Kurtosis is a platform for packaging and launching ephemeral backend stacks, designed to simplify the setup and management of complex development and testing environments for software engineers. It abstracts away the underlying Docker or Kubernetes infrastructure, enabling developers to focus on application logic rather than configuration.

How It Works

Kurtosis operates as a higher-level abstraction over Docker Compose and Helm. It provides a packaging system for defining backend stacks, a runtime with per-stack file management for reproducible state initialization, and tools for interacting with these stacks. Its key advantages include stack-level parameterization, first-class composability of stack definitions, and the flexibility to run on either Docker or Kubernetes.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Install: Follow instructions from the official documentation.
• Run Example: kurtosis run github.com/kurtosis-tech/awesome-kurtosis/redis-voting-app
• Prerequisites: Docker, Go (1.23+), Node.js (20+), Yarn, Rust, Nix (for development).
• Links: Documentation, Awesome Kurtosis, Roadmap

Highlighted Details

• Enables reuse of stack definitions across local development, CI testing, and larger-scale Kubernetes testing.
• Facilitates easy onboarding for new developers by allowing complex stacks to be spun up with one-liners.
• Handles intricate setup logic, including inter-service data passing and custom wait conditions.
• Supports running stacks on either Docker or Kubernetes engines.

Maintenance & Community

• Active development with community support channels including GitHub Discussions and a Discord server.
• Contributions are welcomed via GitHub issues and pull requests.

Licensing & Compatibility

• The project appears to be primarily licensed under the Apache License 2.0, but specific component licenses should be verified.
• Suitable for commercial use and integration with closed-source projects.

Limitations & Caveats

Kurtosis is explicitly not recommended for long-term production deployments at this moment. Development environments require a significant number of dependencies, including specific versions of Go, Node.js, and Nix, which may pose an initial setup hurdle.