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Desktop app only Forward a port on your computer to a pod or a service, like kubectl port-forward, to open an admin page, query a database or call an API that isn’t exposed. Forwards keep running while you work, listed in the header until you stop them.
The Forward a port dialog for a service: its ports to pick from, the remote and local port, an option to open the address in the browser, and the kubectl port-forward command.The Forward a port dialog for a service: its ports to pick from, the remote and local port, an option to open the address in the browser, and the kubectl port-forward command.

Forwarding a local port to a service.

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Start a forward

1

Open a pod or a service

A running pod, or a service that selects pods.
2

Choose Forward a port…

From the object’s actions, its right-click menu, or the command palette (⌘K, or CtrlK on Windows and Linux).
3

Pick the port

Pick one of the ports it declares, or type another:
  • For a pod: each container’s ports, as container · name · port.
  • For a service: its ports, as name · port → target port.
The local port, On this computer, starts as the same number. Ports below 1024 need special rights on many systems, so for those it starts 8000 higher: port 80 becomes 8080, 443 becomes 8443. Change it if you like.
4

Start forwarding

Tick Open http://localhost:N in the browser to open it right away, then choose Start forwarding.
The equivalent command is shown in the dialog:

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Your forwards

While any forward runs, a Port forwards button in the header shows how many. It lists the forwards of every cluster, each with:
  • Its address, localhost:8080. Choose it to open it in your browser, or Copy address.
  • Where it goes: the service, the pod and the pod’s port, with the namespace and cluster.
  • How many connections it has, and any error.
  • Stop forwarding.
Forwards stop when you stop them, and when you quit KubeStacks.

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How it works

  • Only on your computer. Forwards listen on 127.0.0.1, so nothing else on your network can reach them.
  • To a service’s pod. A forward to a service goes to the first of its pods that’s ready. A named target port is looked up in the pod’s containers. The pod is picked when the forward starts: if it’s replaced, start the forward again.
  • Port in use. If the local port is taken, the dialog says so (“Port 8080 on this computer can’t be used”) and you pick another.
  • Read-only clusters. Port forwards don’t change the cluster, so they work in read-only clusters too.
In your cluster: port forwarding isn’t offered when KubeStacks runs in your cluster, because there’s no computer of yours to forward to. Use the desktop app, or kubectl port-forward.
Forwarding needs create on pods/portforward in the namespace. See Permissions.

Shells and debug containers

A terminal inside the container, or a debug container with tools.

Networking

Services, ingresses and network policies.