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visibility: public
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# Kustomize

**repo:** [DevOpsHiveHQ/awesome-kustomize](https://github.com/DevOpsHiveHQ/awesome-kustomize)  
**category:** [[back-end-development|Back-End Development]]
**related:** [[docker|Docker]] · [[terraform|Terraform]] · [[kubernetes|Kubernetes]]

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# Awesome Kustomize [](https://github.com/aabouzaid/awesome-kustomize/compare)

<p align="center">
  <a href="https://kustomize.io">
    <img src="img/awesome-kustomize.svg" width="90%">
  </a>
</p>

> A curated and collaborative list of awesome Kustomize resources.

[Kustomize](https://kustomize.io) introduces a template-free way to customize Kubernetes manifests. It's extensible and uses a purely declarative approach to configuration customization, helping you efficiently manage your Infrastructure as Code (IaC).

Contributions are welcome, add links through [pull requests](https://github.com/aabouzaid/awesome-kustomize/pulls) or create an issue to start a discussion.

Push it forward and add the project badge in your repo to support the community! ⭐

Markdown:

```text
[![Awesome Kustomize](https://devopshive.com/badges/awesome-kustomize.svg)](https://github.com/DevOpsHiveHQ/awesome-kustomize)
```

Preview:

[![Awesome Kustomize](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/DevOpsHiveHQ/awesome-kustomize/main/img/awesome-kustomize-badge.svg)](https://github.com/DevOpsHiveHQ/awesome-kustomize)

## Contents

- [Overview](#overview)
- [Plugins](#plugins)
  - [Generators](#generators)
  - [Transformers](#transformers)
  - [Validators](#validators)
- [Guides](#guides)
  - [Novice](#novice)
  - [Intermediate](#intermediate)
  - [Advanced](#advanced)
  - [Tips \& Tricks](#tips--tricks)
- [Snippets](#snippets)
- [Misc](#misc)
- [Related lists](#related-lists)

## Overview

Kustomize works as a standalone binary and is also built into `kubectl` (since v1.14). It can be used with off-the-shelf applications, such as **Helm charts**. Also, it has deep integration with various **GitOps** tools, such as ArgoCD, Flux, and others.

## Plugins

Kustomize has 3 plugin types: `generator`, `transformer`, and `validator`.

> Note
>
> If you are a plugin developer, it's highly recommended to support the new plugins standard
> [KRM function](https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kustomize/blob/master/cmd/config/docs/api-conventions/functions-spec.md).

### Generators

- [Secretize](https://github.com/bbl/secretize) - Generating [Kubernetes](/@harrisonqian/awesome/wiki/back-end-development/kubernetes) Secret from various sources. It's like a Swiss Army knife, but for Kubernetes secrets (Containerized KRM, Exec KRM, Exec).
- [SopsSecretGenerator](https://github.com/goabout/kustomize-sopssecretgenerator/) - Generating Secrets from sops-encrypted files (Exec KRM, Exec).
- [KSops](https://github.com/viaduct-ai/kustomize-sops) - Generating Secrets from sops-encrypted files (Exec).
- [PolicyGenerator](https://github.com/open-cluster-management-io/policy-generator-plugin) - Generating Open Cluster Management policies (Exec).
- [KRMFfnBuiltin](https://github.com/kaweezle/krmfnbuiltin) - Running builtin generators transformers (Exec).
- [Merger](https://github.com/aabouzaid/kustomize-plugin-merger) - Generating manifests seamlessly by extending Kustomize merge strategies using schemaless StrategicMerge (Containerized KRM, Exec KRM).

### Transformers

- [HelmValuesTransformer](https://github.com/openinfradev/kustomize-helm-transformer) - Transforming values in HelmRelease CustomResource. It helps manage many HelmRelease values in a single transformer file (Exec).
- [TemplateTransformer](https://github.com/joshdk/template-transformer) - Providing a set of KRM Functions to run built-in transformers in place (Containerized KRM, Exec KRM).

### Validators

- [KubeconformValidator](https://github.com/aabouzaid/kustomize-kubeconformvalidator) - Validating Kubernetes manifests using embedded Kubeconform (Containerized KRM, Exec KRM).

## Guides

Kustomize guides based on their level or type, like 📰 Article, 📺 Video, 🧪 Lab.

