Documentation
Installation

Installation

Overview

Kaoto is a visual designer for Apache Camel that helps you create, edit, and deploy integration flows with ease. This guide covers multiple installation options to get you started quickly.

Installation Options

Choose the installation method that best fits your needs:

Using our Online Testing Instance

The fastest way to try Kaoto is through our openly available testing instance.

Perfect for:

  • Quick evaluation and testing
  • Following our workshops as guides
  • Learning Kaoto basics without local setup

Next steps:

  • Learn more about how to use Kaoto in the Quickstart
  • Explore our workshops for hands-on tutorials

Using VS Code

The VS Code extension provides the most complete Kaoto experience with local development capabilities.

Requirements

Before installing the Kaoto extension, ensure you have:

Required Software

  • Visual Studio Code - The code editor
  • JBang - Required for running Camel integrations locally
    • macOS/Linux:
      curl -Ls https://sh.jbang.dev | bash -s - trust add https://github.com/apache/camel
    • Windows: Installation instructions
    • Verify installation:
      jbang version
Note

JBang is the only hard requirement. The Kaoto extension will automatically install Camel CLI, and other required dependencies as needed during extension installation and first use.

Install the Kaoto VS Code Extension

Note

The Kaoto extension provides all the required functionality to create and run your integrations locally as a standalone extension.

Installation Steps:

  1. Open Visual Studio Code
  2. Open the Extensions view on the left side panel (or press Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
  3. Type Kaoto in the search field
  4. Click the Install button on the Kaoto extension
Install Kaoto Extension in VS Code
Install Kaoto Extension in VS Code
Install Kaoto Extension in VS Code

What you get:

  • Visual designer for Apache Camel routes
  • Integrated catalog of Camel components and patterns
  • Local route execution with Camel JBang
  • YAML and XML DSL support
  • Real-time validation and error checking

Using Podman

Run Kaoto in a containerized environment using Podman.

Requirements

Installation Steps

  1. Pull the Kaoto image:

    podman pull quay.io/kaotoio/kaoto-app:main

  2. Run the container:

    podman run -p 8080:8080 quay.io/kaotoio/kaoto-app:main

  3. Access Kaoto:

    • Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:8080
    • If you used a different port in the -p parameter, adjust the URL accordingly

Verifying Your Installation

After installation, verify that Kaoto is working correctly:

For VS Code Extension

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Click the Kaoto icon in the left sidebar
  3. Create a new Camel route file
  4. You should see the visual designer interface

For Podman

  1. Access http://localhost:8080
  2. You should see the Kaoto web interface
  3. Try creating a simple route to test functionality

For Online Instance

  1. Visit https://red.ht/kaoto
  2. The Kaoto interface should load in your browser
  3. Try exploring the catalog and creating a test route

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

VS Code Extension not appearing:

  • Ensure VS Code is up to date
  • Restart VS Code after installation
  • Check the Extensions view to confirm installation

JBang not found:

  • Verify JBang is installed: jbang version
  • Ensure your PATH includes JBang binaries

Podman container won’t start:

  • Verify Podman is running: podman ps
  • Check if port 8080 is already in use
  • Review Podman logs: podman logs kaoto-app

Java version issues:

  • Verify Java 17 or later is installed: java -version
  • Set JAVA_HOME environment variable if needed

Getting Help

If you encounter issues:

  1. Check the Kaoto documentation
  2. Visit the GitHub Issues page
  3. Join the Zulip Chat
  4. Ask in the Discussion Forums

Next Steps

Now that you have Kaoto installed, here’s what to do next:

  1. Quickstart Guide - Create your first integration in minutes
  2. Workshops - Follow hands-on tutorials
  3. Documentation - Explore all available documentation sections

Additional Resources

Kaoto Resources

Apache Camel Resources

Community

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