Documentation

Installation

macOS

Install via Homebrew (recommended):

brew install --cask kscratch-app/tap/kscratch

Or download the DMG directly from the download section:

• Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) — aarch64.dmg
• Intel — x64.dmg

Windows

Download the .exe installer from the latest release.

Linux

Available formats:

• .AppImage — Universal, no installation required
• .deb — Debian, Ubuntu, and derivatives
• .rpm — Fedora, RHEL, CentOS

Download from the latest release.

Getting Started

1. Prerequisites

• A Kubernetes cluster (local or remote)
• A valid kubeconfig file (usually at ~/.kube/config)
• kubectl installed (optional, for metrics-server)

2. Launch kScratch

Open kScratch. It will automatically detect your kubeconfig and list your available contexts and namespaces.

3. Connect to a Cluster

Select a context from the top bar. kScratch supports multiple contexts — switch between clusters instantly.

4. Free Trial

kScratch includes a 14-day free trial with full access to all features. No license key needed. After the trial, purchase a license to continue.

Features

GraphMap Topology View

Visualize your cluster as an interactive topology graph. See real-time relationships between Nodes, Deployments, Pods, Services, and Ingress resources. Color-coded by status (Running, Pending, Failed). Click any resource to drill down.

Multi-Canvas Workspace

Display multiple resource types simultaneously in configurable split views. Choose from 8 layout presets (Grid, Horizontal, Vertical, etc.) or drag-and-drop panels to create your own layout. Save custom workspace configurations.

Integrated Terminal

Open a shell directly into any pod with xterm integration. Execute commands and troubleshoot without leaving the app.

Real-time Logs

Stream pod logs with syntax highlighting. Filter with advanced queries and download for offline analysis.

CPU/Memory Metrics

Live charts for CPU and memory usage per pod. Requires metrics-server installed on your cluster. kScratch can auto-install it for you from Settings.

YAML Editor

View and edit resource definitions with syntax highlighting and validation.

CRD Support

Full API discovery including Custom Resource Definitions. Works with any Kubernetes extension.

License Activation

Activating Your License

1. Open kScratch
2. Go to Settings (gear icon)
3. Enter your license key in the License section
4. Click Activate

Your license key is in the format XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. You can find it in your dashboard after purchase.

License Types

• Trial — 14 days, 1 machine, all features
• Pro — Unlimited time, 3 machines, priority support
• Lifetime — Unlimited time, 5 machines, all future updates

Managing Activations

You can manage your active machines from the Licenses page in your dashboard. Deactivate a machine to free up a slot.

Troubleshooting

macOS: "App can't be opened"

Right-click the app in Finder, select Open, then confirm in the dialog. This is because kScratch is not yet notarized with Apple.

No clusters detected

Make sure your ~/.kube/config file exists and is valid. Test with:

kubectl config get-contexts

Metrics not showing

CPU/Memory metrics require metrics-server to be installed on your cluster. Go to Settings > Metrics and click "Install Metrics Server", or run:

kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/metrics-server/releases/latest/download/components.yaml

Connection timeout

If connecting to a remote cluster, check that your VPN or network allows access to the Kubernetes API server. Verify with:

kubectl cluster-info

Need Help?

Open an issue on GitHub or contact us at contact@kscratch.app. Paying customers can also create a support ticket from the dashboard.

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