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Desktop edition ​

The Desktop edition runs Kubron directly on your computer. It is the quickest way to explore Kubernetes with Kubron without deploying or maintaining a server. This guide takes you from a downloaded file to a running Kubron on Windows, macOS or Linux.

Check the system requirements first, and verify your download before you run it.

Download ​

Get the latest release from GitHub Releases:

PlatformPackage
Windows (x64)Kubron_v<version>_windows-amd64.zip
macOS (Apple Silicon + Intel)Kubron_v<version>_macos-universal.zip
Linux (x64)Kubron_v<version>_linux-amd64.tar.gz
Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)kubron_<version>_amd64.deb

Checksums are published in SHA256SUMS.txt, and release files include build provenance. See Verify your download.

Windows ​

Requirements ​

  • Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.
  • Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime. It ships with Windows 11 and with up-to-date Windows 10. If it is missing, the app will not be able to draw its window; install the Evergreen Runtime from Microsoft and start Kubron again.

Steps ​

  1. Download Kubron_v<version>_windows-amd64.zip from the Releases page.

  2. (Recommended) Verify the file: checksum and provenance.

  3. Right-click the zip, open Properties, and tick Unblock if the option is shown. Or run in PowerShell:

    powershell
    Unblock-File .\Kubron_v1.0.0_windows-amd64.zip

  4. Extract the archive. It contains a single file, Kubron.exe. Put it in a folder you control, for example C:\Tools\Kubron\ or %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Kubron\.

  5. Double-click Kubron.exe.

    If Windows protected your PC (SmartScreen) appears, choose More info → Run anyway. This is expected for builds that are not code-signed yet.

  6. (Optional) Right-click Kubron.exe → Show more options → Pin to Start or Send to → Desktop (create shortcut).

There is no installer and nothing is written to the registry. Kubron stores its data in %USERPROFILE%\.kubron.

macOS ​

Requirements ​

  • A Mac with Apple Silicon or an Intel processor. The download is one universal build.

Steps ​

  1. Download Kubron_v<version>_macos-universal.zip.

  2. (Recommended) Verify the file: checksum and provenance.

  3. Double-click the zip to extract Kubron.app, then drag it into Applications.

  4. The first launch will be blocked because the app is not notarized yet. Do one of the following:

    • In Finder, right-click (or Control-click) Kubron.app → Open → Open in the dialog.

    • Or remove the quarantine flag in Terminal:

      bash
      xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Kubron.app

    • Or, if macOS says the app "cannot be opened", go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll to the message about Kubron and click Open Anyway.

  5. After the first successful launch, macOS remembers your choice and Kubron opens normally.

Kubron stores its data in ~/.kubron.

Linux ​

Kubron needs GTK 3 and WebKitGTK 4.1. Pick the install method for your distribution.

Debian, Ubuntu and derivatives (.deb) ​

The package declares its dependencies (libgtk-3-0, libwebkit2gtk-4.1-0), so apt installs everything.

bash
sudo apt install ./kubron_1.0.0_amd64.deb

Use the path to the file you downloaded. Installing with apt install ./file.deb (not dpkg -i) resolves dependencies for you.

The package installs:

PathPurpose
/usr/bin/kubronThe application
/usr/share/applications/kubron.desktopApplication-menu entry (category Development)
/usr/share/icons/hicolor/512x512/apps/kubron.pngIcon
/usr/share/doc/kubron/LICENSE and NOTICE

Start it from your application menu or by running kubron in a terminal.

To update, install the newer .deb the same way. Your data in ~/.kubron is untouched. To remove:

bash
sudo apt remove kubron

Other distributions (.tar.gz) ​

  1. Install the runtime libraries:

    bash
    sudo dnf install gtk3 webkit2gtk4.1
    bash
    sudo pacman -S gtk3 webkit2gtk-4.1
    bash
    sudo zypper install libgtk-3-0 libwebkit2gtk-4_1-0
    bash
    sudo apt install libgtk-3-0 libwebkit2gtk-4.1-0

    Package names differ slightly between distributions and versions. If a name is not found, search your package manager for webkit2gtk and pick the 4.1 variant.

  2. Extract the archive. It contains one executable, Kubron:

    bash
    tar -xzf Kubron_v1.0.0_linux-amd64.tar.gz
chmod +x Kubron
./Kubron

  3. (Optional) Install it for your user so it is on your PATH:

    bash
    mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
install -m 0755 Kubron ~/.local/bin/kubron

  4. (Optional) Add a menu entry. Create ~/.local/share/applications/kubron.desktop:

    ini
    [Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Kubron
GenericName=Kubernetes Operations Workspace
Comment=Workspace for Kubernetes operations across clusters
Exec=%h/.local/bin/kubron
Terminal=false
Categories=Development;System;
Keywords=kubernetes;k8s;cluster;kubectl;
StartupWMClass=Kubron

    Some desktop environments do not expand %h. If the entry does not launch, write the absolute path instead, for example /home/alex/.local/bin/kubron.

