# Install kty with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix

Terminal for Kubernetes. Version 0.3.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#kty.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:kty
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install kty
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

- MacPorts (94%):

```sh
sudo port install kty
```

  Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/kty/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

### Linux

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#kty
```

  Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/kt/kty/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:kty
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 0.3.1
- **Source summary:** Terminal for Kubernetes
- **Homepage:** <https://kty.dev>
- **Repository:** <https://github.com/grampelberg/kty>
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- kty (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 0.3.1
## Project history and usage

kty is a Kubernetes terminal that exposes cluster interaction through SSH. Its documentation describes it as a standalone SSH server that maps Kubernetes concepts to familiar SSH workflows such as shells, logs, tunnels, scp, and sftp.

### Project history

The GitHub repository was created on 2024-07-17. The project is implemented in Rust and documents a server installed into a Kubernetes cluster plus a CLI used to install resources and connect over SSH.

kty's design centers on using OpenID providers such as GitHub or Google for identity, then relying on Kubernetes RBAC and user impersonation so that access follows cluster permissions in a way similar to kubectl authentication plugins.

### Adoption history

Public adoption evidence is early and package-manager oriented. The Homebrew formula shows kty being made available to CLI users while the project documentation focuses on installing the server-side cluster resources.

### How it is used

Users install the kty CLI, install kty resources into a cluster namespace, and connect with SSH. The documented workflow can open a TUI dashboard, execute shells in pods, stream logs, forward traffic, and copy files through scp or sftp.

### Why package nerds care

kty is package-nerd interesting because it replaces a pile of Kubernetes-specific local tooling with the very old SSH user interface. It is also a modern example of distributing a cluster access system as both a local package-manager binary and in-cluster Kubernetes resources.

### Timeline

- 2024-07-17: grampelberg/kty repository created on GitHub.
- 2024: kty documentation site identified the project as copyright 2024.
- 2026: Homebrew formula metadata listed kty as a packaged CLI.

### Related projects

- kty is related to kubectl, Kubernetes RBAC, OpenID Connect providers, OpenSSH-style clients, pod exec/log APIs, Kubernetes Services, and port-forwarding workflows.

### Sources

- <https://api.github.com/repos/grampelberg/kty>
- <https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/kty>
- <https://github.com/grampelberg/kty>
- <https://kty.dev/>
- <https://kty.dev/architecture>
- <https://kty.dev/getting-started>
- <https://raw.githubusercontent.com/grampelberg/kty/main/README.md>


## Security Notes

infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal.

- **Geiger risk:** orange / medium
- infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal

## Other Package-Manager Records

- Nix - kty: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/kt/kty/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- MacPorts - kty: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/kty/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1


## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/kty.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/kty.yml)


## Sources

- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph