KubeCon EU 2026 — Cloud Native Theater — Tuesday, March 24, 12:37–12:57 CET — Hall 1-5, Tram Zone Speakers: Mumshad Mannambeth & Michael Forrester (KodeKloud)
You passed your CKA. Congratulations. Now what?
Kubernetes ships three releases a year. The version you studied for goes end-of-life in 14 months. The newsletters you bookmarked are dead. The social media accounts you followed moved platforms. And the governance structure you barely understood just reorganized.
This repository is the companion resource for our KubeCon EU 2026 talk. Every link, tool, checklist, and reference we mentioned — verified, organized, and maintained.
Disclaimer: All content is current as of April 1, 2026. Kubernetes moves fast — SIG membership, release schedules, tool versions, and channel availability may have changed since this was last verified. Results may vary. If you spot something outdated, open an issue.
Start here: Just want the essentials? Jump to the 5 Must-Have Subscriptions or grab your role-based checklist.
Do something now
- The Non-Negotiable Five — 5 subscriptions that cover security, releases, and deprecations
- The 30-Minute Weekly System — a low-effort habit that keeps you current
- By Role — developer, operator, or architect checklists
Understand the landscape
- The Problem — why your cert goes stale
- How Kubernetes Ships — releases, KEPs, and the support window
- Who Runs Kubernetes — SIGs, TAGs, and governance
- The 2025 Landscape Shift — what died, what moved, what replaced it
Go deeper
- Your First Contribution — from zero to merged PR
- All Channels & Tools — newsletters, podcasts, social, Slack, mailing lists, deprecation tools
- Repository Map — full directory listing
These five subscriptions cover security, releases, and deprecations — the three things that will actually break your production clusters. Subscribe to all five. It takes five minutes.
| # | Channel | What It Does | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | kubernetes-security-announce | Fires on CVEs only | Google Group |
| 2 | LWKD | Weekly dev digest | lwkd.info |
| 3 | Kubernetes Blog RSS | Release announcements, deprecations, security | kubernetes.io/feed.xml |
| 4 | GitHub "Releases Only" watch | Every patch and minor release | kubernetes/kubernetes |
| 5 | Official CVE JSON feed | Machine-readable vulnerability feed | Official CVE Feed |
Details and setup instructions:
channels/essential-five.md
| Cadence | Time | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Once | 5 min | Subscribe to the Non-Negotiable Five (above) |
| Weekly | 20 min | Read LWKD + scan 1–2 SIG Slack channels for your role |
| Monthly | 30 min | Wisdom of the Cloud + Kubernetes blog scan |
| Quarterly | 1 hr | Run pluto + KubePug + review upcoming release KEPs |
| Role | Follow These SIGs | Checklist |
|---|---|---|
| Developers | SIG Apps, SIG API Machinery, SIG CLI | developer-checklist.md |
| Operators | SIG Node, SIG Network, SIG Storage, SIG Auth | operator-checklist.md |
| Architects | SIG Architecture, CNCF TOC notes, Alpha-stage KEPs | architect-checklist.md |
Tool guides:
pluto|kubent(+ KubePug alternative) |RSS setupPresentation deck:slides/
At KodeKloud, we've trained over a million students for Kubernetes certifications. The number one message we get after someone passes: "I passed. Now what?"
Your certification is a snapshot. It proves you understood Kubernetes at one point in time. But Kubernetes doesn't stop moving. v1.32 went end-of-life on February 28, 2026. v1.35 shipped December 17, 2025. v1.36 is targeting April 22, 2026. If you're not actively keeping up, you're falling behind — and the gap compounds.
The good news: you don't need to spend hours every week. You need a system, the right subscriptions, and a mental model for how the ecosystem is organized.
