Installation

System Requirements

Component	Minimum	Recommended
Node.js	16.x	20.x+
OS	Windows 10, macOS 12, Ubuntu 20.04	Latest
RAM	512 MB	1 GB+
kubectl	1.24+	Latest

Install from Source

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/lnavarrocarter/kuadashboard.git
cd kuadashboard

2. Install Dependencies

# Root dependencies (backend + Electron)
npm install

# Frontend dependencies
cd frontend && npm install && cd ..

3. Build the Frontend

npm run build:frontend

This compiles the Vue 3 frontend and outputs it to the public/ directory, where the Express server serves it as static files.

4. Start the Server

npm start
# or with a custom port:
PORT=8080 npm start

Install as Desktop App

Download the latest installer for your platform from the Downloads page, or from GitHub Releases:

Platform	Format	File
Windows	Installer	KuaDashboard-Setup-x.x.x.exe
macOS	DMG	KuaDashboard-x.x.x.dmg
Linux	AppImage	KuaDashboard-x.x.x.AppImage
Linux	Debian/Ubuntu	kuadashboard_x.x.x_amd64.deb

Windows and macOS trust model

Desktop releases are distributed using code-signing (Windows) and notarization (macOS).

For complete setup, certificate export, and CI secret configuration, see Code Signing and Notarization.

Linux — AppImage

chmod +x KuaDashboard-x.x.x.AppImage
./KuaDashboard-x.x.x.AppImage

Linux — Debian / Ubuntu

sudo dpkg -i kuadashboard_x.x.x_amd64.deb
sudo apt-get install -f   # fix dependencies if needed

Kubeconfig Setup

KuaDashboard reads your kubeconfig from the standard locations:

1. KUBECONFIG environment variable (supports multiple paths)
2. ~/.kube/config (default)
3. Imported configs via the UI (stored in ~/.kube/kuadashboard_merged.yaml)

TIP

You can import additional kubeconfig files directly from the UI using the + button in the header.

Cloud Provider Setup

AWS

Configure AWS credentials using any standard method:

• ~/.aws/credentials and ~/.aws/config
• Environment variables (AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID, AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY)
• Stored profiles via the Env Manager

GCP

• Install gcloud CLI and run gcloud auth application-default login
• Or use stored service account keys via the Env Manager

Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
PORT	3000	Server port
KUBECONFIG	~/.kube/config	Kubeconfig path(s)
KUADASHBOARD_STORE	env	Credential store (env or keytar)