retina
eBPF distributed networking observability tool for Kubernetes
Runssource: GitHubhomepageGoMITcommit 8945309e622b
Go, MIT licensed. The project labels itself: ebpf, kubernetes, networking and observability.
retina runs. An Argusic agent installed it in 35 minutes and hit 6 errors on a clean machine with no GPU, and the whole session was recorded.
Retina agent (135 MB) and kubectl-retina CLI (132 MB) binaries compile and execute; 50 of 52 unit-test packages pass, 2 fail due to missing host binaries (etcd and bpftool) that require Kubernetes/dev cluster infrastructure
What the agent ended up with on a clean machine, in its own words. How this is measured
Measured by Argusic on a fresh machine every time. Every number links to its evidence. Argusic Score 93.3 of 100 (the mean of this project's run scores).
At a glance
Subject data from GitHub, linked at the top of this page, refreshed . Test data by Argusic (CC BY 4.0); every number links to a run page with the full log, the recording, and their sha256 hashes.
What was measured
From the run that decided this verdict. Every line is a recorded value, not an estimate.
What went wrong, in the agent's own words
The agent's own words, worst first, never rewritten into advice.
- clang not found (needed for eBPF C→.o compilation via bpf2go)3 minutes
- No Go compiler in container1 minute
- llvm-strip not found (needed for eBPF .o stripping)0.5 minutes
- LLVM 18 clang requires libtinfo.so.5 which is not on system0.5 minutes
- retinaendpoint BeforeSuite fails: no etcd at /usr/local/kubebuilder/bin/etcd
- loader vmlinux_linux_test fails: bpftool not in PATH
- Install time
- 35 minutes
- Cold machine to finish
- 36 minutes
- Errors hit and fixed
- 6 hit, 4 fixed with no human help
- How the result was proved
- `go test github.com/microsoft/retina/...`, 50 package test-suites pass, 2 fail (etcd + bpftool missing); `retina --help` prints usage; `kubectl-retina --help` prints usage
- Model tokens used
- 157,274
- Exact commit tested
- 8945309e622b
- Container image
- sha256:cdd920bce783
What was not measured
The other half, so you can see exactly how far this evidence goes. A gap is printed as a gap and never filled in.
- Peak GPU memory
- this ran on a CPU machine, so there was no GPU to sample
- Behaviour over a long run
- each attempt uses the smallest documented settings and a fixed time budget, so this measures whether it runs, not how it holds up under load
The end of the recording
The last lines of the terminal session that decided this verdict, exactly as they were recorded.
- LLVM/Clang: downloaded LLVM 17.0.6 for x86_64 (needed for eBPF .c → .o compilation via bpf2go) - Binary builds: retina-agent (141MB) and kubectl-retina (138MB) both compile and run - Test suite: 50 package test-suites pass, 2 fail (infrastructure deps: etcd for controller-runtime… total 267M -rwxrwxr-x 1 runner runner 132M Oct 1 16:40 kubectl-retina -rwxrwxr-x 1 runner runner 135M Oct 1 16:40 retina Start Retina Agent Usage: A kubectl plugin for Retina Retina is an eBPF distributed networking observability tool for Kubernetes. tokens used 157,274
Replay the whole session, every command from a clean machine to this point.
How it was tested
One agent, one container, no human help. It installs the project the way its own documentation says to, runs it, and fixes what breaks. Everything below is recorded as it happened: the terminal session, the log and the exact commit. The full method.
Strengths and limits
Measured facts, not opinions. How this is written.
What went well
- Reached a running state on a clean machine, with the session recorded.
- Installed in 35 minutes.
- Ran without a GPU, so it does not need one to start.
- Licensed MIT, as reported by its host.
What did not, or is not known
- Hit 6 errors during setup, 2 of which were not solved.
- Measured once so far. A single attempt shows it can run, not that it runs reliably.
What it is a reasonable choice for
- Trying it on a laptop or a small server: it reached a running state without a GPU.
Also tested, in the same area
Every one of these was installed and run by Argusic on a clean machine. Nothing appears here that was not tested.
Run history
Topics (from GitHub)
Embed the badge
Markdown for the project README. It links back here; terms on the terms page.
[](https://argusic.com/subject/retina)Questions
- Does retina run?
- Yes. retina runs. Argusic installed and launched it on a clean machine in 35 minutes, hitting 6 errors on the way, and recorded the session.
- How did Argusic test retina?
- On a fresh, disposable machine, with every command recorded and the repository pinned at commit 8945309e622b. One attempt is recorded, and the full method is on the methodology page.
- What did it cost to test retina?
- The run that produced this verdict cost $0.18: real compute and model cost, not a list price per million tokens. It is recorded on that run's page.
- How long does retina take to install?
- 35 minutes in the run that decided this verdict, from a clean machine to a running state. That is one measured attempt, not an average.
- Does retina need a GPU?
- Not to start. Argusic reached a running state on a machine with no GPU.
- What goes wrong when installing retina?
- 6 things broke in the recorded run, and 4 were fixed without human help. Each one, and the time it cost, is listed on this page.
- Where is the evidence for retina?
- The recorded run is on this page, each linking to its full log and terminal recording, stored with a sha256 fingerprint so it cannot be quietly altered.