Kubernetes follows a predictable cadence: 3 releases per year, each on roughly a 15-week cycle, with 14 months of patch support after release.
| Version | Name | Release Date | EOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| v1.35 | Timbernetes | Dec 17, 2025 | Feb 2027 |
| v1.34 | Of Wind & Will | Aug 2025 | Oct 2026 |
| v1.33 | Octarine | Apr 2025 | Jun 2026 |
| v1.32 | Penelope | Dec 2024 | Feb 28, 2026 (EOL) |
v1.36 code freeze: March 18, 2026. Target release: April 22, 2026.
Every release ships with a detailed blog post listing new features, deprecations, and removals. That blog post is worth more than any vendor webinar. Read it.
New features go through the KEP (Kubernetes Enhancement Proposal) process — Alpha (off by default) → Beta (on by default) → Stable (GA). Track them at kep.k8s.io or filter release notes at relnotes.k8s.io.
Full release calendar:
reference/release-calendar.md
Kubernetes is run by 24 Special Interest Groups (SIGs). Each SIG owns a specific area — the code, the tests, the docs, the roadmap. The CNCF provides infrastructure (CI/CD, legal entity, conferences) but doesn't tell SIGs what to build.
| SIG | Owns | SIG | Owns | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIG Network | All networking | SIG Storage | PVs, CSI | |
| SIG Node | The kubelet | SIG CLI | kubectl | |
| SIG Auth | RBAC, authn | SIG Release | Release process | |
| SIG Apps | Workload APIs | SIG etcd | etcd (newest SIG) |
Full list with Slack channels, meetings, and leads:
reference/all-24-sigs.md
Governance at a glance: 7-person Steering Committee · 11-person TOC · 5 CNCF TAGs · 11 Working Groups
SIGs vs TAGs: SIGs own Kubernetes code and report to Steering. CNCF TAGs are advisory only and report to the TOC. They are not the same thing — the CNCF renamed theirs from "SIGs" to "TAGs" to fix the confusion.
Details:
reference/governance-quick-ref.md|reference/cncf-tags.md|reference/working-groups.md
If you're following guides written before 2025, many of your bookmarks are broken.
| Status | What | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Dead | KubeWeekly newsletter | Last issue #434, May 2025 |
| Dead | "Ship It" podcast | Rebranded to "Fork Around and Find Out" |
| Archived | Old CNCF TAG Slack channels | 8 TAGs became 5 (June 2025) |
| Uncertain | Kubernetes Slack | Salesforce threatened downgrade Jun 2025, then cancelled. Still active. |
| Moved | Official social | Bluesky is official (@kubernetes.io, listed before X). X/Twitter deprioritized. |
| New | Wisdom of the Cloud | Replaced KubeWeekly. Monthly. cncf.io/newsletter |
| Current | LWKD | Still the best weekly digest. lwkd.info |
Full breakdown:
what-changed-2025/2025-landscape-changes.md
- Join Slack — slack.k8s.io →
#kubernetes-contributors·#sig-contribex· your SIG's channel - SIG Meet & Greet — Lunch session in the Project Pavilion at every KubeCon. Just walk up.
