---
title: Installing the cluster-compare plugin
---

# Installing the cluster-compare plugin {#installing-cluster-compare-plugin}

You can extract the `cluster-compare` plugin from a container image in the Red Hat container catalog and use it as a plugin to the `oc` command.

## Installing the cluster-compare plugin {#installing-cluster-compare_installing-cluster-compare-plugin}

Install the `cluster-compare` plugin to compare a reference configuration with a cluster configuration from a live cluster or `must-gather` data.

**Prerequisites**

1. You have installed the OpenShift CLI (`oc`).
2. You installed `podman`.
3. You have access to the Red Hat container catalog.

**Procedure**

1. Log in to the Red Hat container catalog by running the following command:

   ```terminal
   $ podman login registry.redhat.io
   ```
2. Create a container for the `cluster-compare` image by running the following command:

   ```terminal
   $ podman create --name cca registry.redhat.io/openshift4/kube-compare-artifacts-rhel9:latest
   ```
3. Copy the `cluster-compare` plugin to a directory that is included in your `PATH` environment variable by running the following command:

   ```terminal
   $ podman cp cca:/usr/share/openshift/<arch>/kube-compare.<rhel_version> <directory_on_path>/kubectl-cluster_compare
   ```

   - `arch` is the architecture for your machine. Valid values are:

     - `linux_amd64`
     - `linux_arm64`
     - `linux_ppc64le`
     - `linux_s390x`
   - `<rhel_version>` is the version of RHEL on your machine. Valid values are `rhel8` or `rhel9`.
   - `<directory_on_path>` is the path to a directory included in your `PATH` environment variable.

**Verification**

- View the help for the plugin by running the following command:

  ```terminal
  $ oc cluster-compare -h
  ```

  The following is example output:

  ```terminal
  Compare a known valid reference configuration and a set of specific cluster configuration CRs.

  ...

  Usage:
    compare -r <Reference File>

  Examples:
    # Compare a known valid reference configuration with a live cluster:
    kubectl cluster-compare -r ./reference/metadata.yaml

   ...
  ```

**Additional resources**
{._additional-resources}

- [Extending the OpenShift CLI with plugins](/openshift-docs-markdown/cli_reference/openshift_cli/extending-cli-plugins#cli-extend-plugins)