# Install kubectl-tree with Homebrew, Nix, zypper Kubectl plugin to browse Kubernetes object hierarchies as a tree. Version 0.6.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-27. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#kubectl-tree. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:kubectl-tree ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install kubectl-tree ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#kubectl-tree ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ku/kubectl-tree/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install kubectl-tree ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: kubectl-tree from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:kubectl-tree - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.6.0 - **Source summary:** Kubectl plugin to browse Kubernetes object hierarchies as a tree - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **License:** Apache-2.0 - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-27T21:58:45+02:00 - **Generated:** 2026-08-04T22:13:35+00:00 ## Executables - kubectl-tree (cli) - kubectl-tree (alias) ## Dependencies - kubernetes-cli ## Build dependencies - go ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-04 - Package-manager version: 0.6.0 - Package-manager updated: 2026-07-27 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/ahmetb/kubectl-tree - Upstream latest detected: v0.6.0 (current) ## Project history and usage kubectl-tree is a kubectl plugin for browsing Kubernetes object ownership as a tree. It follows `ownerReferences` between objects, letting users see how resources such as Deployments, ReplicaSets, Pods, Knative Services, or other controllers relate at runtime. ### Project history The GitHub repository was created on 2019-12-23 by Ahmet Alp Balkan. Its README says the tool explores ownership relationships through Kubernetes `ownerReferences` and acknowledges inspiration from knative-inspect, generalized beyond a single ecosystem. Later releases added filters for namespaces, selectors, condition types, API groups, and resources, reflecting its evolution from a tree visualizer into a practical inspection tool for larger clusters. ### Adoption history kubectl-tree became one of the more recognizable third-party kubectl plugins because object ownership is a common Kubernetes troubleshooting question and the tree view is easy to understand in terminal output. The repository metadata observed on 2026-07-01 showed more than 3000 GitHub stars. Its package-manager presence in Homebrew, Nix, and zypper complements Krew installation and makes it available in repeatable workstation environments. ### How it is used Users install it as a kubectl plugin and run commands such as `kubectl tree` with namespace, selector, API group, and resource filters. The README warns that filtering out intermediate owner resources can stop traversal and hide descendants, which is a useful operational detail for large clusters. The package is commonly useful when answering why an object exists, what controller owns it, or how custom resources fan out into lower-level Kubernetes objects. ### Why package nerds care kubectl-tree is package-nerd notable because it turns a native Kubernetes metadata field into a Unix-friendly visualization. It is small, script-adjacent, installable as a kubectl plugin, and expressive enough to become part of many operators' ad hoc debugging toolbox. ### Timeline - 2019-12-23: GitHub repository created. - 2025-11-15: Release v0.4.6 published. - 2026-03-20: Release v0.5.0 published. - 2026-03-24: Release v0.6.0 published. ### Related projects - Related projects include kubectl, Krew, Kubernetes ownerReferences, knative-inspect, and kube-lineage. The README contrasts kube-lineage as a similar plugin that can understand some logical relationships even without ownerReferences. ### Sources - - - - - - ## Security Notes infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal. - **Geiger risk:** orange / medium - infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal ## Configuration and credential file locations These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval. ## Configuration files - Unix: ~/.kube/config ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** kubectl-tree - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - kubectl-tree: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ku/kubectl-tree/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper - kubectl-tree - 0.6.0-1.5: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: kubectl-tree from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Kubectl plugin to browse Kubernetes object hierarchies as a tree | https://github.com/ahmetb/kubectl-tree ## Related links - [Cloud CLI packages](https://pkg.so/cloud-clis/) - Belongs to a cloud or infrastructure command family. - [Source-control packages](https://pkg.so/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Secret-risk packages](https://pkg.so/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://pkg.so/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [kubernetes-cli](https://pkg.so/brew/kubernetes-cli/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [go](https://pkg.so/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [kubecolor](https://pkg.so/brew/kubecolor/) - Shares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, kubectl, kubectl-plugin, kubernetes. - [kubectl-cnpg](https://pkg.so/brew/kubectl-cnpg/) - Shares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, kubectl-plugin, kubernetes. - [kubectl-rook-ceph](https://pkg.so/brew/kubectl-rook-ceph/) - Shares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, kubectl-plugin, kubernetes. - [kubectx](https://pkg.so/brew/kubectx/) - Shares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, kubectl, kubernetes. - [kubelogin](https://pkg.so/brew/kubelogin/) - Shares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, kubectl, kubernetes. - [krew](https://pkg.so/brew/krew/) - Shares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, kubectl, kubernetes. - [kubecm](https://pkg.so/brew/kubecm/) - Shares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, kubectl, kubernetes. - [kubergrunt](https://pkg.so/brew/kubergrunt/) - Shares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, kubectl, kubernetes. - [kubectl-explore](https://pkg.so/brew/kubectl-explore/) - Package names and metadata indicate a similar tool family. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, kubectl, kubectl-plugin. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/kubectl-tree.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/kubectl-tree.yml) ## Sources - pkg.so package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - pkgdb category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph