Quickstart

In this quickstart, we install Remote Operator in a test Kubernetes namespace as its own Helm release, watch it connect to Alien, and run one read-only diagnostic against it. The whole path runs from the dashboard's setup page and a terminal.

Use Kind, a development cluster, or a non-production namespace. You need:

• Bash, jq, yq, OpenSSL, and Helm 3.13 or later (or Helm 4).
• A kubectl context for the cluster and an existing, empty namespace.
• A default StorageClass, image pull access, and outbound HTTPS from the cluster.

To install on Amazon ECS instead, see Install on Amazon ECS.

1. Open manual setupCopy Anchor Link

On the project overview, select Set up Remote operator. The page opens with a prompt for a coding agent. Select Set up manually instead.

Under Installation platform, keep Existing Kubernetes selected.

2. Choose operationsCopy Anchor Link

In Choose operations, keep Kubernetes selected and select Continue. The read-only pod diagnostic at the end of this quickstart comes from this plugin.

3. Review the templateCopy Anchor Link

In Review the Remote operator template, enter a Pod label key and value that match one test workload, for example app and my-service. Select Apply log scope.

Alien now builds a project-specific operator image. The template header shows Preparing the Operator image… until the build finishes, then Ready to package for your existing namespace below. Read the template: the image, the rules of the operator Role, and the Role that grants get on pods/log for log collection.

If a selected operation needs cloud access, a Connect cloud APIs step appears. You can skip it for this quickstart.

4. Generate test valuesCopy Anchor Link

In Create a test installation, enter local-test and select Generate test values.

The dashboard shows two blocks once. Save them in a new working directory, outside version control:

• Setup-owned Secret (operator-credentials.yaml): save it as operator-credentials.yaml.
• Helm values (operator-values.yaml): save it as operator-values.yaml.

The registration token inside the Secret expires at the time the dashboard shows. Install before then.

5. Download the chartCopy Anchor Link

Under Install in an existing namespace:

1. For Owning Helm release, select Dedicated operator release.
2. In Kubernetes context, enter a context name from kubectl config get-contexts.
3. In Existing namespace, enter the test namespace.
4. In your working directory, create remote-operator/crds and remote-operator/templates.
5. Select each Download button and save the file at the path it shows.

Your working directory now looks like this:

6. Install the releaseCopy Anchor Link

Select the checkbox that confirms you reviewed the context, namespace, permissions, shared CRD, and owning release. The dashboard now shows Install dedicated operator release.

Copy that command and run it from your working directory. It creates the Secret from operator-credentials.yaml, runs a server-side dry run, and then installs the chart:

helm install operator-<installation-id> ./remote-operator --namespace <namespace> --kube-context '<context>' --values operator-values.yaml --replace --atomic --wait --timeout 5m

The command returns when the release is deployed and the operator pod is ready. If it fails, Helm rolls the release back. See Troubleshooting for the chart's error messages.

7. Watch it connectCopy Anchor Link

Go back to the setup page. The status changes from Connecting test installation to Connected — verify a read-only diagnostic when Alien receives the operator's first heartbeat.

Run Inspect this release to see the same thing from the cluster:

helm status operator-<installation-id> --namespace <namespace> --kube-context '<context>'
kubectl --context '<context>' --namespace <namespace> get pods,pvc

helm status reports STATUS: deployed. The operator pod is Running and its identity PersistentVolumeClaim is Bound.

8. Run a read-only diagnosticCopy Anchor Link

On the setup page, select Run read-only pod diagnostic. It runs kubernetes/get-pods through the operator and returns a bounded summary of the pods in its namespace.

When the operation succeeds, the status changes to Test installation verified. Select Open installation to see it under Deployments.

What's nextCopy Anchor Link

You now have one verified installation with its own identity and credentials.

• Before you delete the test namespace, uninstall the release and retire its registration.
• To install in another environment, select Set up another environment on the setup page. Every environment gets new values.
• To install the operator inside your product chart instead, see Install on Kubernetes.