Plugins are loaded under the 'kubectl plugin' command

docs/.generated_docs

@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ docs/man/man1/kubectl-label.1
 docs/man/man1/kubectl-logs.1
 docs/man/man1/kubectl-options.1
 docs/man/man1/kubectl-patch.1
+docs/man/man1/kubectl-plugin.1
 docs/man/man1/kubectl-port-forward.1
 docs/man/man1/kubectl-proxy.1
 docs/man/man1/kubectl-replace.1
@@ -162,6 +163,7 @@ docs/user-guide/kubectl/kubectl_label.md
 docs/user-guide/kubectl/kubectl_logs.md
 docs/user-guide/kubectl/kubectl_options.md
 docs/user-guide/kubectl/kubectl_patch.md
+docs/user-guide/kubectl/kubectl_plugin.md
 docs/user-guide/kubectl/kubectl_port-forward.md
 docs/user-guide/kubectl/kubectl_proxy.md
 docs/user-guide/kubectl/kubectl_replace.md
@@ -211,6 +213,7 @@ docs/yaml/kubectl/kubectl_label.yaml
 docs/yaml/kubectl/kubectl_logs.yaml
 docs/yaml/kubectl/kubectl_options.yaml
 docs/yaml/kubectl/kubectl_patch.yaml
+docs/yaml/kubectl/kubectl_plugin.yaml
 docs/yaml/kubectl/kubectl_port-forward.yaml
 docs/yaml/kubectl/kubectl_proxy.yaml
 docs/yaml/kubectl/kubectl_replace.yaml

docs/man/man1/kubectl-plugin.1

+This file is autogenerated, but we've stopped checking such files into the
+repository to reduce the need for rebases. Please run hack/generate-docs.sh to
+populate this file.

docs/user-guide/kubectl/kubectl_plugin.md

+This file is autogenerated, but we've stopped checking such files into the
+repository to reduce the need for rebases. Please run hack/generate-docs.sh to
+populate this file.

docs/yaml/kubectl/kubectl_plugin.yaml

+This file is autogenerated, but we've stopped checking such files into the
+repository to reduce the need for rebases. Please run hack/generate-docs.sh to
+populate this file.

hack/make-rules/test-cmd-util.sh

@@ -3684,19 +3684,25 @@ __EOF__
   ###########
   kube::log::status "Testing kubectl plugins"
 
-  # single plugins path
+  # top-level plugin command
   output_message=$(KUBECTL_PLUGINS_PATH=test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins kubectl -h 2>&1)
+  kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'plugin\s\+Runs a command-line plugin'
+
+  # no plugins
+  output_message=$(! kubectl plugin 2>&1)
+  kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'no plugins installed'
+
+  # single plugins path
+  output_message=$(KUBECTL_PLUGINS_PATH=test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins kubectl plugin 2>&1)
   kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'echo\s\+Echoes for test-cmd'
   kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'get\s\+The wonderful new plugin-based get!'
   kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'error\s\+The tremendous plugin that always fails!'
   kube::test::if_has_not_string "${output_message}" 'The hello plugin'
   kube::test::if_has_not_string "${output_message}" 'Incomplete plugin'
-
-  # when overriding existing command, both appear in help. TODO handle this to not register plugins that override existing cmd.
-  kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'get\s\+Display one or many resources'
+  kube::test::if_has_not_string "${output_message}" 'no plugins installed'
 
   # multiple plugins path
-  output_message=$(KUBECTL_PLUGINS_PATH=test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins/:test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins2/ kubectl -h 2>&1)
+  output_message=$(KUBECTL_PLUGINS_PATH=test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins/:test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins2/ kubectl plugin -h 2>&1)
   kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'echo\s\+Echoes for test-cmd'
   kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'get\s\+The wonderful new plugin-based get!'
   kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'error\s\+The tremendous plugin that always fails!'
@@ -3709,18 +3715,18 @@ __EOF__
   kube::test::if_has_not_string "$output_message{output_message}" 'The wonderful new plugin-based get'
 
   # plugin help
-  output_message=$(KUBECTL_PLUGINS_PATH=test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins/:test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins2/ kubectl hello -h 2>&1)
+  output_message=$(KUBECTL_PLUGINS_PATH=test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins/:test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins2/ kubectl plugin hello -h 2>&1)
   kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'The hello plugin is a new plugin used by test-cmd to test multiple plugin locations.'
   kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'Usage:'
 
