> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://notes.kodekloud.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Using the k8s dashboard on LKE > This article explains how to use the Kubernetes Dashboard for managing and troubleshooting workloads on Linode Kubernetes Engine. There will come a time when you need a live visualization of your Kubernetes clusters—seeing deployments, pods, secrets, monitoring metrics, and more. The **Kubernetes Dashboard** offers an intuitive web UI to manage and troubleshoot your workloads on Linode Kubernetes Engine (LKE). ![The image shows a Kubernetes management dashboard displaying details of a cluster named "kodekloudtest9292," including version, resources, and node pool status. It lists nodes with their status as "Running" and associated IP addresses."](https://kodekloud.com/kk-media/image/upload/v1752881224/notes-assets/images/Linode-Kubernetes-Engine-Using-the-k8s-dashboard-on-LKE/kubernetes-dashboard-kodekloudtest9292.jpg) From this single pane of glass, you can: * Deploy or edit containerized applications * Monitor pod and deployment status * View logs and resource usage * Troubleshoot issues with real-time metrics ## 1. Accessing the Dashboard 1. Log in to the [Linode Cloud Manager](https://cloud.linode.com/). 2. Navigate to **Kubernetes** and select your cluster. 3. Click **Kubernetes Dashboard**. You’ll be redirected to the login screen: ![The image shows a login screen for the Kubernetes Dashboard, offering options to sign in using a token or kubeconfig file.](https://kodekloud.com/kk-media/image/upload/v1752881225/notes-assets/images/Linode-Kubernetes-Engine-Using-the-k8s-dashboard-on-LKE/kubernetes-dashboard-login-screen.jpg) ### Authentication Methods | Method | Steps | | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | kubeconfig | Click the ⋮ menu, upload your local `kubeconfig` file, then **Sign In**. | | Token | Copy the bearer token from Cloud Manager and paste it into the **Token** field below. | ```yaml theme={null} apiVersion: v1 kind: Config clusters: - name: lke61875 cluster: server: https://5d8f062c-9683-4326-8882-4cd8c1e02405.cpc-... certificate-authority-data: LS0tLS1CRUdJTiBDRVJJVUS... users: - name: lke61875-admin user: token: eyJhbGciOiJSUzI... contexts: - name: lke61875-ctx context: cluster: lke61875 namespace: default user: lke61875-admin current-context: lke61875-ctx ``` ```plaintext theme={null} /HQTFVZEVRUU8KTUF50QNtDFZbV5YmlWFpYTxdEUVlKS29aWh2Y05BUUVMQ ``` Tokens are scoped by RBAC rules. Ensure your service account has the correct role bindings to view the resources you need. Click **Sign In** to open the dashboard. ## 2. Dashboard Overview Upon first login (in the `default` namespace), you may see an empty view: ![The image shows a Kubernetes dashboard with a sidebar menu listing various options like Workloads, Services, and Config and Storage. The main area indicates that there is nothing to display.](https://kodekloud.com/kk-media/image/upload/v1752881226/notes-assets/images/Linode-Kubernetes-Engine-Using-the-k8s-dashboard-on-LKE/kubernetes-dashboard-sidebar-menu.jpg) If you leave the dashboard exposed without proper authentication, anyone with the URL and token can view or modify your cluster. Always secure access. ### Switching Namespaces Use the namespace dropdown in the top-right corner to choose **kube-system** and inspect core components: ![The image shows a Kubernetes dashboard displaying a list of running pods with details such as names, images, labels, nodes, and statuses.](https://kodekloud.com/kk-media/image/upload/v1752881227/notes-assets/images/Linode-Kubernetes-Engine-Using-the-k8s-dashboard-on-LKE/kubernetes-dashboard-running-pods.jpg) ## 3. Inspecting Deployments Select **Deployments** under **Workloads** to view system controllers like CoreDNS and Calico: ![The image shows a Kubernetes dashboard displaying the "Deployments" section, listing two deployments: "coredns" and "calico-kube-controllers," along with their respective images and labels.](https://kodekloud.com/kk-media/image/upload/v1752881228/notes-assets/images/Linode-Kubernetes-Engine-Using-the-k8s-dashboard-on-LKE/kubernetes-dashboard-deployments-coredns-calico.jpg) ## 4. Workloads Overview Under **Workloads**, you can monitor all controllers: | Workload Type | Description | | ------------- | --------------------------------------- | | Daemon Sets | Run one pod per node (e.g., kube-proxy) | | Deployments | Declarative updates & scaling | | Replica Sets | Maintain a stable set of replicas | | Pods | The smallest deployable unit | ![The image shows a Kubernetes dashboard interface displaying various workloads such as Daemon Sets, Deployments, Pods, and Replica Sets, each with a green circle indicating the number of running instances.](https://kodekloud.com/kk-media/image/upload/v1752881229/notes-assets/images/Linode-Kubernetes-Engine-Using-the-k8s-dashboard-on-LKE/kubernetes-dashboard-workloads-overview.jpg) Click on any workload—for example, the **kube-proxy** DaemonSet—to inspect pod details: ![The image shows a Kubernetes dashboard displaying the status of "kube-proxy" daemon sets, with details about pods, images, labels, nodes, and their running status.](https://kodekloud.com/kk-media/image/upload/v1752881230/notes-assets/images/Linode-Kubernetes-Engine-Using-the-k8s-dashboard-on-LKE/kubernetes-dashboard-kube-proxy-status.jpg) ## 5. Services, Config & Storage Beyond workloads, the sidebar lets you explore: * **Services**: ClusterIP, NodePort, LoadBalancer endpoints * **Config and Storage**: ConfigMaps, Secrets, PersistentVolumes, PVCs * **Access Control**: Roles, RoleBindings, ServiceAccounts ## 6. Additional Resources * [Kubernetes Dashboard Official Guide](https://github.com/kubernetes/dashboard) * [Linode Kubernetes Engine Documentation](https://www.linode.com/docs/products/kubernetes/) * [Kubernetes RBAC](https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/access-authn-authz/rbac/)