### Novice

- 📰 [Declarative Management of Kubernetes Objects Using Kustomize](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/manage-kubernetes-objects/kustomization/) - The official Kubernetes documentation task for Kustomize.
- 📰 [Configure Kubernetes with Kustomize](https://cloud.google.com/anthos-config-management/docs/concepts/kustomize) - A guide helps to get started with Kustomize, understand its intended use cases, and find resources for using it with other [Google Cloud](/@harrisonqian/awesome/wiki/platforms/google-cloud) tools.
- 📺 [Organizing the YAML mess with Kustomize](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fCAwFGX38U) - A talk shows how Kustomize could help to manage Kubernetes YAML files with a growing number of services and environments.
- 📺 [Kustomize: Deploy Your App with Template Free YAML](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahMIBxufNR0) - A talk introduces Kustomize, a declarative application management system that allows deployments to be described as template-free YAML.

### Intermediate

- 🧪 [ArgoCD GitOps Tutorial - Working with Kustomize](https://redhat-scholars.github.io/argocd-tutorial/argocd-tutorial/03-kustomize.html) - A hands-on lab covers using Kustomize in GitOps, and it goes through the Kustomize syntax and deploying a Kustomized application.
- 📰 [3 ways to customize off-the-shelf Helm charts with Kustomize](https://tech.aabouzaid.com/2020/09/3-ways-to-customize-off-the-shelf-helm-charts-with-kustomize-kubernetes.html) - A guide covers 3 different ways to use Kustomize and Helm together.
- 📰 [Using Kustomize Components with Cluster API](https://blog.scottlowe.org/2021/11/01/using-kustomize-components-with-cluster-api/) - A clear use case of using Kustomize Components.

### Advanced

- 📰 [Advanced Kustomize features](https://www.innoq.com/en/blog/advanced-kustomize-features/) - A guide covers more than 5 advanced Kustomize capabilities.
- 📰 [Set OpenAPI patch strategy for Kubernetes Custom Resources](https://tech.aabouzaid.com/2022/11/set-openapi-patch-strategy-for-kubernetes-custom-resources-kustomize.html) - A guide shows how to provide a schema to control the patch strategy of the CRDs.
- 📺 [Customizing Kustomize with Client-Side Custom Resources](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlFUv4F5PYc) - A talk covers extending Kustomize via plugins to address common yet idiosyncratic application needs.
- 📺 [Own your YAML: extending Kustomize via Plugins](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xoh_OpLoVtI) - A talk shows how to create custom resources using Kustomize external plugins.
- 📰 [Kustomize Enhancement with KRM Functions](https://www.innoq.com/en/blog/kustomize-enhancement-with-krm-functions/) - A detailed guide covers the KRM concept and how to use it in Kustomize plugins.

### Tips & Tricks

- 📰 [Delete a manifest from a Kustomize base](https://tech.aabouzaid.com/2021/05/delete-a-manifest-from-kustomize-base.html) - A handy way to delete a named manifest using Kustomize patch.
- 📰 [Apply Kustomize builtin transformers on a single resource](https://tech.aabouzaid.com/2022/04/apply-kustomize-builtin-transformers-on-a-single-resource.html) - A way to use internal transformers on specific resources.
- 📰 [Pass extra data to the Containerized KRM function](https://tech.aabouzaid.com/2022/12/pass-extra-data-to-the-containerized-krm-function.html) - Different cases of sharing data with the Containerized KRM function.

## Snippets

Snippets are Kustmoize use-case-specific examples that can help with common day-to-day operations.

- [Add Pod security context](https://github.com/3deep5me/awesome-kustomize/blob/add-security-context-component/snippets/add-pod-security-context/kustomization.yaml) - Ensure the [security](/@harrisonqian/awesome/wiki/security/security) context is added to [containers](/@harrisonqian/awesome/wiki/platforms/containers) in the Pod.

## Misc

- [Asdf-kustomize](https://github.com/Banno/asdf-kustomize) - Kustomize plugin for asdf version manager.

## Related lists

- [Awesome Kubernetes](https://github.com/ramitsurana/awesome-kubernetes) - A curated list of [awesome](/@harrisonqian/awesome/wiki/miscellaneous/awesome) Kubernetes resources.
- [Awesome Kubectl plugins](https://github.com/ishantanu/awesome-kubectl-plugins) - A curated list of awesome Kubectl plugins.
- [Awesome Helm](https://github.com/cdwv/awesome-helm) - A curated list of awesome Helm charts and resources.
