Kubean
Kubean is an open-source toolchain for managing Kubernetes cluster lifecycles, built on Kubespray and other cluster lifecycle engines.
What Kubean is
Kubean is an open-source toolchain for managing Kubernetes cluster lifecycles, built on Kubespray and other cluster lifecycle engines. It runs on an existing Kubernetes cluster and uses a declarative API and Kubernetes resources to handle installation, uninstallation, upgrades, and scaling. The project documents installation as a Helm chart, which requires an existing standard or cloud-provider Kubernetes cluster and Helm. Cluster deployment can use SSH, including a private key stored in a Kubernetes Secret referenced by a Cluster resource. Operations can run a playbook or shell command, with optional hooks before and after. Kubean supports bare metal, virtual machines, and cloud environments, with customer-managed control planes. It also supports offline deployment and publishes OS packages, images, and binaries with releases. Listed architectures include AMD, ARM, and Kunpeng with Kylin. Offline package support includes CentOS, Red Hat, Kylin, and Ubuntu; UnionTech V20 packages must be built manually. Local ISO image sources and extra software sources are currently limited to CentOS. The project identifies itself as a CNCF sandbox project.
Good
- Manages installation, uninstallation, upgrades, and scaling
- Supports bare metal, virtual machines, and cloud environments
- Offers offline deployment packages
- Custom actions can run without changing Kubespray
- Supports AMD, ARM, and Kunpeng with Kylin
Watch out
- Installation requires an existing Kubernetes cluster and Helm
- Local ISO and extra software sources are limited to CentOS
- UnionTech V20 offline packages must be built manually
Who it suits
Kubean may suit teams managing Kubernetes clusters across bare metal, virtual machines, or cloud environments who can provide an existing Kubernetes cluster and Helm. It is also relevant for operators who need offline deployment or custom cluster actions.
Verdict
Kubean provides declarative cluster lifecycle management and supports several deployment environments, architectures, and offline workflows. Its installation depends on an existing Kubernetes cluster and Helm, and some offline sources have documented limits.
The facts
Each one read from Kubean's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Architecture
- Kubean runs on an existing Kubernetes cluster and uses Kubespray as its underlying technology.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Architecture support
- Kubean supports multi-architecture delivery, including AMD and ARM, and lists Kunpeng with Kylin compatibility.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Cluster operations
- The documentation describes cluster deployment, worker-node and control-plane scaling, version upgrades, and uninstallation.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Community support
- The roadmap says feature requests can be discussed in project issues and that its schedule depends on community needs.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Custom actions
- Kubean allows custom actions to be added to a cluster without changing Kubespray.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Custom operations
- Cluster operations can run a playbook or shell command, with optional pre-operation and post-operation hooks.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Declarative management
- Kubean uses a declarative API to deploy Kubean and manage Kubernetes cluster lifecycles.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Deployment access
- The documentation describes deploying clusters over SSH and includes an SSH private-key secret option.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Deployment model
- Kubean is designed to run as a container and can be installed with a Helm chart.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The maker documents installation as a Helm chart into an existing Kubernetes cluster.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Installation prerequisites
- Installation requires an existing standard or cloud-provider Kubernetes cluster and Helm on the control node or cloud terminal.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Lifecycle operations
- It manages Kubernetes cluster installation, uninstallation, upgrades, and scaling through custom resources and Kubernetes resources.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Offline repository limits
- The documented local ISO image source currently supports only CentOS, and extra software sources are also currently limited to CentOS.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Offline support
- Kubean releases offline packages for OS packages, images, and binaries.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Offline use
- Kubean supports offline deployment and publishes packages for operating system packages, images, and binaries with releases.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Prerequisite
- The Helm installation guide requires an existing standard or cloud-provider Kubernetes cluster and Helm.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Project affiliation
- The project describes itself as a Cloud Native Computing Foundation sandbox project.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Kubean is a cluster lifecycle management toolchain based on Kubespray and other cluster lifecycle management engines.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Security scanning
- The v0.5.1 release notes list enabling Trivy security scanning.checked 4 Oct 2026
- SSH authentication
- Cluster deployment can use an SSH private key stored in a Kubernetes Secret referenced by a Cluster resource.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Supported architectures
- The project lists multi-architecture delivery including AMD, ARM, and Kunpeng with Kylin.checked 4 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Offline OS packages
- The offline documentation lists CentOS, Red Hat, Kylin, and Ubuntu OS packages as supported, and says UnionTech V20 packages must be built manually.checked 9 Oct 2026
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