# Kubefwd — Bulk Port Forwarding for Kubernetes Services

> A command-line tool that bulk-forwards Kubernetes services to your local machine, mapping service DNS names to localhost. Kubefwd lets developers access remote cluster services as if they were running locally.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# Kubefwd — Bulk Port Forwarding for Kubernetes Services

## Quick Use
```bash
# Install
brew install txn2/tap/kubefwd
# Forward all services in a namespace
sudo kubefwd svc -n my-namespace
# Now access services by name: curl http://my-api:8080
```

## Introduction
Kubefwd eliminates the tedious process of setting up individual kubectl port-forward commands for each service. It forwards all services in a namespace at once, adds entries to /etc/hosts so you can use real service names, and keeps connections alive — making local development against a remote cluster seamless.

## What Kubefwd Does
- Bulk-forwards all services in one or more Kubernetes namespaces simultaneously
- Maps Kubernetes service DNS names to local loopback addresses via /etc/hosts entries
- Maintains persistent connections with automatic reconnection on pod restarts
- Supports label selectors to forward only specific services
- Forwards multiple ports per service matching the Kubernetes service port definitions

## Architecture Overview
Kubefwd reads service definitions from the Kubernetes API, resolves backing pods, and establishes port-forward tunnels to each. It writes entries to /etc/hosts mapping each service name to a loopback address (127.1.27.x range) and binds local listeners on the correct ports. When pods restart, Kubefwd detects the change and re-establishes the tunnel transparently.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install via Homebrew, Scoop, or download pre-built binaries from GitHub releases
- Run with sudo (required for /etc/hosts modification) specifying target namespaces
- Use -l flag with label selectors to forward only services matching specific labels
- Configure multiple namespace forwarding with repeated -n flags
- Set KUBECONFIG environment variable or use --kubeconfig to target specific clusters

## Key Features
- Zero-config service discovery uses actual Kubernetes service names for DNS
- Supports TCP services on any port with multi-port service forwarding
- Automatic reconnection handles pod rescheduling without manual intervention
- Namespace isolation prevents port conflicts across different environments
- MCP server support enables AI agents to interact with forwarded services

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **kubectl port-forward** — single service at a time; Kubefwd does bulk forwarding with DNS
- **Telepresence** — full traffic intercept with two-way networking; Kubefwd is lighter, read-only forwarding
- **Skaffold dev** — rebuilds and deploys on code changes; Kubefwd forwards existing services only
- **ktunnel** — exposes local services to the cluster (reverse); Kubefwd forwards cluster to local
- **stern** — log tailing tool; complementary to Kubefwd for debugging cluster services

## FAQ
**Q: Why does Kubefwd need sudo?**
A: It modifies /etc/hosts to map service names to local IPs. Without this, you would need to use IP addresses.

**Q: Can I forward services from multiple namespaces?**
A: Yes. Pass multiple -n flags: kubefwd svc -n staging -n shared-services.

**Q: Does it work with headless services?**
A: Kubefwd works with ClusterIP services. Headless services require targeting individual pods.

**Q: What happens when a pod restarts?**
A: Kubefwd detects the change and automatically re-establishes the port-forward to the new pod.

## Sources
- https://github.com/txn2/kubefwd
- https://kubefwd.com

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/9d8da470-39d2-11f1-9bc6-00163e2b0d79
Author: Script Depot