Managing multiple decK versions locally with Kong decK Version Manager (DVM)

Introduction

While working on local API gateway projects, switching between multiple versions of the decK tool can be a hassle. While in automation setups or CI/CD pipelines, you often specify a specific decK version, DVM is designed specifically to make local development easier. With a few simple commands, you can install, switch, and list decK versions locally as needed.

Motivation

I developed DVM while working on a customer upgrade project where I had to validate API gateway configurations across multiple versions of Kong and decK. My task was to:

• Test decK configurations against Kong 2.8.
• Convert these configurations to a format compatible with Kong 3.4.
• Verify the configurations using newer versions of decK.

Each time, I found myself manually downloading different decK versions and fixing installation issues, which quickly became tedious. To streamline this process, I created DVM to manage decK version switches seamlessly.

By using DVM, you can seamlessly switch between decK versions for local development and testing.

How to Install and Use decK Version Manager

Prerequisites

Before using DVM, make sure you have the following installed:

• curl for downloading files from GitHub.
• tar for extracting downloaded archives.

Installation

1. Download and Install the Script

   First, clone the DVM script from the repository and install it using the following commands:

   # Clone the repository
   git clone [email protected]:bhatikuldeep/dvm.git
   
   # Navigate to the DVM directory
   cd dvm
   
   # Run the installation script
   chmod +x install.sh && ./install.sh
   

   Important to note: If you previously installed decK via Homebrew, remove it to avoid conflicts with DVM using: brew uninstall deck

2. Usage

   • Install a Specific Version

     To install a specific version of decK, use the following command:

     dvm install <version>
     # Example:
     dvm install 1.39.4
     

   • Switch to a Specific Version After installing multiple versions, switch between them using:

     dvm switch <version>
     # Example:
     dvm switch 1.38.0
     

   • List Installed Versions To see a list of all installed versions:

     dvm list
     # Example output:
     Installed decK versions:
     * 1.39.4 (current)
     1.38.0
     

     This will display all installed versions, highlighting the currently active one.

3. Uninstallation

   • If you ever need to uninstall DVM, simply run the provided uninstall script:

     chmod +x uninstall.sh && ./uninstall.sh
     

   This will remove the symbolic link for dvm and optionally remove all installed decK versions.

Conclusion

For developers using decK locally, DVM is a simple yet powerful tool. It eliminates the hassle of manual version management and lets you focus on what matters—developing and testing your Kong configurations. Try DVM for yourself and experience a streamlined local decK Version Manager setup!