Cluster_ping

This is a simple tool to check if the user defined in a given kube config can connect to the given cluster. The results are stored in a simple text file in the operating system's temporary directory for fast retrieval.

This is a Zig port of the original Python implementation, providing better performance and no runtime dependencies.

Usage

Installation

From Source

Clone the repository and build with Zig:

git clone <repository-url>
cd cluster_ping
zig build

The binary will be available at zig-out/bin/cluster_ping.

System Installation

You can install the binary to your system PATH:

zig build --prefix ~/.local  # Install to ~/.local/bin
# Or copy manually:
cp zig-out/bin/cluster_ping ~/.local/bin/

Dependencies

The tool requires the following external commands to be available:

• kubectl - for testing cluster connectivity
• yq - for parsing YAML kubeconfig files

Basic Usage

cluster_ping --help

This will display the help information.

Check Connectivity

To test connectivity to a cluster and store the result:

cluster_ping check <path/to/kube/config> <context-name>

Validate Recent Connectivity

To check if there's recent connectivity data (within 300 seconds by default):

cluster_ping validate <path/to/kube/config> <context-name>

You can specify a custom timeout in seconds:

cluster_ping validate <path/to/kube/config> <context-name> 600

Shell Integration Example

See examples/current_cluster.fish for an example of how to integrate this into a Fish shell prompt. The script:

• Runs connectivity checks in the background
• Provides colored output based on connection status
• Shows cluster information in shell prompts

For detailed usage instructions and additional examples, see the examples directory.

Development

Building

Build the project:

zig build

Testing

Run the unit tests:

zig build test

Running

Run the application directly:

zig build run -- check ~/.kube/config my-cluster

Changelog

The change log is managed by towncrier.

Code Quality

The project uses standard Zig formatting. Format code with:

zig fmt src/

How It Works

1. Check Command:

   • Prevents duplicate processes from running
   • Parses the kubeconfig file (YAML → JSON via yq)
   • Validates the user configuration
   • Tests connectivity using kubectl version
   • Stores results with timestamps in /tmp/cluster_ping

2. Validate Command:

   • Reads stored connectivity data
   • Checks if the data is recent (within specified delay)
   • Returns connection status and data freshness

The tool stores connectivity results in a simple format in /tmp/cluster_ping, allowing for fast retrieval without repeated kubectl calls.

Output Format

The validate command outputs:

connected=<true|false> recent=<true|false>

This format is designed for easy parsing in shell scripts and prompt integrations.