> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/kubernetes-retired/dashboard/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Getting Started

> Development overview and prerequisites for Kubernetes Dashboard

## Overview

Kubernetes Dashboard is a web-based UI for managing Kubernetes clusters. The development environment consists of multiple interconnected modules that work together to provide a complete dashboard experience.

## Architecture

The Kubernetes Dashboard consists of a few main modules:

* **API** — Stateless Go module, which could be referred to as a Kubernetes API extension. It provides functionalities like:
  * Aggregation (i.e., returning metrics and events for pods)
  * Sorting
  * Filtering
  * Pagination

* **Auth** — Go module handling authentication to the Kubernetes API.

* **Web** — Module containing web application written in Angular and Go server with some web-related logic (i.e., settings). Its main task is presenting data fetched from Kubernetes API through API module.

* **Metrics Scraper** — Go module used to scrape and store a small window of metrics fetched from the Kubernetes Metrics Server.

## Prerequisites

Make sure the following software is installed and added to your path:

* **[Docker](https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/)** - Required for building and running containers
* **[Go](https://golang.org/dl/)** - Version **1.24.0** or higher (check [modules/go.work](~/workspace/source/modules/go.work:1) for the required version)
* **[Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en/download)** - Version **18.14.0** or higher (check [modules/web/package.json](~/workspace/source/modules/web/package.json:11) for the required version)
* **[Yarn](https://yarnpkg.com/getting-started/install)** - Version **3.3.0** (check [modules/web/.yarnrc.yml](~/workspace/source/modules/web/.yarnrc.yml:11) for the required version)

## Quick Start

After cloning the repository:

1. **Install web dependencies:**
   ```bash theme={null}
   cd modules/web && yarn
   ```

2. **Start the development version:**

   ```bash theme={null}
   make serve
   ```

   This will:

   * Create a local kind cluster
   * Run all modules with Docker Compose
   * Make the dashboard available at [http://localhost:8080](http://localhost:8080)

<Note>
  Make sure port 8080 is free on your localhost before running `make serve`.
</Note>

## Running Production Version

To run the production version of the application:

```bash theme={null}
make run
```

This will make the dashboard available at:

* HTTPS: [https://localhost:8443](https://localhost:8443)
* HTTP: [http://localhost:8080](http://localhost:8080)

<Note>
  Make sure ports 8443 and 8080 are free on your localhost.
</Note>

## Code Conventions

### Go

When writing new Go code, follow conventions described in [Effective Go](https://golang.org/doc/effective_go.html). The project uses [Go Report Card](https://goreportcard.com/report/github.com/kubernetes/dashboard) to monitor code quality.

### Angular

For Angular code, follow conventions described in:

* [Angular Style Guide](https://angular.io/guide/styleguide)
* [Material Design Guidelines](https://material.io/guidelines/)

### Linting Tools

The project uses the following tools for code quality:

* [golangci-lint](https://github.com/golangci/golangci-lint) - Go linting
* [eslint](https://eslint.org) - TypeScript/JavaScript linting
* [stylelint](https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint) - CSS/SCSS linting
* [prettier](https://prettier.io/) - Code formatting

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Local Environment" icon="laptop-code" href="./local-environment">
    Set up your local development environment
  </Card>

  <Card title="Building" icon="hammer" href="./building">
    Learn how to build the project
  </Card>

  <Card title="Testing" icon="vial" href="./testing">
    Run tests and ensure code quality
  </Card>

  <Card title="Contributing" icon="code-pull-request" href="./contributing">
    Learn how to contribute to the project
  </Card>
</CardGroup>