Port forwarding in Kubernetes allows you to access internal pod services (like a web server, database, or API) on your local machine, even if they’re not exposed externally via a Service or Ingress.

When you use K9s (a terminal-based UI for managing Kubernetes clusters), it gives you a quick and user-friendly way to set up port forwarding to pods—without manually typing out kubectl port-forward commands.

K9s itself doesn’t directly configure port forwarding, but it offers a convenient way to initiate port forwarding to Kubernetes pods using a terminal UI. Here’s how to do port forwarding using K9s:

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Steps to Use Port Forwarding in K9s

1. Start K9s
   Run this in your terminal: bashCopyEditk9s
2. Navigate to Pods (:pods or just po)
   • Use arrow keys or / to filter and select the pod you want.
3. Select the Target Pod
   • Move the cursor to highlight the desired pod.
   • Press Shift+F (uppercase F) to start port forwarding.
4. Enter Local and Remote Ports
   • You’ll be prompted to specify ports in the format: [localPort]:[remotePort] For example: 8080:80 This maps your localhost:8080 to the pod’s port 80.
5. Verify Forwarding
   • K9s will show a status line that the port is forwarded.
   • You can now access the service at localhost:[localPort].
6. Stop Forwarding
   • Use Ctrl+C or select the pod again and press Shift+F to toggle off forwarding.