# kvaps/kubectl-node-shell

Exec into node via kubectl

Repository: https://github.com/kvaps/kubectl-node-shell
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/kubectl-node-shell
Language: Shell
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Topics: kubectl, kubectl-plugin, nsenter, kubernetes, kubectl-plugins, kubectl-enter, kubectl-node-shell
Last push: 2025-03-04T18:44:27+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 38/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 9, release rhythm 40, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2729, "days_push": 547, "days_rel": 646, "gap_med": 13, "n_releases_24m": 2}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1834, forks 196 (observed 2026-08-28T04:05:42.456749+00:00)

## What it is
A kubectl plugin that starts a root shell on a Kubernetes node's host OS using a privileged pod with nsenter (Linux) or a HostProcess pod (Windows). It is distributed via krew or as a standalone shell script.

## Use cases
- get a root shell on a kubernetes node
- debug node networking with crictl
- run commands on the host OS of a node
- pipe files into a node via stdin
- debug minimal node OSes like Talos without a shell
- mount CSI volumes to move data to node devices

## When to choose
- you need host-level access on a Kubernetes node without SSH
- you want a simple krew-installable kubectl plugin
- you need to debug nodes running minimal OSes like Talos

## When to avoid
- your cluster forbids privileged containers
- you need an audited, GUI-based node management tool
- you only need to exec into pods, not nodes

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: active
- function: cli, developer-tools, container-orchestration
- domain: developer-tools
- platform: cli, cross-platform
- tags: kubectl-plugin, kubernetes, nsenter, shell, debugging, krew, command-line, containers, devops, linux

## Member repositories
- kvaps/kubectl-node-shell (main) score 38

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:42.456749+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T03:18:36.049255+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/kvaps/kubectl-node-shell (fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:42.456749+00:00, sha a016d141f872)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.