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Connecting Kubezilla Desktop To A Kubernetes Cluster On AWS Lightsail

Explore the basics of connecting to a Kubernetes cluster using Kubezilla Desktop

4 min read · Published · Updated

Introduction

This guide shows how to connect Kubezilla Desktop to a Kubernetes cluster running on an AWS Lightsail instance. The same approach works for most cloud VMs as long as you can access the Kubernetes API and have a valid kubeconfig.

In this example, the kubeconfig has already been copied from the AWS instance, and the server address has been changed from 127.0.0.1 to the instance’s static public IP.

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:

  • Kubezilla Desktop installed
  • A running AWS Lightsail instance
  • Kubernetes already installed on the instance
  • A kubeconfig file copied to your local machine
  • The instance has a static public IP
  • The kubeconfig server field points to that static IP

Example kubeconfig server value:

  clusters:
    - cluster:
        server: https://<STATIC_IP>:6443

If your Kubernetes API uses another port, use that port instead of 6443.

Step 1: Test The Kubeconfig With kubectl

Before opening Kubezilla, confirm that the kubeconfig works with Kubernetes tooling.

Run:

kubectl --kubeconfig ./your-kubeconfig.yaml get nodes

If the kubeconfig is correct and the Kubernetes API is reachable, you should see the node or nodes in your cluster:

This confirms three things:

  • your local machine can reach the Kubernetes API
  • the kubeconfig contains valid credentials
  • the selected cluster context has permission to read nodes

If this command fails, fix the kubeconfig, firewall, API server address, or credentials before continuing.

Step 2: Open Kubezilla Desktop

Launch Kubezilla Desktop.

On the main screen, open the kubeconfig or cluster selector. This is where Kubezilla discovers and loads available Kubernetes contexts. If you open Kubezilla Desktop for the first time you will be prompted with this image.

Use "Add a local kubeconfig file" option. You can choose other options, but this one is the most straightforward.

Step 3: Add Or Select The Kubeconfig

Choose the kubeconfig file you copied from the AWS instance.

Once loaded, Kubezilla Desktop should show the contexts available in that file. Select the context for your Lightsail cluster.

When the config is added it will appear in the context selector:

Step 4: Verify The Cluster Connection

After selecting the context, Kubezilla Desktop should load cluster data automatically.

Start by checking:

  • Nodes
  • Namespaces
  • Pods in kube-system
  • Workloads

If these views load correctly, Kubezilla Desktop is connected to the cluster.

Step 5: Inspect Cluster Resources

Use Kubezilla Desktop to browse the cluster visually.

Good first checks:

  • Open the kube-system namespace
  • Inspect running pods
  • View pod logs
  • Open resource YAML
  • Check events

This confirms that Kubezilla Desktop can not only connect to the API, but also read and inspect real cluster resources.

Troubleshooting

If Kubezilla Desktop cannot connect, check the following.

kubectl does not work with the kubeconfig

Run:

kubectl --kubeconfig ./your-kubeconfig.yaml config get-contexts
kubectl --kubeconfig ./your-kubeconfig.yaml config current-context
kubectl --kubeconfig ./your-kubeconfig.yaml get nodes

If these fail, the issue is outside Kubezilla. Check the kubeconfig path, context, credentials, API server address, and network access.

The API server is unreachable

Confirm that the kubeconfig points to the public static IP:

server: https://<STATIC_IP>:6443

Also check that AWS Lightsail allows inbound traffic to the Kubernetes API port.

This information can be found in the Networking tab of your Lighsail console.

Certificate errors

If the kubeconfig was generated for 127.0.0.1, the cluster certificate may not include the public IP as a valid subject alternative name. In that case, clients may reject the certificate.

Depending on your cluster setup, you may need to regenerate the Kubernetes API certificate with the static IP included, or configure the kubeconfig appropriately for your environment.

Authentication errors

If the API is reachable but access is denied, verify that the kubeconfig contains the correct user credentials, certificates, or token.

Wrong context selected

If the cluster appears empty or incorrect, check that the correct context is selected in Kubezilla Desktop.

Firewall issues

For AWS Lightsail, confirm both:

  • Lightsail networking rules
  • firewall rules inside the VM, such as ufw or iptables

What To Do Next

After the cluster is connected, Kubezilla Desktop can be used to:

  • install Argo CD
  • deploy Helm applications
  • inspect pods, logs, events, and YAML
  • port-forward internal services
  • manage Secrets
  • connect AI assistants through MCP for guided cluster operations