explaingit

g00x/idlekube

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

1PythonAudience · ops devopsComplexity · 3/5LicenseSetup · moderate

TLDR

A command line tool that scans a Kubernetes cluster to find idle or overprovisioned workloads worth reviewing for cost savings.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((IdleKube))
    What it does
      Scans cluster resource usage
      Flags idle workloads
      Estimates waste cost
    Tech stack
      Python
      Kubernetes API
      metrics-server
    Use cases
      Cost audits
      Cleanup prioritization
      Namespace review
    Audience
      Platform engineers
      DevOps teams
    Setup
      Python 3.10 plus
      kubectl configured
      metrics-server installed

Code map

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Scan a cluster to find namespaces and workloads with the highest potential resource waste.

USE CASE 2

Export a report of underused deployments to share with a platform team.

USE CASE 3

Filter a scan to a single namespace before making resource requests changes.

USE CASE 4

Spot deployments missing ownership labels during a cleanup audit.

What is it built with?

PythonKuberneteskubectlmetrics-server

How does it compare?

g00x/idlekubea-bissell/unleash-liteabhiinnovates/whatsapp-hr-assistant
Stars111
LanguagePythonPythonPython
Setup difficultymoderatehardhard
Complexity3/54/53/5
Audienceops devopsresearcherdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Needs kubectl, a working kubeconfig, and metrics-server running in the cluster.

In plain English

IdleKube is a lightweight command line tool for looking at a Kubernetes cluster and pointing out where compute resources are being wasted. It checks for workloads that are barely being used, containers whose CPU or memory requests are much higher than what they actually consume, and deployments that are missing ownership labels. It pulls this information from the Kubernetes API and from live usage data provided by metrics-server, then puts together a quick snapshot of where waste is likely happening. The tool is explicit about what it is not. It is not a billing system, it does not automatically resize your workloads, and it is not meant to replace dedicated cost tools like Prometheus, OpenCost, or Kubecost. Instead, it helps you figure out where to look first when doing a cleanup or an audit, ranking namespaces and workloads by potential monthly and annual savings and flagging the top candidates to review. To use it, you clone the repository, set up a Python virtual environment, install the dependencies, and run a scan command against your cluster. Results can be viewed on screen or exported as JSON, CSV, or HTML reports, which makes it easy to share findings or feed them into other tools. You can scan the whole cluster or filter down to a single namespace, and adjust the assumed cost per CPU and memory unit to match your own cloud pricing. Because it works from a single snapshot of usage rather than historical data, its suggested review targets are described as low confidence, and the README recommends validating any change with at least a week or more of real usage history before adjusting resource requests or limits in production. It requires Python 3.10 or newer, a working kubectl setup, and metrics-server installed in the cluster. This suits developers and platform engineers who manage Kubernetes clusters and want a fast first pass at spotting overprovisioned or idle workloads.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Walk me through installing IdleKube and running my first cluster scan.
Prompt 2
Show me how to export an IdleKube scan as an HTML report for one namespace.
Prompt 3
Explain the difference between IdleKube's review targets and a production rightsizing tool.
Prompt 4
Help me set up metrics-server so IdleKube can read live usage data.
Prompt 5
What does IdleKube's cost model assume when it estimates monthly waste?

Frequently asked questions

What is idlekube?

A command line tool that scans a Kubernetes cluster to find idle or overprovisioned workloads worth reviewing for cost savings.

What language is idlekube written in?

Mainly Python. The stack also includes Python, Kubernetes, kubectl.

How hard is idlekube to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is idlekube for?

Mainly ops devops.

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