:
- **Repository Management**: Add, update, and search Helm repositories
- **Chart Installation**: Install charts with visual values editor
- **Upgrade & Rollback**: One-click upgrades with automatic diff preview
- **Release History**: View all releases with version comparison
- **Values Editor**: YAML editor with schema validation and autocomplete
- **Test Runs**: Execute Helm test hooks and view results

### 9. Developer Toolbox

Productivity tools for Kubernetes developers:
- **HTTP Request Builder**: Send requests to cluster services with auth headers
- **API Proxy**: Proxy requests through the Kubernetes API server
- **YAML/JSON Editor**: Full-featured editor with Kubernetes schema validation
- **Code Generation**: Generate Kubernetes manifests from templates
- **Resource Templates**: Quick-start templates for common workloads
- **Manifest Diff**: Compare manifests between environments

### 10. Real-time Observability

Monitor cluster health in real-time:
- **Live Log Streaming**: Stream logs from pods with filtering and search
- **Metrics Dashboards**: CPU, memory, network, and disk usage charts
- **Event Timeline**: Chronological view of cluster events with filtering
- **Prometheus Queries**: Execute PromQL queries with visualization
- **Alert Management**: View and manage Prometheus alerts
- **Resource Utilization**: Heat maps and utilization charts

### 11. Backup & Disaster Recovery

Protect your cluster state:
- **Velero Integration**: Full Velero backup management
- **Scheduled Backups**: Configure backup schedules with retention policies
- **Volume Snapshots**: Manage persistent volume snapshots
- **Restore Operations**: One-click restore from backups
- **Backup Validation**: Verify backup integrity
- **Cross-Cluster Migration**: Move workloads between clusters

### 12. Interactive Terminal & Shell

Full terminal access to your cluster:
- **PTY Terminal**: Full terminal emulation with color support
- **SSH Tunneling**: SSH into nodes through the API server
- **File Management**: Upload and download files from pod containers
- **Port Forwarding**: Visual port-forward management
- **Multi-Tab**: Multiple terminal sessions in tabs
- **Command History**: Searchable command history across sessions

## Supported Platforms

### macOS 15+ (Sequoia)
- Full desktop experience with native macOS integration
- Menu bar quick-access for cluster status
- Spotlight integration for resource search
- Touch Bar support for quick actions
- Keyboard shortcuts for power users

### iOS 18+
- Mobile cluster management on the go
- Push notifications for cluster alerts
- Widget support for cluster health
- Shortcuts app integration

### iPadOS 18+
- Split View and Stage Manager support
- Apple Pencil annotation on cluster diagrams
- External display support for dashboards
- Keyboard and trackpad optimization

### visionOS 2+
- Spatial computing for Kubernetes visualization
- 3D cluster topology views
- Multi-window workspace
- Eye tracking for quick navigation

## About Olib AI

podctl is built by Olib AI, a software company focused on developer tools and infrastructure management. Based in Stone Mountain, GA, USA.

- Website: https://olib.ai
- Email: support@olib.ai
- X/Twitter: https://x.com/AIOlib
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/olib-ai
- GitHub: https://github.com/AIOlib

## Legal

- Privacy Policy: https://podctl.app/privacy
- Terms of Service: https://podctl.app/terms