Create a PoC where vscode-openshift gets invokable by Continue

[adietish]

The usecase could be as follows:
Steps:

1. EXEC: in the continue chat, tell continue to generate the deployment and let me edit it
2. ASSERT: the generated yaml is opened in a json/k8s editor where I can edit it.
3. EXEC: save the deployment to the cluster

Result:
The resources (deployment, pods, service, route) appear in the resource tree.

[adietish]

continue supports mcp: https://docs.continue.dev/customize/deep-dives/mcp

[adietish]

so far I dont have any luck in convincing continue to use the available kubernetes mcp server. It acts as if there's none and tells me how to do things using kubectl. Using ollama, I tried using grantie 3.3, 3.2, phi-4 and qwen3.
The odd thing is that there are 2 places to configure the kubernetes-mcp-server.

• vscode: setting.json

  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "kubernetes": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": [
          "-y", "kubernetes-mcp-server@latest"
        ]
      },

• continue: <project>/.continue/mcp-server.yaml

name: kubernetes-mcp-server
version: 0.0.1
schema: v1
mcpServers:
  - name: "npx kubernetes-mcp-server"
    command: "npx"
    args: [ "kubernetes-mcp-server@latest" ]

[adietish]

I currently never have continue query the kubernetes-mcp-server. I get instructions on how to use kubectl instead.
I tried continue/IntelliJ where I dont even achieve the kubernetes-mcp-server running.
Continue seems completely broken, it does not call ANY mcp. It has a built-in tool builtin_edit_existing_file to edit existing files. If I prompt to edit a file I get an example output, not the contents of the file. Same with builtin_read_file.
Weird enough, continue reports 0 out of 25 active tools.

Then in ollama there's an issue reporting that mcp tools wont work: ollama/ollama#7865

[adietish]

The very same mcp server work in github copilot. Copilot is not using it's own config but is picking the mcp servers that are defined in the vscode config(s).

It is then querying it when prompted for an action that the kubernetes-mcp-server can fullfill. You then can see the output of the mcp server. Copilot then summarizes the json output of the mcp server:

[adietish]

To enable the kubernetes-mcp-server and the build-in tools one has to switch (from "Chat") to "Agent":

Most models dont support "Agent" (gemme, phi4, etc.). Granite supports it but it doesnt work. The tool doesnt get called. Using Llama 3.1 the tool gets called but querying errors:

Cannot read properties of null (reading 'toString')
TypeError: Cannot read properties of null (reading 'toString')
    at https://file+.vscode-resource.vscode-cdn.net/Users/adietish/.vscode/extensions/continue.continue-1.1.33-darwin-arm64/gui/assets/index.js:1533:1423
    at Array.map (<anonymous>)
    at gae (https://file+.vscode-resource.vscode-cdn.net/Users/adietish/.vscode/extensions/continue.continue-1.1.33-darwin-arm64/gui/assets/index.js:1533:1223)
    at Uu (https://file+.vscode-resource.vscode-cdn.net/Users/adietish/.vscode/extensions/continue.continue-1.1.33-darwin-arm64/gui/assets/XCircleIcon.js:38:17011)
    at ha (https://file+.vscode-resource.vscode-cdn.net/Users/adietish/.vscode/extensions/continue.continue-1.1.33-darwin-arm64/gui/assets/XCircleIcon.js:40:44228)
    at da (https://file+.vscode-resource.vscode-cdn.net/Users/adietish/.vscode/extensions/continue.continue-1.1.33-darwin-arm64/gui/assets/XCircleIcon.js:40:39912)
    at vf (https://file+.vscode-resource.vscode-cdn.net/Users/adietish/.vscode/extensions/continue.continue-1.1.33-darwin-arm64/gui/assets/XCircleIcon.js:40:39840)
    at wl (https://file+.vscode-resource.vscode-cdn.net/Users/adietish/.vscode/extensions/continue.continue-1.1.33-darwin-arm64/gui/assets/XCircleIcon.js:40:39694)
    at co (https://file+.vscode-resource.vscode-cdn.net/Users/adietish/.vscode/extensions/continue.continue-1.1.33-darwin-arm64/gui/assets/XCircleIcon.js:40:36043)
    at aa (https://file+.vscode-resource.vscode-cdn.net/Users/adietish/.vscode/extensions/continue.continue-1.1.33-darwin-arm64/gui/assets/XCircleIcon.js:40:36854)

[adietish]

The error is not consistent though. Trying it today brings up a different error:

[adietish]

Copilot on the other hand, works flawlessly with kubernetes-mcp-server. It can be even convinced to open an editor to edit the kube config file. When prompted to tell me what current context I have in my kube config file(s), it reports it correctly, querying kubernetes-mcp-server. When then asked to edit the file with this property it initially tells me what command to use. If I then insist it first shows the file in Simple Browser and then launches code ~/.kube/config in a vscode terminal. This then causes my vscode instance to open the file in a yaml editor. Not straight forward but it works.
It then even changes the current context in the editor for me.