First run
Pick a kubeconfig context, connect, and find your way around.
Start Loupe
It reads ~/.kube/config — the same file kubectl uses — and lists
every context it finds. If KUBECONFIG is set in your login shell,
Loupe reads that instead, even when opened from the Dock or Finder.
Pick a context
Loupe connects using that context's credentials. Whatever kubectl can
see, Loupe can see; whatever RBAC forbids, Loupe cannot. Recent and
pinned contexts sit at the top of the picker, and search stays instant
on a kubeconfig with thousands of contexts.
Look around
Loupe opens on the dashboard: a bird's-eye view of
the cluster, where every number opens what is behind it. The rail on
the left lists nodes, namespaces, pods and every other kind the API
server serves; ⌘K finds any object by name.
Connections are held per context, so switching cluster does not restart the application or discard the previous connection — switching back re-authenticates nothing and re-walks no API discovery.
Something wrong before you can connect?
The cluster picker carries a Check for updates link, so a release
that fixes a connection problem is reachable without connecting first.
If an EKS, GKE or AKS context fails with unable to run auth exec, see
troubleshooting.