cluster-manage

name	cluster-manage
description	Manage Kurtosis cluster settings. Switch between Docker and Kubernetes backends, list available clusters, and configure which cluster Kurtosis uses. Use when you need to change where Kurtosis runs enclaves.
compatibility	Requires kurtosis CLI. Kubernetes requires kubectl with cluster access.
metadata	{"author":"ethpandaops","version":"1.0"}

Cluster Manage

Switch between Docker and Kubernetes backends for Kurtosis.

Check current cluster

kurtosis cluster get

Returns docker or kubernetes.

List available clusters

kurtosis cluster ls

Switch cluster

# Switch to Docker
kurtosis cluster set docker

# Switch to Kubernetes (uses current kubectl context)
kurtosis cluster set kubernetes

After switching, restart the engine:

kurtosis engine restart

Kubernetes setup

When using Kubernetes:

1. Ensure kubectl is configured and can reach your cluster:

   kubectl cluster-info
   kubectl get nodes
   

2. Switch Kurtosis to Kubernetes:

   kurtosis cluster set kubernetes
   kurtosis engine start
   

3. Start the gateway (required for local CLI to reach the k8s-based engine):

   kurtosis gateway &
   

4. Verify:

   kurtosis engine status
   

Config file

The cluster setting is stored in the Kurtosis config file:

kurtosis config path

Typically at ~/Library/Application Support/kurtosis/kurtosis-config.yml on macOS.