Install the authentication plugin, which is required to use a generated
kubeconfig file:
gdcloudcomponentsinstallgdcloud-k8s-auth-plugin
Sign in with configured identity provider
Sign in with the configured identity provider:
gdcloudauthlogin
Follow the instructions to authenticate with your identity provider.
Consider the following when using the gdcloud auth login command:
It authenticates with the current organization. Run
the gdcloud auth login command after switching organizations.
It requires that the certificate authority (CA)
certificate for the login config is installed in the system's trusted
certificates store. If the CA certificate is not installed, use
the --login-config-cert flag to specify the path to find the CA
certificate. For more information, see
Fetch GDC trust bundles.
It requires a browser to exist on the device. Use the
--no-browser flag to log in with a second device.
Get a kubeconfig file
After authenticating with the identity provider, get a kubeconfig file with
your user identity:
gdcloudclustersget-credentialsCLUSTER_NAME
This creates or updates the kubeconfig file in the default path
${HOME}/.kube/config with the authenticated user and cluster.
Consider the following when generating or updating your kubeconfig file:
Specify the desired path in the KUBECONFIG environment path to save it to
a different path.
The kubeconfig is a long-lived file, however the token authenticating the
user is short-lived. If a kubeconfig file stops working, run the gdcloud auth
login command to authenticate again.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-29 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eThis guide explains the process of authenticating with your identity provider and obtaining a kubeconfig file for cluster access.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eBefore starting, you must run \u003ccode\u003egdcloud init\u003c/code\u003e and install the \u003ccode\u003egdcloud-k8s-auth-plugin\u003c/code\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eUse the \u003ccode\u003egdcloud auth login\u003c/code\u003e command to sign in, considering the need for an installed CA certificate or a browser.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eAfter authenticating, run \u003ccode\u003egdcloud clusters get-credentials CLUSTER_NAME\u003c/code\u003e to generate or update your kubeconfig file.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe kubeconfig file contains a short-lived token, so you may need to re-run \u003ccode\u003egdcloud auth login\u003c/code\u003e if it expires.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# The gdcloud CLI authentication\n\nThis page details how to authenticate with your configured identity provider and\nget a kubeconfig file for your user identity and cluster.\n\nBefore you begin\n----------------\n\nBefore you can authenticate with your identity provider and generate a\nkubeconfig file, ensure you have completed the following:\n\n- Run the `gdcloud init` command. For more information, see the\n [Initialize gdcloud CLI default configuration](/distributed-cloud/hosted/docs/latest/gdch/resources/gdcloud-install#init-default-config)\n section.\n\n- Install the authentication plugin, which is required to use a generated\n kubeconfig file:\n\n gdcloud components install gdcloud-k8s-auth-plugin\n\nSign in with configured identity provider\n-----------------------------------------\n\nSign in with the configured identity provider: \n\n gdcloud auth login\n\nFollow the instructions to authenticate with your identity provider.\n\nConsider the following when using the `gdcloud auth login` command:\n\n- It authenticates with the current organization. Run the `gdcloud auth login` command after switching organizations.\n- It requires that the certificate authority (CA) certificate for the login config is installed in the system's trusted certificates store. If the CA certificate is not installed, use the `--login-config-cert` flag to specify the path to find the CA certificate. For more information, see [Fetch GDC trust bundles](/distributed-cloud/hosted/docs/latest/gdch/platform/pa-user/pki/fetch-trust-bundles).\n- It requires a browser to exist on the device. Use the `--no-browser` flag to log in with a second device.\n\nGet a kubeconfig file\n---------------------\n\nAfter authenticating with the identity provider, get a `kubeconfig` file with\nyour user identity: \n\n gdcloud clusters get-credentials \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eCLUSTER_NAME\u003c/var\u003e\n\nThis creates or updates the kubeconfig file in the default path\n`${HOME}/.kube/config` with the authenticated user and cluster.\n\nConsider the following when generating or updating your kubeconfig file:\n\n- Specify the desired path in the `KUBECONFIG` environment path to save it to a different path.\n- The kubeconfig is a long-lived file, however the token authenticating the user is short-lived. If a kubeconfig file stops working, run the `gdcloud auth\n login` command to authenticate again."]]
