>_ kunobi-kobe

Open Source

Instant Kubernetes Clusters for CI/CD

Pre-warmed virtual clusters for your pipelines. Claim one in under 5 seconds, use it, release it.

View on GitHub Read docs

<5sClaim Time

Apache-2.0Open Source

0Static Secrets

ci-pipeline.sh

>_ how-it-works

Four steps. Zero waiting.

Define once, claim instantly, release cleanly. Kobe handles provisioning, recycling, and pool maintenance in the background.

Define a ClusterPool

Declare the runtime, size, and warm count. Kobe provisions and maintains a ready pool of clusters automatically.

Authenticate via OIDC

Your CI job uses its existing identity: a GitHub Actions token, Clerk, or Auth0. No API keys, no secrets to rotate.

Claim & Use

One request, via the HTTP API or the kobe CLI, returns a kubeconfig once the lease binds. Pre-warmed pools bind in seconds. Run your workloads immediately.

Release & Recycle

When the job finishes or the TTL expires, Kobe recycles the cluster and refills the pool. No manual cleanup.

Define a ClusterPool

Declare the runtime, size, and warm count. Kobe provisions and maintains a ready pool of clusters automatically.

Authenticate via OIDC

Your CI job uses its existing identity: a GitHub Actions token, Clerk, or Auth0. No API keys, no secrets to rotate.

Claim & Use

One request, via the HTTP API or the kobe CLI, returns a kubeconfig once the lease binds. Pre-warmed pools bind in seconds. Run your workloads immediately.

Release & Recycle

When the job finishes or the TTL expires, Kobe recycles the cluster and refills the pool. No manual cleanup.

>_ capabilities

Built for scale and security

Policy-as-code authorization, golden snapshots, autoscaling pools, and built-in observability. Everything you need for production CI/CD infrastructure.

Sub-5s Cluster Claims

Pre-warmed pools keep clusters running, so a claim binds in seconds. The vkobe backend provisions in about 5 seconds.

No Static Secrets

Authenticate with OIDC, SSH keys, bearer tokens, or ServiceAccount tokens. Works with GitHub Actions, Clerk, and Auth0, with no long-lived secrets to rotate.

Policy-as-Code

AccessPolicy CRDs give fine-grained control: per-identity max TTL, concurrent-lease limits, and pool allowlists.

Golden Snapshots

Velero snapshots a fully-configured k3s or k0s cluster and restores pool members in seconds instead of cold-provisioning from scratch.

Autoscaling Pools

Pools scale between minReady and maxClusters with scale-up thresholds and queue timeouts, so warm clusters are ready before CI asks.

Built-in Observability

Prometheus metrics at /metrics, plus diagnostic bundles captured on lease release or expiry and uploaded to S3-compatible storage.

>_ runtimes

Choose your runtime

Pluggable backends with no vendor lock-in. From lightweight virtual clusters to full CAPI-managed infrastructure.

vkobe

★ lowest overhead

kobe's own single-pod virtual cluster runtime. The lowest overhead per cluster, with no third-party dependencies.

~5s provision · namespace isolation

k3s

default

Lightweight Kubernetes run as StatefulSets. The default backend: fast to provision, low overhead, well-tested.

~30s provision · full isolation

k0s

minimal

The k0s distribution, same pattern as k3s. For k0s-specific features or standardizing on k0s in production.

~30s provision · full isolation

CAPI

enterprise

Delegates provisioning to any Cluster API infrastructure provider for full lifecycle control.

~60s+ provision · provider-managed

Backend comparison

Isolation

k3s: Full
k0s: Full
CAPI: Full
vkobe: Namespace

Overhead per cluster

k3s: Low
k0s: Low
CAPI: Provider-dependent
vkobe: Very low

Provision time

k3s: ~30s
k0s: ~30s
CAPI: ~60s+
vkobe: ~5s

Golden images (Velero)

k3s
k0s
CAPI: Varies
vkobe

Shared etcd

k3s: Via PostgreSQL
k0s: Via PostgreSQL
CAPI
vkobe: Required

Custom addons

k3s
k0s
CAPI
vkobe

>_ quick-start

Install. Lease. Ship.

The kobe CLI is a single signed binary. Install it, point it at your operator, and lease a fully isolated cluster in seconds.

01 · install the cli

miserecommended

$mise use -g github:kunobi-ninja/kobe@latest

HomebrewmacOS · Linux

$brew install kunobi-ninja/kunobi/kobe

cargo-binstallprebuilt binary

$cargo binstall kobectl

alsoapt · winget · Nix · from source

02 · lease a cluster

point the cli at your endpoint

$kobe config set endpoint https://kobe.example.com

authenticate (ssh · oidc · token)

$kobe login

claim a ready cluster

$kobe lease ci-small

use it

$KUBECONFIG=~/.kube/kobe-<id> kubectl get nodes

Done. kobe release frees it early; the TTL recycles it automatically.

03 · operator · runs in your clusterThe CLI leases from a kobe-operator you deploy with Helm or Flux.

Deploy guide

Stop waiting for clusters

Kunobi Kobe is open source and Apache-2.0 licensed. Run the operator in your own cluster and never block a pipeline again.

View on GitHub Read docs

Available for:

macOSWindowsLinux