Headlamp is an open-source, extensible Kubernetes SIG UIproject designed to let you explore, manage, and debug cluster resources directlyfrom a browser.Cluster API (CAPI) is a Kubernetes sub-projectthat brings declarative, Kubernetes-style APIs to cluster lifecycle management. Itlets platform teams provision, upgrade, and manage the lifecycle of Kubernetesclusters using standard Kubernetes objects stored and reconciled in a managementcluster.Managing Cluster API resources has historically required raw kubectl commands anddeep familiarity with ownership hierarchies. The Headlamp Cluster API plugin bringsvisual clarity, faster debugging, and simplified operations for platform teams,directly inside Headlamp.What this plugin providesThe Cluster API plugin adds a dedicated Cluster API section to Headlamp and bringsfull visibility into core CAPI resources through consistent list and detail views.FeatureDescriptionCluster overviewView clusters with live control plane and worker replica status.Machine visibilityInspect MachineDeployments, MachineSets, Machines, and MachinePools with status and conditions.Cluster API dashboardGet a centralized view of Cluster API resource health, active condition issues, provider information, and remediation guidance.Control plane monitoringTrack KubeadmControlPlane replicas, versions, and associated Machines.Scale from the UIScale MachineDeployments and MachineSets directly from Headlamp.Owned resource hierarchyTrace relationships between clusters, deployments, sets, and machines.KubeadmConfig inspectionView bootstrap configs, files, kubelet args, and join/init settings.Topology awarenessAutomatically detect and label ClusterClass-managed resources.Map viewVisualize Cluster, Control Plane, and Worker relationships.Dynamic API versioningSupports both v1beta1 and v1beta2 Cluster API versions.Prometheus metricsView live metrics from the Headlamp Prometheus plugin inline on Cluster API resource detail pages.A tour of the pluginThe Headlamp Cluster API plugin brings core Cluster API resources into a consistent,visual interface inside Headlamp. Here are some of the key views included in thefirst release.Cluster API dashboardThe dashboard provides a centralized view of Cluster API resources and theirhealth across a management cluster.The overview summarizes the status of clusters, Machines, MachineDeployments,MachinePools, MachineSets, and control planes. It also highlights activecondition issues, provider information, and configuration template counts tohelp operators quickly identify degraded or unhealthy resources.Selecting a cluster opens a detailed health view showing control plane andworker status, machine information, infrastructure details, and resourceconditions. When issues are detected, the dashboard provides remediationguidance and diagnostic commands to assist with troubleshooting.Bring full Cluster API visibility into HeadlampThe cluster list view shows all Cluster resources in the management cluster,including control plane and worker replica status. This gives you an at-a-glanceunderstanding of overall cluster health.The cluster detail view provides resource status, conditions, infrastructurereferences, control plane references, and related Machines on a single page.Explore Cluster API resources in a visual interfaceDedicated views are available for MachineDeployments, MachineSets, Machines, andMachinePools. These pages surface replica counts, ownership relationships, providerIDs, versions, and conditions to support day-to-day operations and debugging.Scale workloads directly from HeadlampMachineDeployments and MachineSets include a built-in Scale action, allowing you toadjust replica counts directly from Headlamp without using terminal commands.For topology-managed clusters, the plugin also indicates when scaling should beperformed at the Cluster level.Inspect bootstrap configuration without raw YAMLBootstrap configurations can be viewed in a structured format, including inlinefiles, kubelet arguments, extra volumes, and join or init settings. This removesthe need to inspect raw YAML or secrets manually.Visualize cluster relationships with map viewA visual map view displays the relationships between Cluster, control plane, andworker resources. It offers a faster way to understand ownership hierarchies andoverall cluster structure.Prometheus metrics integrationThe Cluster API plugin integrates with theHeadlamp Prometheus pluginto surface metrics directly inside Cluster API resource detail pages.When the Prometheus plugin is installed and configured, metrics are embedded inlineon the detail pages for Clusters, MachineDeployments, MachineSets, and Machines.You can view resource health and performance data alongside status conditions andownership relationships, without switching to a separate dashboard.This makes it easier to correlate infrastructure state with live metrics duringdebugging or day-to-day cluster operations, all from within Headlamp.How to useSee theplugins/cluster-api/README.mdfor installation and usage instructions.Developed during LFX MentorshipThis plugin was developed as part of the CNCF LFX Mentorship program under theHeadlamp project. The mentorship provided an opportunity to work closely with theHeadlamp community while building features to improve the Cluster API managementexperience.The focus was not only on implementing features but also on understanding real-worldusability challenges around Cluster API operations. Discussions with mentors andcommunity members helped shape the plugin's direction, improve the user experience,and prioritize features most useful to platform teams.The mentorship also provided valuable experience contributing to large open-sourceprojects: collaborating with maintainers, participating in design discussions,handling release feedback, and iterating on features based on community input.Work on the plugin is ongoing, with additional improvements and features plannedbeyond the initial Alpha release.Feedback and questionsThis is an Alpha release, and community feedback directly shapes what comes next.Bug reports: Open an issueFeature requests: Start a discussionContributing: PRs are welcomeKubernetes Slack: Join the #headlamp channel for questions and discussion