Freelens Pod File Browser

Stop running kubectl exec -it pod -- cat /etc/config 50 times a day.
Browse, edit, upload, and download files inside Kubernetes pods — directly from the Freelens UI.

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Why? Every time you debug a pod, you run the same ritual: kubectl exec, cat a file, exit, repeat. This extension eliminates that context-switching tax by giving you a graphical file browser inside your pod view.

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Use Cases

• Debugging configs — Check nginx.conf, application.yaml, or environment files without typing paths
• Inspecting logs — Browse /var/log directories, open log files with syntax highlighting
• Fixing containers — Upload corrected config files via drag-and-drop instead of kubectl cp
• Verifying deployments — Confirm files were written correctly after a deploy
• Exploring unknown containers — See the full filesystem layout at a glance

Features

• Directory browsing — Navigate pod filesystems with a flat file listing and clickable breadcrumb bar
• File viewing & editing — Open files in a Monaco editor with syntax highlighting; edit and save changes back to the pod
• Upload files — Upload local files to the pod via button or drag-and-drop (max 1 MB)
• Download files — Download any file from the pod to your local machine
• Delete files/directories — Remove files or directories with a confirmation dialog
• Binary file detection — Automatically detects binary files and shows a download-only placeholder instead of the editor
• Symlink resolution — Displays symlink targets inline in the file listing
• Context menu — Right-click entries for quick access to Open, Download, Copy Path, and Delete
• Container selector — Switch between containers (including init containers) within a pod
• Search/filter — Filter files by name within the current directory
• Permissions display — Shows file permissions, sizes, and types parsed from ls -la output
• Split-panel layout — File tree on top, editor on bottom; works in both the pod detail panel and the dedicated cluster page
• Cluster page — Full-page file browser with namespace, pod, and container selectors

Screenshots

Directory Browser

Browse the pod filesystem with breadcrumb navigation, permissions display, file filtering, and upload support.

File Editor

View and edit files with syntax highlighting powered by Monaco editor. Split-panel layout with file tree on top and editor on bottom.

Cluster Page

Dedicated full-page file browser with namespace and pod selectors, accessible from the Freelens sidebar.

Installation

From npm

1. Open Freelens
2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+E)
3. Enter the package name in the input field:

   @masoudei/freelens-pod-filebrowser
   

4. Click Install

From GitHub Release

1. Download the latest .tgz from the Releases page
2. Open Freelens
3. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+E)
4. Drag the .tgz file into the extensions panel or use the file picker

From Source

git clone https://github.com/masoudei/freelens-pod-filebrowser.git
cd freelens-pod-filebrowser
pnpm install
pnpm build:force
pnpm pack

Then load the generated .tgz file in Freelens as described above.

Usage

Pod Detail Panel

1. Navigate to any pod in Freelens
2. Open the pod details drawer
3. Scroll to the Filesystem Browser section
4. Select a container and start browsing

Cluster Page

1. Open the Freelens sidebar
2. Click Pod Filesystem in the menu
3. Select a namespace, pod, and container from the dropdowns

Keyboard & Mouse

Action	How
Open file/directory	Click the entry
Navigate up	Click .. or a breadcrumb segment
Right-click menu	Right-click any file entry
Upload files	Click the Upload button, or drag & drop files onto the file list
Filter files	Type in the filter input above the file list
Refresh	Click the refresh button in the toolbar

Requirements

• Freelens >= 1.5.0
• kubectl available on your system PATH
• The target pod must have basic shell utilities (ls, cat, stat, head, rm)

How It Works

The extension uses kubectl exec through the Freelens proxy kubeconfig to run shell commands inside pod containers. This means:

• It uses the same authentication as your Freelens cluster connection (including EKS SSO, etc.)
• No direct Kubernetes API calls — just standard shell utilities
• File content is transferred as base64 for uploads, and raw text for reads
• Binary detection uses file extension matching + null byte detection in the first 512 bytes

Development

pnpm install          # Install dependencies
pnpm build            # Compile (with type checking)
pnpm build:force      # Compile (skip type checking)
pnpm pack             # Create installable .tgz
pnpm pack:dev         # Build + pack in one step
pnpm type:check       # Type checking only
pnpm clean            # Remove build output
pnpm clean:all        # Remove build output, node_modules, and .tgz files

Project Structure

freelens-pod-filebrowser/
├── package.json              # Extension manifest
├── tsconfig.json             # TypeScript configuration
├── electron.vite.config.js   # Build configuration
└── src/
    ├── main/
    │   └── index.ts          # IPC handlers (kubectl exec commands)
    └── renderer/
        ├── index.tsx          # Extension registration
        ├── components/
        │   ├── pod-fs-details.tsx    # Pod detail panel integration
        │   ├── pod-fs-page.tsx       # Full-page cluster page
        │   ├── file-tree.tsx         # File listing, breadcrumb, upload, context menu
        │   ├── file-viewer.tsx       # Monaco editor / binary placeholder
        │   └── pod-fs-icon.tsx       # Extension icon
        └── styles/
            └── pod-fs.module.scss    # Scoped styles (CSS Modules)

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/my-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add my feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/my-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

Limitations

• Upload cap: 1 MB maximum per file
• Shell requirements: Pods need ls, cat, stat, head, rm (present in most images)
• No recursive upload: Directory upload not yet supported
• No multi-file select: Upload one file at a time
• Freelens only: Currently not compatible with Lens (upstream) — contributions welcome

FAQ

Q: Does this work with EKS / GKE / AKS / OpenShift?
A: Yes — it uses your existing Freelens auth. If you can see the pod in Freelens, the extension works.

Q: Is it secure?
A: It inherits your existing RBAC. No new permissions are needed beyond what kubectl exec already uses.

Q: Can I edit binary files?
A: Binary files are detected automatically (extension matching + null byte check) and shown in download-only mode.

Q: What if my pod doesn't have ls or cat?
A: Distroless images may lack these utilities. The extension requires basic shell tools.

Q: Can I contribute a Lens (upstream) version?
A: Yes! The extension API is similar. PRs for Lens compatibility are welcome.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License — see the LICENSE file for details.