Kubernetes ⎈

Using Gonzo with Kubernetes

Gonzo can now (as of version 0.3.0) natively stream logs from your Kubernetes clusters (using a kubeconfig) — no kubectl logs, no stern, no piping required. This guide covers the essential setup, commands, and filters you need to get started.

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Overview

With Kubernetes mode enabled, Gonzo supports:

• Direct log streaming from pods

• Multiple namespaces at once

• Kubernetes label selectors

• Automatic namespace + pod columns

• Interactive namespace/pod filtering (Ctrl+k)

• Real-time updates with reconnection

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure:

• You have access to a Kubernetes cluster

• Your kubeconfig is valid

• Your account has read access to pod logs

Required RBAC

apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
kind: ClusterRole
metadata:
  name: gonzo-log-reader
rules:
- apiGroups: [""]
  resources: ["pods", "pods/log"]
  verbs: ["get", "list", "watch"]
- apiGroups: [""]
  resources: ["namespaces"]
  verbs: ["get", "list"]

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Quick Start

Stream logs from all pods

gonzo --k8s-enabled=true

Start with the last 50 log lines

gonzo --k8s-enabled=true --k8s-tail=50

Watch a specific namespace

gonzo --k8s-enabled=true --k8s-namespace=production

Watch multiple namespaces

gonzo --k8s-enabled \
  --k8s-namespace=production \
  --k8s-namespace=staging

Filter by label selector

gonzo --k8s-enabled --k8s-selector="app=myapp"

Set-based selectors

gonzo --k8s-enabled --k8s-selector="environment in (prod,staging)"

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Common Configuration Options

Flag	Description
--k8s-enabled	Enable Kubernetes integration
--k8s-namespace N	Set namespace(s) to watch
--k8s-selector	Kubernetes label selector
--k8s-tail N	Number of historic log lines
--k8s-since N	Only logs newer than N seconds
--k8s-context	Use a specific kube context
--k8s-kubeconfig	Path to kubeconfig file

Example: Namespace + Selector + Tail

gonzo --k8s-enabled \
  --k8s-namespace=production \
  --k8s-selector="app=api" \
  --k8s-tail=100

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Interactive Filtering (Ctrl+k)

Inside Gonzo, press Ctrl+k to open the Kubernetes filter modal.

You can:

• Select namespaces

• Select pods

• Apply changes instantly

Navigation: ↑/↓ to move • Space to toggle • Enter to apply • ESC to cancel

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Kubernetes Display Mode

Gonzo automatically switches into K8s column mode when logs contain Kubernetes attributes.

Time     Level Namespace        Pod                   Message
15:04:05 INFO  production       api-5c44d7f-xkr2p      Started worker process

Press c to toggle Kubernetes columns on/off.

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Example Workflows

Troubleshoot a new deployment

gonzo --k8s-enabled \
  --k8s-namespace=production \
  --k8s-selector="app=api,version=v2.0.0" \
  --k8s-since=300

Monitor both staging + prod backend pods

gonzo --k8s-enabled \
  --k8s-namespace=production \
  --k8s-namespace=staging \
  --k8s-selector="tier=backend"

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Troubleshooting

No logs appear

Verify kubectl access:

kubectl get pods -A
kubectl logs <pod> -n <namespace>

Selector not matching

kubectl get pods --selector="app=myapp" -A

Wrong context

gonzo --k8s-context=my-cluster

High log volume

• Narrow your label selector

• Limit historic logs (--k8s-tail)

• Limit time window (--k8s-since)

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Best Practices

• Start with specific namespaces/selectors

• Use Ctrl+k to refine quickly

• Toggle columns with c when needed

• Save common setups in config files

• Use contexts to switch clusters cleanly