To update, replace the executable with the new one. To uninstall, delete it and the .desktop file.

First launch ​

On the first start Kubron has no users yet, so it asks you to create the local administrator account.

  1. The Welcome to Kubron screen opens. Choose the interface language in the corner if you like. By default it follows your system language.
  2. Enter a username: 3 to 32 characters, using Latin letters, digits, ., - and _.
  3. Enter a password of at least 8 characters and confirm it.
  4. Click Create administrator. You are signed in.

Afterwards Kubron shows a sign-in form when it starts. The account lives only on your computer; it is not an online account and nothing is sent anywhere.

Auto-logout

For safety, Kubron signs you out after a period of inactivity (15 minutes by default; an administrator can change it or turn it off).

Next, add your first cluster.

Where Kubron keeps its data ​

Everything lives in one folder in your home directory:

OSLocation
Linux, macOS~/.kubron
Windows%USERPROFILE%\.kubron
ItemNotes
config.jsonInterface preferences such as theme and last active cluster
users.jsonLocal accounts
clusters/Kubeconfigs of the clusters you added, plus their names, colours and tags

Kubron creates the folder so only your user can enter it (0700) and writes its configuration with owner-only permissions. Your original kubeconfig (for example ~/.kube/config) is not modified.

Backup: copy the whole folder while Kubron is closed. Reset: close Kubron and delete the folder; the next start behaves like a fresh install.

Update and uninstall ​

WindowsmacOSLinux .debLinux .tar.gz
UpdateReplace Kubron.exeReplace Kubron.app in Applicationssudo apt install ./new.debReplace the Kubron file
UninstallDelete Kubron.exeDrag Kubron.app to the Trashsudo apt remove kubronDelete the file

Your clusters and account stay in ~/.kubron through updates. Delete that folder only if you also want to remove your data. See the changelog before upgrading across major versions.

Troubleshooting ​

Windows: "Windows protected your PC" ​

SmartScreen warns about apps without a code-signing certificate. Click More info → Run anyway. Verify the file first with the checksum and provenance steps if you want certainty.

Windows: the window stays blank or the app closes immediately ​

Install or repair the WebView2 Runtime (see Requirements). Also make sure the file was extracted from the zip; running Kubron.exe from inside the zip viewer can fail.

macOS: "Kubron is damaged and can't be opened" or "cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified" ​

This is Gatekeeper reacting to the quarantine flag. Use the right-click Open method or run xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Kubron.app as shown above.

Linux: error about libwebkit2gtk-4.1.so.0 or libgtk-3.so.0 ​

A runtime library is missing. Install the packages from the steps above, then check what is still missing:

bash
ldd ./Kubron | grep "not found"

If only libwebkit2gtk-4.0 is available on your system (older distributions), your distribution is too old for the current builds. Use a newer release of the distribution or build from source.

Linux: the window opens but is blank or glitchy ​

Some GPU and Wayland combinations break WebKitGTK rendering. Try starting Kubron with the DMA-BUF renderer disabled:

bash
WEBKIT_DISABLE_DMABUF_RENDERER=1 kubron

If that helps, add it to the Exec= line of your .desktop file as env WEBKIT_DISABLE_DMABUF_RENDERER=1 kubron.

A cluster does not connect and the kubeconfig uses exec ​

Kubron signs in to Azure AKS (kubelogin), AWS EKS and Google GKE on its own. For any other exec credential plugin, Kubron shows the command, arguments and environment variable names and asks you to confirm before running it locally. The plugin must be installed and found on PATH by the app. Applications started from the macOS Dock or a Linux menu do not always inherit the PATH of your shell: start Kubron from a terminal to confirm, or give the kubeconfig the full path to the plugin command. Choosing Always for this kubeconfig is remembered in exec-trust.json in the data folder; delete that file to forget every decision. See Connecting to Kubernetes.

"Sign-in unavailable. The users file could not be read" ​

Kubron could not read ~/.kubron/users.json, so it keeps the app closed rather than risk your data. Restore the file from a backup. See Where Kubron keeps its data.

Still stuck? ​

Search or open an issue on GitHub. Include your OS version, the Kubron version and what you tried.

Connect a cluster ​

After the first launch, add a cluster from Settings → Clusters or the cluster switcher. Follow Add your first cluster.

Continue exploring ​

Released under the Apache-2.0 License.

Copyright © 2026 The Kubron Authors