Inkwest

Inkwest

AI-Powered Kubernetes Debugging

Chat with an AI assistant that understands your clusters, executes read-only kubectl commands, and helps you debug issues in real time.

Discover

See It in Action

First Debug

Admin Overview

Why Inkwest?

Zero setup for developers

No VPN, no kubeconfig, no kubectl install, no MCP server. Developers open a browser and start debugging — the infrastructure team handles connectivity once.

Tighter permissions

Stop handing out broad cluster access "just in case". Inkwest acts as a controlled read-only proxy — access is scoped through OIDC and role mappings, not kubeconfigs.

Single-user or team

Run locally in dev mode with auto-login for personal use, or deploy with OIDC for your entire team. Same tool, same experience.

Features

Enterprise Ready

OIDC authentication, role-based access, session management, and usage budget controls. Single-user dev mode included for quick local setup.

Read-Only by Default

The AI is instructed to use read-only kubectl commands. Combined with RBAC, you stay in control of what runs on your cluster.

Multi-Provider AI

Use Anthropic Claude (direct, Bedrock, Azure), OpenRouter, OpenAI, or Google Gemini as your AI backend.

AI Chat Interface

Natural language debugging — ask questions about your cluster and get intelligent, context-aware answers.

Multi-Cluster

Connect and switch between multiple Kubernetes clusters with per-cluster access controls.

Real-Time Streaming

WebSocket-based streaming responses with live tool execution feedback and cancellation support.

Architecture

---
config:
  themeVariables:
    fontSize: 16px
---
graph LR
    A["React UI
(Tailwind)"] <-->|WebSocket| B["FastAPI
(async)"]
    B --> C["Claude API"]
    B --> D["Tool Executor"]
    B --> E["PostgreSQL"]
    D --> F["kubectl
(read-only)"]

Tech Stack

FastAPI React TypeScript PostgreSQL SQLAlchemy Docker Kubernetes Tailwind CSS

AI Providers

Anthropic Claude · Direct API * AWS Bedrock · Claude via AWS * Azure AI · Claude via Azure * OpenRouter · Multi-model gateway OpenAI · GPT models Google Gemini · Gemini models * Anthropic CLI · Claude Code

* Implemented but not yet tested

How Does Inkwest Compare?

See how Inkwest stacks up against other AI-powered Kubernetes tools.

K8sGPT CNCF Sandbox

CLI-based diagnostic scanner with operator mode for continuous monitoring.

Strengths

  • CNCF-backed, vendor-neutral
  • 10+ AI backends including local models
  • Operator mode for unattended scanning

Limitations

  • No web UI or interactive chat
  • No multi-user auth or OIDC
  • No conversation history
kubectl-ai Google

CLI plugin that translates natural language to kubectl commands.

Strengths

  • Google-backed, active development
  • Natural language to kubectl
  • MCP server mode

Limitations

  • Single-user CLI tool
  • No session persistence
  • No multi-cluster management
Komodor Commercial

Enterprise SaaS platform with AI agents for autonomous Kubernetes operations.

Strengths

  • Most mature commercial AI SRE platform
  • Autonomous self-healing
  • SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA compliant

Limitations

  • Starts at $1,000/month
  • SaaS-only, no self-hosted option
  • Single AI provider (Claude/Bedrock)
HolmesGPT CNCF Sandbox

Alert-driven AI investigation engine, powers Microsoft's AKS CLI Agent.

Strengths

  • Deep Prometheus/alerting integration
  • Validated by Microsoft adoption
  • Agentic investigation loop

Limitations

  • Alert-driven, not user-driven
  • Requires existing Prometheus stack
  • No standalone web UI
Headlamp K8s SIG-UI

Kubernetes dashboard with an AI assistant plugin (alpha).

Strengths

  • Official Kubernetes SIG project
  • Full dashboard with AI bolt-on
  • Context-aware AI assistant

Limitations

  • AI plugin is alpha
  • No conversation persistence
  • User-managed API keys (not centralized)
Lens Prism $25/user/mo

Desktop IDE with embedded AI copilot for Kubernetes.

Strengths

  • Polished desktop UX
  • Air-gapped environment support
  • RBAC-aligned

Limitations

  • Desktop only, no web access
  • Per-seat commercial licensing
  • No multi-user or shared sessions

Quick Start

terminal
# Clone the repository
$ git clone https://github.com/inkwest/inkwest.git
$ cd inkwest

# Configure environment
$ cp .env.example .env
$ # Edit .env with your AI provider API key

# Start all services
$ docker compose up -d

# Run database migrations
$ docker compose exec backend python db_migrate.py

# Open in browser
$ open http://localhost:3000