Compose on Kubernetes is a project that enables users to deploy Docker Compose files directly onto Kubernetes clusters. Written in Go, the project bridges the gap between Docker Compose's familiar declarative syntax and Kubernetes' orchestration capabilities, allowing developers to use their existing Compose configurations in a Kubernetes environment without requiring extensive rewrites or manual conversion to Kubernetes manifests.

The project is no longer maintained, as explicitly stated in the repository's README warning. Despite its archived status, the codebase provides comprehensive documentation and tooling for understanding how Docker Compose specifications map to Kubernetes objects. The repository includes detailed architectural documentation, a mapping guide explaining how Compose stacks translate to Kubernetes resources, and a compatibility matrix for reference.

Installation and deployment are supported across multiple platforms and Kubernetes distributions. The project provides an installer available for Darwin, Linux, and Windows, with specific setup guides for Docker Desktop, Azure AKS, Google Kubernetes Engine, Microk8s, and Minikube. The installation process requires creating a dedicated compose namespace and deploying an etcd instance separate from Kubernetes' built-in etcd, which serves as the backing store for Compose on Kubernetes state management. Users can verify successful installation by checking API availability through kubectl commands and deploy stacks using the Docker CLI.

The development environment is configured for Go developers working on Docker Desktop with Kubernetes enabled. The project uses Make for build automation and requires Docker Engine version 18.09 or later with BuildKit enabled. The repository includes pre-configured debugging capabilities through GoLand, supporting both standard remote debugging with the Delve API and live debugging scenarios where the API server and Compose controller only initialize after a debugger attaches.

The debugging infrastructure exposes the Compose controller on localhost:40000 and the API server on localhost:40001 when running in live debugging mode. Developers can attach debuggers through GoLand's pre-configured run configurations, terminal-based Delve connections, or other Delve-compatible debugging tools. The debug installation process builds images with debug symbols and creates LoadBalancer services for debugging access, distinguishing debug deployments through image naming conventions.

The project's classification spans multiple domains including container orchestration, microservices architecture, deployment management, and cloud-native applications. It addresses the practical need for organizations already invested in Docker Compose to leverage Kubernetes' orchestration features while maintaining their existing service definitions and YAML configurations. The cross-platform compatibility and integration with major Kubernetes distributions reflect an effort to make Kubernetes adoption more accessible to teams familiar with Docker's tooling ecosystem.