Kubernetes Encyclopedia
Overview
Use a docs-first workflow for Kubernetes work. Prefer the official Kubernetes documentation at https://kubernetes.io/docs/home/, consult cached local copies under .Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/ before re-fetching, and record useful official-doc excerpts plus environment-specific operational learnings so future work gets faster and safer.
This skill is for the Kubernetes API/control-plane/cluster layer. It should trigger for real Kubernetes behavior, configuration, workload/resource, and operational questions — not for generic Linux admin work, generic container theory, or Docker-only questions where Kubernetes-specific semantics are not the real issue.
Workflow
-
Classify the task
- Decide whether the task is a Kubernetes question, troubleshooting task, command-planning task, resource review, cluster review, or live operational task.
- Use this skill when the request is specifically about Kubernetes product behavior,
kubectl semantics, API resource behavior, workload lifecycle, cluster networking/storage/scheduling/security behavior, or Kubernetes-specific operational details.
- Do not use this skill for generic shell work, generic Linux admin, generic container theory, or Docker-only questions unless the Kubernetes layer is specifically in play.
-
Check local cache first
- Use
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/ as the local knowledge/cache root.
- Check these locations first when relevant:
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/docs/kubernetes.io/docs/...
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/notes/components/...
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/...
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/inventory/...
- If a cached page or note already answers the question well enough, use it.
-
Consult official Kubernetes docs before answering or touching the system
- Before answering direct or indirect Kubernetes questions that depend on command syntax, resource semantics, controller behavior, feature boundaries, configuration semantics, cluster behavior, or version-sensitive details, consult the official docs unless the answer is already well-supported by the local cache.
- Before performing direct Kubernetes CLI or configuration work, consult the relevant docs first when:
- the exact resource or command path matters
- scheduling/networking/storage/security semantics are easy to misremember
- the action could affect workloads, nodes, access, traffic, storage, policy, or cluster reachability
- Do not improvise high-impact Kubernetes commands or manifest changes from memory when the docs are easy to check.
-
Cache consulted docs locally
- When you consult a Kubernetes docs page, save a normalized markdown/text cache copy under
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/docs/kubernetes.io/docs/....
- Mirror the official docs path structure as much as practical.
- Cache only pages actually consulted; do not try to mirror the whole docs site eagerly.
- Use
scripts/cache_doc.py when appropriate.
-
Separate official documentation from local observations
- Store official-doc-derived material under
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/docs/....
- Store environment-specific operational knowledge under:
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/notes/components/
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/inventory/
- Distinguish clearly between:
- official documented behavior
- observed local configuration/state
- inferred best-practice guidance
-
Record useful local learnings
- After useful live work, save durable notes such as:
- cluster-specific topology and access conventions
- recurring workload/debugging patterns
- ingress/network-policy/storage-class gotchas
- scheduling/RBAC/manifest conventions
- safe/unsafe operational boundaries for the environment
- Prefer concise durable notes over re-learning the same Kubernetes details later.
Live Work Rules
- Treat official Kubernetes docs lookup as the default preflight for non-trivial Kubernetes work.
- Prefer read/inspect first when entering a Kubernetes area you have not recently reviewed.
- Treat namespace-wide changes, workload rollouts, storage changes, ingress/service exposure, RBAC/policy changes, and node/control-plane touching operations as high-sensitivity areas.
- When uncertainty remains after checking cache + docs, say so and avoid bluffing.
- When answering a question, mention when useful whether the answer comes from cached official docs, a fresh official docs lookup, or live observed environment state.
Data Root
Use this workspace-local root for cache and notes:
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/
Expected structure:
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/docs/kubernetes.io/docs/...
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/notes/components/...
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/...
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/inventory/...
Use scripts/init_workspace.py to create or repair the expected directory structure.
Note Destinations
- Component-specific observations →
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/notes/components/<component-name>.md
- Reusable Kubernetes patterns/gotchas →
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/<topic>.md
- Environment-wide deployment/access info →
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/inventory/*.md
- Cached official docs →
.Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/docs/kubernetes.io/docs/...
Secrets / Sensitive Data
- Do not store plaintext credentials, API keys, session tokens, private URLs, recovery codes, kubeconfigs, client certificates, bearer tokens, or other secrets in the encyclopedia notes/inventory tree.
- If a note needs to mention access details, keep it high-level and redact or omit secret material.
- Treat these workspace notes as operational memory, not as a secrets vault.
Resources
scripts/init_workspace.py — create or repair the .Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/ directory tree.
scripts/cache_doc.py — fetch and cache a consulted official Kubernetes docs page under .Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/docs/....
references/workflow.md — detailed operating workflow and evidence-handling rules.
references/cache-layout.md — canonical .Kubernetes-Encyclopedia/ directory structure.
references/topic-map.md — useful Kubernetes topic groupings for faster doc lookup.
Good Outcomes
- Answer a Kubernetes question using cached or freshly checked official docs instead of guesswork.
- Inspect a live Kubernetes environment after checking the relevant docs and record any new local operational knowledge.
- Build a growing local Kubernetes knowledge cache that makes later work faster, safer, and more grounded.
- Turn one-off Kubernetes discoveries into durable notes so future work does not rediscover them from scratch.
Avoid
- Answering Kubernetes-specific questions purely from memory when docs are easy to consult.
- Treating local observed behavior as if it were guaranteed official documented behavior.
- Dumping large amounts of low-value docs into the workspace without a reason.
- Writing component-specific observations into the official-doc cache tree.
- Making high-impact live changes before checking the relevant docs when exact behavior matters.