5 ms·

What's the deal with the name "Kubernetes"? Does it mean anything, or have some tech significance, or is it really just because it basically means "ruler" in Gr

by dchuk 11y ago

What's the deal with the name "Kubernetes"? Does it mean anything, or have some tech significance, or is it really just because it basically means "ruler" in Greek?

irickt 11y ago
It is also related to the source of the word "cybernetics".
- fixermark 11y ago
  Correct, which is how it slants to the "Borg cube" pun. Cybernetics was the term chosen by Norbert Wiener in the book "Cybernetics," and he traced the word's origin to the greek "kubernetes;" it related to his first example of a cybernetic system, the self-correcting steam-controlled rudder on a ship [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steering_engine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steering_engine]. (Why the pun? Kubernetes was heavily inspired / guided by Google's internal scheduling tool, which was named Borg (http://blog.kubernetes.io/2015/04/borg-predecessor-to-kubernetes.html http://blog.kubernetes.io/2015/04/borg-predecessor-to-kubern...).)
thebeardisred 11y ago
It means "Helmsman" in ancient Greek. Similarly it's related to the word "Governor" e.g: "kubernan" in ancient greek means to steer "kubernetes" is helmsman "gubernare" means to steer or to govern in Latin "gubernator" is "governor" in Latin Which then leads into the modern word "Gubernatorial", et al.
- henrikschroder 11y ago
  It's also a pun on Borg Cubes.
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
- rantanplan 11y ago
  Um... in modern Greek too, not just ancient Greek :)
DannoHung 11y ago
Pretty sure it's due to it meaning in a literal sense, "Helmsman".
- cmcluck 11y ago
  (disclosure: i work at Google and picked the name) comments above are right -- we wanted to stick to the nautical theme that was emerging in containers and 'kubernetes' (or helmsmen is greek) seemed about right. the fact that the word has strong roots in modern control theory was nice also. fun fact: we actually wanted to call it 'seven' after seven-of-nine (a more attractive borg) but for obvious reasons that didn't work out. :)
  - menage 11y ago
    The GFS cell used back in 2004 for staging Borg binaries to production was /gfs/seven/, for the same reason :-)
brainburn 11y ago
According to the IO 2014 talk about docker/kubernetes, it was chosen because it means something like pilot/helmsman.
syst3mw0rm 11y ago
"κυβερνήτης" (kubernetes) is Greek for "pilot" or "helmsman of ship".

by dchuk 11y ago

What's the deal with the name "Kubernetes"? Does it mean anything, or have some tech significance, or is it really just because it basically means "ruler" in Greek?

irickt 11y ago

It is also related to the source of the word "cybernetics".

fixermark 11y ago
Correct, which is how it slants to the "Borg cube" pun. Cybernetics was the term chosen by Norbert Wiener in the book "Cybernetics," and he traced the word's origin to the greek "kubernetes;" it related to his first example of a cybernetic system, the self-correcting steam-controlled rudder on a ship [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steering_engine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steering_engine]. (Why the pun? Kubernetes was heavily inspired / guided by Google's internal scheduling tool, which was named Borg (http://blog.kubernetes.io/2015/04/borg-predecessor-to-kubernetes.html http://blog.kubernetes.io/2015/04/borg-predecessor-to-kubern...).)

thebeardisred 11y ago

It means "Helmsman" in ancient Greek. Similarly it's related to the word "Governor" e.g: "kubernan" in ancient greek means to steer "kubernetes" is helmsman "gubernare" means to steer or to govern in Latin "gubernator" is "governor" in Latin Which then leads into the modern word "Gubernatorial", et al.

henrikschroder 11y ago
It's also a pun on Borg Cubes.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
rantanplan 11y ago
Um... in modern Greek too, not just ancient Greek :)

DannoHung 11y ago

Pretty sure it's due to it meaning in a literal sense, "Helmsman".

cmcluck 11y ago
(disclosure: i work at Google and picked the name) comments above are right -- we wanted to stick to the nautical theme that was emerging in containers and 'kubernetes' (or helmsmen is greek) seemed about right. the fact that the word has strong roots in modern control theory was nice also. fun fact: we actually wanted to call it 'seven' after seven-of-nine (a more attractive borg) but for obvious reasons that didn't work out. :)
- menage 11y ago
  The GFS cell used back in 2004 for staging Borg binaries to production was /gfs/seven/, for the same reason :-)

brainburn 11y ago

According to the IO 2014 talk about docker/kubernetes, it was chosen because it means something like pilot/helmsman.

syst3mw0rm 11y ago

"κυβερνήτης" (kubernetes) is Greek for "pilot" or "helmsman of ship".