/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.