Set Context With kubectl

In Kubernetes, every operation is executed in a context that groups access settings for clusters, namespaces, and users. Using contexts is useful when managing multiple clusters, namespaces, or users, as it eliminates the need to specify their values for every executed kubectl  command.

The short answer

To create a new context or modify an existing one, you can use the kubectl config set-context command as follows:

 $ kubectl config set-context  <name> [--cluster=cluster_name] [--user=user] [--namespace=namespace]

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Where:

• name is the custom name assigned to the context.
• cluster_name is the name of the cluster associated with the context.
• user  is the name of the user associated with the context.
• namespace  is the name of the namespace associated with the context.

Note that the --cluster , --namespace , and --user  flags are optional. If you omit any of these, they will be inherited from the current context.

For example:

 $ kubectl config set-context prod_context --namespace=prod_namespace --cluster=my_cluster --user=prod_user

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Upon execution, the above command will create a context named prod_context  that will use the namespace named prod_namespace , the cluster named my_cluster , and the user named prod_user  for all the subsequent commands in this context.

If you specify a context name that already exists, the above command will modify the existing values of cluster, namespace, and user with the above-specified ones, leaving other contexts untouched.

Easily retrieve this command using Warp’s AI Command Search

If you’re using Warp as your terminal, you can easily retrieve this command using the Warp AI Command Search feature:

Entering kubernetes set context  in the AI Command Search will prompt an kubectl  command that can then quickly be inserted into your shell by doing CMD+ENTER .

Modifying the current context

To modify the values of the cluster, the namespace, or the user of the current context, you can use the kubectl config set-context  command with the --current  flag as follows:

 $ kubectl config set-context --current [--cluster=cluster_name] [--user=user] [--namespace=namespace]

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For example:

 $ kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=prod_namespace --cluster=my_cluster --user=prod_user

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Upon execution, the above command will modify the current context, and replace its existing values with the namespace named prod_namespace , the cluster named my_cluster  and the user named prod_user .

Setting context for a specific kubeconfig file

The configuration of all the contexts are stored in kubeconfig files. To manage multiple clusters and configurations, you can use several kubeconfig files, for example, for the development, staging, and production environments. 

To set a context for a specific kubeconfig file, you can use the --kubeconfig flag as follows:

 $ kubectl config set-context --kubeconfig= <config_file_path>  <name> [--cluster=cluster_name] [--user=user] [--namespace=namespace]

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Where:

• config_file_path  is the absolute or relative path to the kubeconfig file.

For example:

 $ kubectl config set-context --kubeconfig=$HOME/.kube/configFile prod-context --namespace=prod_namespace --cluster=my_cluster --user=prod_user

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Upon execution, the above command will create a context named prod_context  and set the specified value for the cluster, the namespace, and the user in the kubeconfig file located at $HOME/.kube/configFile .

To verify the changes made to your context, you can use the kubectl config view  command. This command will output the content of your kubeconfig file, allowing you to view the configuration of all your contexts. You can refer to the official documentation to learn more about kubeconfig files.

Setting a context using aliases

In Kubernetes, you can use shell’s built-in alias  command to create custom shortcuts for tasks that involve repetitive or lengthy commands, such as setting a context.

To create a new alias, you can use the alias  command as follows:

 $ alias  <name>=<value>

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Where:

• name  is the name of the alias.
• value  is the custom command or function associated with the alias.

For example**,** you can use the following command to create an alias for the kubectl config set-context  command, to facilitate the creation of a namespace for a given context:

$ alias setContextForNamespace='f() { [ "$1" ] && [ "$2" ] && kubectl config set-context $1 --namespace $2; } ; f'

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Where:

• f() { … ; }  defines a bash function named f , and f  is invoked at the end to execute the function.
• $1  is the first positional argument representing the context name.
• $2  is the second position argument representing the namespace.

For example:

$ setContextForNamespace my_context my_namespace

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Upon execution, the above command will execute the setContextForNamespace  alias and create a context named my_context  that uses the namespace named my_namespace . 

Switching between contexts

To switch from the current context to another one, you can use the kubectl config use-context  command as follows:

$ kubectl config use-context <name>

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Where:

• name  is the context name you want to switch to.

For example:

$ kubectl config use-context my_context

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Upon execution, the above command will switch from the current context to the context named my_context .

Note that if you attempt to switch to a context that does not exist, the above command will output an error message.

Renaming a context

To modify the name of an existing context, you can use the kubectl config rename-context command as follows:

 $ kubectl config rename-context <old_name> <new_name>

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Where:

• old_name  is the context name that you want to rename.
• new_name is the new name you want to assign to the context.

For example:

$ kubectl config rename-context prod_context production_context

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Upon execution, the above command will rename the context from prod_context  to production_context .

Note that, if you rename a context that you are currently using, the change will not be immediately reflected in your active session. Therefore, switch to the context with the new name or restart the terminal session.

Deleting a context

To delete a context, you can use the kubectl config delete-context  command as follows:

$ kubectl config delete-context <name>

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Where:

• name  is the context name that you want to delete.

For example:

$ kubectl config delete-context stage_context

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Upon execution, the above command will delete the context named stage_context . 

Note that if you delete a context you are currently using, the above command will output a warning, asking you to switch to a different context to execute further operations. Along with this warning, the command will also output a success message confirming the deletion of the specified context.