Kubernetes kubectl bash completion with alias

Question

I am using kubectl with bash completion , but I prefer to use a shorter alias for kubectl such as ks , what changes I need to make to get the bash completion work with alias ks

Answer 1

from the official docs

# after installing bash completion

alias k=kubectl
complete -F __start_kubectl k

https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/kubectl/cheatsheet/#bash

Answer 2

A more recent update from the docs:

• Source the completion script in your ~/.bashrc file:

  echo 'source <(kubectl completion bash)' >>~/.bashrc
  

• Add the completion script to the /etc/bash_completion.d directory:

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

If you have an alias for kubectl, you can extend shell completion to work with that alias:

echo 'alias ks=kubectl' >>~/.bashrc
echo 'complete -F __start_kubectl k' >>~/.bashrc

You can basically do this:

$ echo "source <(kubectl completion bash | sed 's|__start_kubectl kubectl|__start_kubectl ks|g') >> ~/.bashrc

Out of date:

A slight change from what is described here.

In essence, you are substituting the following in the kubectl completion bash output:

if [[ $(type -t compopt) = "builtin" ]]; then
    complete -o default -F __start_kubectl kubectl
else
    complete -o default -o nospace -F __start_kubectl kubectl
fi

With this:

if [[ $(type -t compopt) = "builtin" ]]; then
    complete -o default -F __start_kubectl ks
else
    complete -o default -o nospace -F __start_kubectl ks
fi

Answer 3

I have this in my .bashrc to get alias and auto completion.

source <(kubectl completion bash | sed s/kubectl/k/g)

Answer 4

Just to complement the awnser of endline (his solution works just works in active session of shell, if you close, you have to reexecute) and maybe help someone with the same trouble I was getting.

You can add it to the shell permanently using the structure above from the documentation

echo 'alias k=kubectl' >>~/.bashrc (add alias to shell)

echo 'source <(kubectl completion bash)' >>~/.bashrc (add completion)

echo 'complete -F __start_kubectl k' >>~/.bashrc (make them work together)

So, now you can execute commands like 'k get logs -n my-namespace -f my-p[TAB]' (to complete name of pod for example) even if close and open a new session.