   # run plugin
-  output_message=$(KUBECTL_PLUGINS_PATH=test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins/:test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins2/ kubectl hello 2>&1)
+  output_message=$(KUBECTL_PLUGINS_PATH=test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins/:test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins2/ kubectl plugin hello 2>&1)
   kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" '#hello#'
-  output_message=$(KUBECTL_PLUGINS_PATH=test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins/:test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins2/ kubectl echo 2>&1)
+  output_message=$(KUBECTL_PLUGINS_PATH=test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins/:test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins2/ kubectl plugin echo 2>&1)
   kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'This plugin works!'
-  output_message=$(! KUBECTL_PLUGINS_PATH=test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins/ kubectl hello 2>&1)
+  output_message=$(! KUBECTL_PLUGINS_PATH=test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins/ kubectl plugin hello 2>&1)
   kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'unknown command'
-  output_message=$(! KUBECTL_PLUGINS_PATH=test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins/ kubectl error 2>&1)
+  output_message=$(! KUBECTL_PLUGINS_PATH=test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/plugins/ kubectl plugin error 2>&1)
   kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'error: exit status 1'
 
   kube::test::clear_all

pkg/kubectl/cmd/cmd.go

@@ -347,24 +347,6 @@ func NewKubectlCommand(f cmdutil.Factory, in io.Reader, out, err io.Writer) *cob
 			},
 		},
 	}
-
-	// Loads plugins and create commands for each plugin identified
-	loadedPlugins, loadErr := f.PluginLoader().Load()
-	if loadErr != nil {
-		glog.V(1).Infof("Unable to load plugins: %v", loadErr)
-	}
-	pluginRunner := f.PluginRunner()
-	if len(loadedPlugins) > 0 {
-		pluginCmds := []*cobra.Command{}
-		for _, p := range loadedPlugins {
-			pluginCmds = append(pluginCmds, NewCmdForPlugin(p, pluginRunner, in, out, err))
-		}
-		groups = append(groups, templates.CommandGroup{
-			Message:  "Plugins:",
-			Commands: pluginCmds,
-		})
-	}
-
 	groups.Add(cmds)
 
 	filters := []string{
@@ -386,6 +368,7 @@ func NewKubectlCommand(f cmdutil.Factory, in io.Reader, out, err io.Writer) *cob
 	}
 
 	cmds.AddCommand(cmdconfig.NewCmdConfig(clientcmd.NewDefaultPathOptions(), out, err))
+	cmds.AddCommand(NewCmdPlugin(f, in, out, err))
 	cmds.AddCommand(NewCmdVersion(f, out))
 	cmds.AddCommand(NewCmdApiVersions(f, out))
 	cmds.AddCommand(NewCmdOptions())

pkg/kubectl/cmd/plugin.go

@@ -17,15 +17,57 @@ limitations under the License.
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
 
+	"github.com/golang/glog"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl/cmd/templates"
 	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl/plugins"
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/i18n"
 )
 
+var (
+	plugin_long = templates.LongDesc(`
+		Runs a command-line plugin.
+
+		Plugins are subcommands that are not part of the major command-line distribution 
+		and can even be provided by third-parties. Please refer to the documentation and 
+		examples for more information about how to install and write your own plugins.`)
+)
+
+// NewCmdPlugin creates the command that is the top-level for plugin commands.
+func NewCmdPlugin(f cmdutil.Factory, in io.Reader, out, err io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
+	// Loads plugins and create commands for each plugin identified
+	loadedPlugins, loadErr := f.PluginLoader().Load()
+	if loadErr != nil {
+		glog.V(1).Infof("Unable to load plugins: %v", loadErr)
+	}
+
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "plugin NAME",
+		Short: i18n.T("Runs a command-line plugin"),
+		Long:  plugin_long,
+		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+			if len(loadedPlugins) == 0 {
+				cmdutil.CheckErr(fmt.Errorf("no plugins installed."))
+			}
+			cmdutil.DefaultSubCommandRun(err)(cmd, args)
+		},
+	}
+
+	if len(loadedPlugins) > 0 {
+		pluginRunner := f.PluginRunner()
+		for _, p := range loadedPlugins {
+			cmd.AddCommand(NewCmdForPlugin(p, pluginRunner, in, out, err))
+		}
+	}
+
+	return cmd
+}
+
 // NewCmdForPlugin creates a command capable of running the provided plugin.
 func NewCmdForPlugin(plugin *plugins.Plugin, runner plugins.PluginRunner, in io.Reader, out, errout io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 	if !plugin.IsValid() {