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Configure RunAsUserName for Windows pods and containers [page]deterministic

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This page shows how to use the `runAsUserName` setting for Pods and containers that will run on Windows nodes. This is roughly equivalent of the Linux-specific `runAsUser` setting, allowing you to run applications in a container as a different username than the default.

##

You need to have a Kubernetes cluster and the kubectl command-line tool must be configured to communicate with your cluster. The cluster is expected to have Windows worker nodes where pods with containers running Windows workloads will get scheduled.

## Set the Username for a Pod

To specify the username with which to execute the Pod's container processes, include the `securityContext` field ([PodSecurityContext](/docs/reference/generated/kubernetes-api//#podsecuritycontext-v1-core)) in the Pod specification, and within it, the `windowsOptions` ([WindowsSecurityContextOptions](/docs/reference/generated/kubernetes-api//#windowssecuritycontextoptions-v1-core)) field containing the `runAsUserName` field.

The Windows security context options that you specify for a Pod apply to all Containers and init Containers in the Pod.

Here is a configuration file for a Windows Pod that has the `runAsUserName` field set:

Create the Pod:

```shell kubectl apply -f https://k8s.io/examples/windows/run-as-username-pod.yaml ```

Verify that the Pod's Container is running:

```shell kubectl get pod run-as-username-pod-demo ```

Get a shell to the running Container:

```shell kubectl exec -it run-as-username-pod-demo -- powershell ```

Check that the shell is running user the correct username:

```powershell echo $env:USERNAME ```

The output should be:

``` ContainerUser ```

## Set the Username for a Container

To specify the username with which to execute a Container's processes, include the `securityContext` field ([SecurityContext](/docs/reference/generated/kubernetes-api//#securitycontext-v1-core)) in the Container manifest, and within it, the `windowsOptions` ([WindowsSecurityContextOptions](/docs/reference/generated/kubernetes-api//#windowssecuritycontextoptions-v1-core)) field containing the `runAsUserName` field.

The Windows security context options that you specify for a Container apply only to that individual Container, and they override the settings made at the Pod level.

Here is the configuration file for a Pod that has one Container, and the `runAsUserName` field is set at the Pod level and the Container level:

Create the Pod:

```shell kubectl apply -f https://k8s.io/examples/windows/run-as-username-container.yaml ```

Verify that the Pod's Container is running:

```shell kubectl get pod run-as-username-container-demo ```

Get a shell to the running Container:

```shell kubectl exec -it run-as-username-container-demo -- powershell ```

Check that the shell is running user the correct username (the one set at the Container level):

```powershell echo $env:USERNAME ```

The output should be:

``` ContainerAdministrator ```

## Windows Username limitations

In order to use this feature, the value set in the `runAsUserName` field must be a valid username. It must have the following format: `DOMAIN\USER`, where `DOMAIN\` is optional. Windows user names are case insensitive. Additionally, there are some restrictions regarding the `DOMAIN` and `USER`:

  • The `runAsUserName` field cannot be empty, and it cannot contain control characters (ASCII values: `0x00-0x1F`, `0x7F`)
  • The `DOMAIN` must be either a NetBios name, or a DNS name, each with their own restrictions: - NetBios names: maximum 15 characters, cannot start with `.` (dot), and cannot contain the following characters: `\ / : * ? " < > |` - DNS names: maximum 255 characters, contains only alphanumeric characters, dots, and dashes, and it cannot start or end with a `.` (dot) or `-` (dash).
  • The `USER` must have at most 20 characters, it cannot contain *only* dots or spaces, and it cannot contain the following characters: `" / \ [ ] : ; | = , + * ? < > @`.

Examples of acceptable values …(trimmed)

Sources

tasks/configure-pod-container/configure-runasusername.md · docConfigure RunAsUserName for Windows pods and containers

Related (6)

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