New Portainer CE 2.9.1 Release - now with support for Dark Mode, HTTPS, HELM and Kube Proxy

This is a significant release that builds on 2.9 with a number of new features and enhancements for Kubernetes in particular.. 

 

1. Improved UI
   Let's start with the new UI which has been redesigned to reduce clutter and is now more intuitive. It is now much easier to navigate inside Portainer and Kubernetes users should start to feel more at home.
   
   
   
   
2. Kubectl Shell
   We've integrated Kubectl into Portainer natively to help users troubleshoot Kubernetes applications without having to leave the Portainer UI, This also allows expert users to use advanced Kubernetes features and functions not yet supported inside Portainer.
   
   
   
   
3. Portainer as a proxy for third-party container environments
   We’ve introduced the ability for Portainer to be used as a secured authenticated proxy into third-party container environments in CE 2.9.1. This allows Platform and DevOps engineers to integrate Portainer seamlessly with third-party CI/CD tools and build secure, end-to-end automated delivery workflows.
   
   The new API proxy also allows Portainer users to retrieve the configuration files they need to connect the deployment/observability tools they like while reflecting the access and permissions set by their administrator. This unlocks a new 'Bring Your Own Tool' paradigm that we're particularly excited about.
   
   
   
   
4. Lightweight GitOps
   We’re continuing the work we started in CE 2.6 around deploying applications from Git and bringing more controls (manual and automated) to the application deployment process..
   
   With CE 2.9.1, we’ve introduced a lightweight GitOps engine that enables users to employ 'entry level' CD automation without needing to be an expert in the area. The functionality allows a user to configure automatic updates for their application, poll-based (with Portainer polling for changes at a specific interval) or push-based (via webhooks).
   
   
   
   
5. Helm Charts support
   In CE 2.9,1 we've bought an easy way for the DevOps and Platform teams to deploy software provided by their ISV or any tool vendor inside a Kubernetes environment.
   
   By supporting Helm, which is the de-facto packaging system for applications on Kubernetes, we allow users to easily register application repositories inside Portainer and deploy any application listed under these repositories.
   
   
   
   
6. Custom Templates
   We’ve bought a custom template feature for more convenience when it comes to share and re-use application manifests across Kubernetes environments. This will enable advanced Kubernetes users to create application packages they will be able to share with their less Kubernetes savvy teammates.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Private registry support for Kubernetes
   Here we’ve bought a long-time missing feature for Kubernetes, allowing users to deploy applications that are hosted on any private registry supported by Portainer.
   
   This also introduces a revamp of the registry access management experience to make it more consistent across Docker and Kubernetes.
   
   
   
   
8. HTTPS support
   As most administration tools  are exposed over HTTPS by default and with the massive number of Portainer instances exposed over the Internet, support for HTTPS was long due for Portainer. HTTPS support goes hand in hand with our container environment proxy to make sure that communications between any 3rd party or external tools and Portainer are secured.
   
   
   
9. Removal of 'Advanced Mode'

   We've realigned the UI around Form vs Manifest deployment to make more sense of the       deployment workflow