Writing custom plugins

Last update: Jan 15, 2019

All different types of plugins let you freely implement your logic without restrictions. To start using your own plugins make sure to write them implementing the right interface and compile them respecting the requirements.

Plugin requirements

Writing, compiling and using plugins need to comply with the following list:

• Right interface: Your plugin implements the proper interface (see each plugin type)
• Same go version: You compile the plugin using the same Go version KrakenD was compiled with
• Same architecture/platform: You compile the plugin using the same architecture where KrakenD will run. E.g., you cannot compile a plugin in a Mac and use it in a Docker container).
• Same import versions: When using external libraries if KrakenD also uses them, they must be in the same version.
• Register and inject your plugins in the configuration.

Compiling plugins

As your custom plugins need to match the Go and libraries versions used to build KrakenD, you have to make sure your plugin is compatible by checking your go.sum file with the command check-plugin (read the documentation)

$krakend check-plugin -v 1.17.0 -s ../myplugin/go.sum
1 incompatibility(ies) found...
go
	have: 1.17.0
	want: 1.16.4

Once your plugin is written with the plugin type interface you have chosen, compile it in the same architecture type as follows:

$go mod init yourmodulename
go build -buildmode=plugin -o yourplugin.so .

Compiling plugins inside Docker

The official KrakenD container uses Alpine as the base image. Therefore, when compiling your plugins inside a Docker that extends the official image with a go-alpine builder, you will need to install at least the following requirements in the Dockerfile:

RUN apk add make gcc musl-dev

Adding your custom plugin

Once you have developed your plugin is time to inject it in the configuration.