Enable kubectl bash completion and fast context switching on Photon OS

Bash auto completion is very useful, it’ll save you time and avoids unnecessary typos. This quick guide shows you how to setup bash auto completion for Photon OS so that you can use kubectl commands and complete them using the [TAB] key on your keyboard. It also works to auto complete kubernetes resources too. For example you could type kubectl describe ns <first-couple-of letters-of-namespace> and press [TAB], bash auto completion will then complete the rest for you.

Additionally, we will install kubectx to enable fast context switching between contexts. To use kubectl, just type kubectl and press enter, you can then use your cursor to move between contexts.

The Linux package bash-completion should already be installed in Photon.

Enabling kubectl auto completion

echo 'source /usr/share/bash-completion/bash_completion' >>~/.bashrc
echo 'source <(kubectl completion bash)' >>~/.bashrc

Photon does not have the /etc/bash_completion.d directory, so we will need to create it.

mkdir /etc/bash_completion.d

Then we add the completion script to the following file.

kubectl completion bash >/etc/bash_completion.d/kubectl

Enabling alias’ to save you typing kubectl and kubectx

echo 'alias k=kubectl' >>~/.bashrc
echo 'complete -F __start_kubectl k' >>~/.bashrc
echo 'alias kx=kubectx' >>~/.bashrc
echo 'complete -F __start_kubectx kx' >>~/.bashrc
. ~/.bashrc

Enabling kubectx for fast context switching

sudo git clone https://github.com/ahmetb/kubectx /opt/kubectx
sudo ln -s /opt/kubectx/kubectx /usr/local/bin/kubectx
sudo ln -s /opt/kubectx/kubens /usr/local/bin/kubens

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/junegunn/fzf.git ~/.fzf
~/.fzf/install

. ~/.bashrc

Thats it! kubectl and kubectx will be ready to use.

Complete code block for copypasta

echo 'source /usr/share/bash-completion/bash_completion' >>~/.bashrc
echo 'source <(kubectl completion bash)' >>~/.bashrc
mkdir /etc/bash_completion.d
kubectl completion bash >/etc/bash_completion.d/kubectl
echo 'alias k=kubectl' >>~/.bashrc
echo 'complete -F __start_kubectl k' >>~/.bashrc
sudo git clone https://github.com/ahmetb/kubectx /opt/kubectx
sudo ln -s /opt/kubectx/kubectx /usr/local/bin/kubectx
sudo ln -s /opt/kubectx/kubens /usr/local/bin/kubens
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/junegunn/fzf.git ~/.fzf
~/.fzf/install
echo 'alias kx=kubectx' >>~/.bashrc
echo 'complete -F __start_kubectx kx' >>~/.bashrc
. ~/.bashrc

Setting this up for non-root users

echo 'source /usr/share/bash-completion/bash_completion' >>~/.bashrc
echo 'source <(kubectl completion bash)' >>~/.bashrc
sudo chmod 755 /etc/bash_completion.d
kubectl completion bash >/etc/bash_completion.d/kubectl
echo 'alias k=kubectl' >>~/.bashrc
echo 'complete -F __start_kubectl k' >>~/.bashrc
sudo chmod 755 /opt/kubectx
sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/kubectx
sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/kubens
echo 'alias kx=kubectx' >>~/.bashrc
echo 'complete -F __start_kubectx kx' >>~/.bashrc
. ~/.bashrc