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+# Kafka Toolbox Pod
+
+This is a Docker image containing usefull tools preconfigured for easy
+usage with Kafka.
+
+## Included Tools
+
+
+Currently following tools are implemented:
+
+### Kafka CLI tools
+
+* `kafka-acls`
+* `kafka-broker-api-versions`
+* `kafka-configs`
+* `kafka-console-producer`
+* `kafka-console-consumer`
+* `kafka-consumer-groups`
+* `kafka-consumer-perf-test`
+* `kafka-delegation-tokens`
+* `kafka-delete-records`
+* `kafka-log-dirs`
+* `kafka-preferred-replica-election`
+* `kafka-producer-perf-test`
+* `kafka-reassign-partitions`
+* `kafka-streams-application-reset`
+* `kafka-verifiable-producer`
+* `kafka-verifiable-consumer`
+* `kafka-topics`
+* `zookeeper-shell`
+
+If you have ideas for other useful tools please open an issue and
+preferably submit a pull request.
+
+## Features
+
+* No need to remember if the tool requires `--bootstrap-server`,
+  `--bootstrap-servers`, `--broker-list`, `--zookeeper`, `-b`
+* Configuration via environment variables
+* Support for PLAINTEXT and mutual TLS communication with brokers
+
+## Usage
+
+Start the docker image with the environment variables you need. In
+general all environment variables are optional. But remember to set
+them explicitly when you log into the container.
+
+**Do not forget to first [Configure](#configuration) the environment variables**
+
+### Run it on Kubernetes
+
+1. Download your appropriate yaml file and configure as described below.
+2. `kubectl apply -f my.yaml`
+3. `kubectl run -it kafka-toolbox bash`
+4. Do your work using the tools provided
+5. Exit the pod
+6. Delete the pod: `kubectl delete -f my.yaml`
+
+### Use the tools
+
+All tools are in the `PATH` so you can call them by name
+(e.g. `kafka-console-consumer` or `kafkacat`)
+
+See [./bin/test-toolbox.sh](./bin/test-toolbox.sh) for example usages
+
+#### Kafka CLI Tools
+
+```sh
+kafka-acls --list
+kafka-broker-api-versions
+kafka-configs --entity-type topics --describe
+kafka-topics --create --topic kafka-toolbox-test --partitions 1 --replication-factor 1
+echo -e "foo\nbar" | kafka-console-producer --topic kafka-toolbox-test
+kafka-console-consumer --topic kafka-toolbox-test --offset 0 --partition 0 --max-messages 2
+kafka-consumer-groups --list
+kafka-consumer-perf-test --topic kafka-toolbox-test --messages 2
+kafka-delegation-tokens
+kafka-delete-records
+kafka-log-dirs --describe --broker-list 0
+kafka-preferred-replica-election
+kafka-producer-perf-test --topic kafka-toolbox-test --num-records 10 --record-size 10 --throughput 100
+kafka-reassign-partitions
+kafka-streams-application-reset --application-id foo
+kafka-verifiable-producer --topic kafka-toolbox-test --max-messages 10
+kafka-verifiable-consumer --topic kafka-toolbox-test --max-messages 10 --group-id verifiable-consumer
+kafka-topics --delete --topic kafka-toolbox-test
+zookeeper-shell
+```
+
+## Configuration
+
+### Kafka
+
+Configure the `KAFKA_BOOTSTRAP_SERVERS` environment variable to point
+to your bootstrap servers (usually one of the Kafka brokers – if you
+are using Strimzi it is probably called `kafka-cluster-bootstrap`).
+
+#### No authentication, no transport encryption
+
+No additional configuration is required
+
+#### Mutual TLS
+
+You need to provide following environment variables:
+
+* `KAFKA_USER_KEY_LOCATION`
+* `KAFKA_USER_CERT_LOCATION`
+* `KAFKA_CA_CERT_LOCATION`
+
+#### Other Authentication methods
+
+currently not supported. If you need it, open a ticket or provide a
+pull request. This should be quite straight forward.
+
+### Zookeeper
+
+### Plaintext Zookeeper traffic
+
+Just provide the `KAFKA_ZOOKEEPER` environment variable.
+
+### Encrypted Zookeeper traffic (the Strimzi way)
+
+You need a TLS proxy sidecar that encrypts the Zookeeper traffic. Set
+the `KAFKA_ZOOKEEPER` environment variable to `localhost:2181` (or the
+port your sidecar requires)