Kubernetes integration and more in odo 2.0

Odo is a developer-focused command-line interface (CLI) for OpenShift and Kubernetes. This article introduces highlights of the odo 2.0 release, which now integrates with Kubernetes. Additional highlights include the new default deployment method in odo 2.0, which uses devfiles for rapid, iterative development. We've also moved Operator deployment out of experimental mode, so you can easily deploy Operator-backed services from the odo command line.

Odo 2.0 now works with core Kubernetes!

Odo 2.0 lets you write, build, and deploy applications entirely on Kubernetes. You can use any compliant Kubernetes cluster, whether it's a hosted cloud provider, a self-managed cluster, or hosted locally with a tool like Minikube.

Odo's integration with Kubernetes provides a consistent development experience. You can write applications from scratch, iterate the development inner loop, and commit your code to Git, all within the same environment.

To initiate your Kubernetes installation, install the Kubernetes Operator Lifecycle Manager and etcd. See the etcd installation guide on the Kubernetes Operator Hub.

Deploy with devfiles in odo 2.0

This major release establishes devfiles as the default deployment method for odo. Odo still supports Source-to-Image (S2I) deployment for developers who prefer using the --s2i flag from the command line.

A devfile is a YAML file that is used to define the developer workspace in Eclipse Che. Devfiles have an open format, so we can also use them in odo. Odo's support for devfiles lets developers easily switch between tools, with no additional configuration. Using devfiles also streamlines the process of adding new language support to odoand Eclipse Che. Now, you only need to create a devfile from a template and update.

See the odo tutorial for a guide to deploying your first devfile in odo.

A common definition for your developer tools

With the odo 2.0 release, we have aligned on devfiles as the common definition format for developer workspaces and application lifecycles across Red Hat's developer tooling portfolio. Red Hat CodeReady Workspaces (the productized version of Eclispe Che) currently uses devfiles, and all of the OpenShift IDE extensions leverage odo, bringing iterative development and deployment flows directly to developers. You can try out odo directly or access it using IDE extensions for VS Code, Eclipse Che, and the Eclipse desktop IDE.

Improved language support

Adding devfiles as the default deployment method improves language support in odo 2.0. To see the list of currently supported devfile components, open your odo CLI and run:

$ odo catalog list components

Table 1 shows the currently available odo components, including devfile components.

Odo's new deployment model is available for Java using Quarkus, Node.js, and early access for Python.

Sample starters for new projects

As another advantage of using devfiles, you can now leverage sample starters to scaffold new projects. Simply use the odo create command to provide the name of your devfile component. Odo will pull a cloned local copy of a starter from the associated Git repository. Here's an example:

$ odo create nodejs --starter

Validation

 ✓  Checking devfile existence [22411ns]

 ✓  Checking devfile compatibility [22492ns]

 ✓  Creating a devfile component from registry: DefaultDevfileRegistry [24341ns]

 ✓  Validating devfile component [74471ns]

Starter Project

 ✓  Downloading starter project nodejs-starter from https://github.com/odo-devfiles/nodejs-ex.git [479ms]

Please use `odo push` command to create the component with source deployed

Debugging with odo

With this release, the odo debug command has graduated from tech preview. See the odo tutorial for more about debugging application components with the odo CLI or VS Code.

Using Operators for installation

Developers can now deploy Operator-backed services with odo. Operators provide custom resource definitions (CRDs), which you can use to create service instances—also known as custom resources (CRs), or operands. You can then use these instances in your projects and link them to your components.

Here's an example, using the etcd Operator to deploy an Etcd cluster:

$ odo catalog list services

  Operators available in the cluster

  NAME                          CRDs

  etcdoperator.v0.9.4           EtcdCluster, EtcdBackup, EtcdRestore

$ odo service create etcdoperator.v0.9.4/EtcdCluster

See the odo tutorial for more about deploying Operator-backed services with odo.