
Cluster Manage
Switch Kurtosis clusters between Docker and Kubernetes backends
What You Can Do
You can switch your Kurtosis runtime between Docker and Kubernetes backends, check which cluster is currently active, and list all available clusters. This skill helps you manage where Kurtosis deploys and runs enclaves, whether on local Docker or a remote Kubernetes cluster, with automated engine restart and gateway configuration for Kubernetes environments.
Features
Query your current Kurtosis backend (Docker or Kubernetes) with a single CLI command
Toggle between Docker and Kubernetes backends and automatically restart the engine
Display all available Kurtosis clusters configured in your environment
Configure kubectl access, start the Kurtosis gateway, and verify engine connectivity
Locate and view your Kurtosis configuration file to inspect or modify cluster settings
Start and manage the Kurtosis gateway for local-to-remote Kubernetes engine communication
Validate your active environment and cluster connectivity before deploying enclaves
Example Output
Example 1: Check current cluster
$ kurtosis cluster get
docker
Example 2: List available clusters
$ kurtosis cluster ls
docker
kubernetes
Example 3: Switch to Kubernetes and verify
$ kurtosis cluster set kubernetes
$ kurtosis engine restart
$ kurtosis engine status
Engine is running on kubernetes cluster
What's Included
- SKILL.md: Complete cluster management instruction file with CLI commands
- Docker-to-Kubernetes switch guide: Step-by-step commands to toggle backends
- Kubernetes setup checklist: kubectl configuration, gateway startup, and verification steps
- Config file reference: Location and structure of Kurtosis configuration settings
- Engine restart procedures: Commands to restart and validate the Kurtosis engine after cluster changes
Who It's For
- DevOps engineers managing containerized test environments across multiple infrastructures
- Blockchain developers running Kurtosis enclaves on scalable Kubernetes clusters
- QA automation engineers switching between local Docker and remote Kubernetes for testing
- Infrastructure teams coordinating multi-backend container orchestration
- Platform engineers provisioning Kurtosis environments for development and staging
Best For
- Backend infrastructure switching — Toggle between Docker and Kubernetes runtimes without reconfiguration
- Multi-environment deployments — Manage enclaves across local and remote cluster backends
- Kubernetes gateway setup — Configure secure communication from local CLI to remote Kubernetes engines
- Cluster verification — Validate active cluster and connectivity before running enclave operations
- Container orchestration management — Centralize cluster configuration and engine lifecycle control






