Kubernetes Day 3: The State of Kubernetes Development Tooling | Ellen Körbes

Learn about the state of Kubernetes development tooling and 11 essential tools for streamlined development workflows, debugging, dependencies, and bootstrapping, in this presentation by Ellen Körbes, a developer working on Tilt.

Key takeaways
  • Kubernetes Development Tooling: Ellen Körbes, a developer working on Tilt, presented on Kubernetes development tooling, highlighting the complexity and confusion of the tooling landscape.
  • Need for Streamlined Development: Körbes stressed the need for streamlined development workflows, citing frustration with the current state of Kubernetes development tooling.
  • 11 Tools: The talk focused on 11 development tools, including kubectl, Helm, Jenkins X, Tilt, Stern, Farge, Garden, Octetto, draft, and KSync.
  • Three Categories: Körbes categorized the tools into three main areas: debugging, dependencies, and bootstrapping.
  • Debugging: Debugging is the process of identifying and fixing bugs in code. Körbes recommended kubectl as a basic debugging tool and Squash for more advanced debugging.
  • Dependencies: Dependencies are the relationships between different components in a system. Körbes highlighted tools like Tilt, Garden, and Octetto that manage dependencies effectively.
  • Bootstrapping: Bootstrapping refers to the process of setting up a new system or environment. Körbes emphasized the importance of streamlined bootstrapping, citing tools like Tilt and Garden as examples.
  • Need for Ease of Use: Körbes stressed the need for ease of use and a low barrier to entry for developers new to Kubernetes development. She advocated for tooling that keeps developers focused on their code rather than on complex tooling.
  • Future Development: Körbes predicted that future development of Kubernetes tooling will focus on ease of use, speed, and extensibility.
  • No Love for Draft: Körbes was critical of Draft, saying it has too many limitations and is no longer maintained.
  • Kubernetes Manifests: Körbes bemoaned the length and complexity of the Kubernetes manifests created by many tools, saying she prefers manageable, human-readable configuration files.