Introduction

While many applications offer a graphical or web-based interface, there are still many times where a text-based terminal is needed. The command line interface, or CLI, for Kubernetes (kubectl) is the primary way many developers and administrators interact with a cluster. Other common command line tools, such as those for filtering text output or invoking network calls, are frequently used for a variety of purposes.

The following lessons cover the basics of working in a terminal. While not a comprehensive explanation of the available tools and capabilities, they should provide the fundamentals necessary to get started and follow along with the other lessons on the site.

Note: The functionality described in these lessons is available by default in Linux distributions and macOS. Windows users have access to a command line, however the built-in implementation functions slightly differently than what is covered in these lessons. There are options available, such as Powershell and Cygwin, that bridge the gap and make these sorts of tools and conventions available in Windows.