- Claim a good first issue — go.k8s.io/good-first-issue → comment
/assignand it's yours. Explore CNCF-wide opportunities at clotributor.dev - New Contributor Orientation — 3rd Tuesday of every month at kubernetes.dev/docs/orientation/
- Structured programs — LFX Mentorship (187 projects in 2025, 25 alumni became maintainers) · GSoC 2026 (apps open Mar 16–31) · Release Team Shadow
Practice first: contributor-playground Full guides:
contributing/
| Category | Guide | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Must-have subscriptions | channels/essential-five.md |
The 5 non-negotiable feeds |
| Newsletters | channels/newsletters.md |
LWKD, Wisdom of the Cloud |
| Podcasts | channels/podcasts.md |
Kubernetes Podcast, FAFO |
| Social media | channels/social-media.md |
Bluesky, X, LinkedIn, YouTube |
| Slack channels | channels/slack-channels.md |
Key channels by role |
| Mailing lists | channels/mailing-lists.md |
Google Groups, SIG lists |
| Deprecation scanning | tools/pluto-guide.md |
Detect deprecated APIs in manifests |
| Cluster scanning | tools/kubent-guide.md |
Detect deprecations in live clusters (+ KubePug alternative) |
| RSS setup | tools/rss-setup.md |
Feed readers and URLs |
| Trace a feature | walkthroughs/trace-a-feature.md |
KEP-1287 walkthrough: name → kep.yaml → release notes |
| File a bug | walkthroughs/file-a-bug.md |
Full bug filing lifecycle with Prow bot commands |
| Bot commands | walkthroughs/bot-commands-cheatsheet.md |
/sig, /assign, /lgtm, /approve quick reference |
| KEP URL patterns | walkthroughs/kep-url-patterns.md |
kep.k8s.io shortcuts and URL construction |
| CLotributor | contributing/clotributor-guide.md |
Find CNCF contribution opportunities |
| Landscape changes | what-changed-2025/2025-landscape-changes.md |
What died, moved, and changed in 2025 |
├── checklists/
│ ├── developer-checklist.md Subscriptions and SIGs for developers
│ ├── operator-checklist.md Subscriptions and SIGs for operators
│ └── architect-checklist.md Subscriptions and SIGs for architects
│
├── reference/
│ ├── all-24-sigs.md Every SIG: Slack, meetings, leads
│ ├── cncf-tags.md The 5 restructured TAGs
│ ├── governance-quick-ref.md Steering, TOC, Governing Board
│ ├── working-groups.md Active Working Groups
│ └── release-calendar.md v1.32–v1.36 dates and support matrix
│
├── tools/
│ ├── pluto-guide.md Detect deprecated API versions
│ ├── kubent-guide.md Detect deprecations in running clusters (+ KubePug)
│ └── rss-setup.md RSS reader setup
│
├── walkthroughs/
│ ├── trace-a-feature.md KEP-1287: name → kep.yaml → release notes
│ ├── file-a-bug.md Full bug filing lifecycle with Prow
│ ├── bot-commands-cheatsheet.md /sig, /assign, /lgtm, /approve reference
│ └── kep-url-patterns.md kep.k8s.io shortcuts and URL construction
│
├── channels/
│ ├── essential-five.md The 5 must-have subscriptions
│ ├── newsletters.md LWKD, Wisdom of the Cloud
│ ├── podcasts.md Kubernetes Podcast, FAFO
│ ├── social-media.md Bluesky, X, LinkedIn
│ ├── slack-channels.md Key Slack channels by role
│ └── mailing-lists.md Google Groups and SIG mailing lists
│
├── contributing/
│ ├── first-contribution.md Step-by-step path to your first PR
│ ├── clotributor-guide.md Find CNCF contribution opportunities
│ ├── sig-meet-and-greet.md KubeCon SIG sessions
│ ├── mentorship-programs.md LFX, GSoC 2026, Release Team Shadow
│ ├── new-contributor-orientation.md Monthly sessions + self-paced course
│ └── josh-berkus-and-contribex.md SIG ContribEx and community connectors
│
├── what-changed-2025/
│ └── 2025-landscape-changes.md What died, what moved, what replaced it
│
├── slides/
│ └── k8s-staying-current-stage-deck-v14.pptx Presentation deck (20 slides)
│
├── CONTRIBUTING.md How to contribute to this repo
├── LICENSE CC BY 4.0
├── qr-code.png QR code → kodekloudhub repo
└── README.md This file
Found a broken link? Have a resource to add? See CONTRIBUTING.md.
- Your cert is a snapshot. Kubernetes ships three times a year.
- SIGs own everything. Follow the SIG, not the vendor blog.
- The information landscape changed in 2025. Update your bookmarks.
- Thirty minutes a week. That's all it takes.
- If you want to contribute, the path exists and it starts today.
Content current as of April 1, 2026. Results may vary. Found something outdated? Open an issue.
