diff --git a/.devcontainer/Dockerfile b/.devcontainer/Dockerfile
index 7a1c5b0..cdea507 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/Dockerfile
+++ b/.devcontainer/Dockerfile
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 FROM public.ecr.aws/docker/library/debian:bookworm-slim
 
 ARG EDA_VERSION=25.12.1
-ARG EDA_PLAYGROUND_REPO=kaelemc/playground
+ARG EDA_PLAYGROUND_REPO=nokia-eda/playground
 ARG EDA_PLAYGROUND_DIR=/home/vscode/.playground
 
 ENV EDA_VERSION=${EDA_VERSION//./-}
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ RUN DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get update && apt-get install --no-instal
     iproute2 \
     procps \
     vim \
-    fontconfig \
     xz-utils \
     && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
@@ -34,14 +33,12 @@ RUN useradd -m -s /bin/zsh vscode && \
 COPY --chmod=755 scripts/ /usr/local/bin/.
 COPY codespaces-4vcpu-kpt-setters.yaml /eda-codespaces/codespaces-4vcpu-kpt-setters.yaml
 
-RUN curl -fsSL --retry 3 https://raw.githubusercontent.com/k3d-io/k3d/main/install.sh | TAG=v5.8.3 bash
-
 # Add EDA Playground tools to PATH (zsh)
 RUN echo 'export PATH="$PATH:$EDA_PLAYGROUND_DIR/tools"' >> /etc/zsh/zshrc
 
 USER vscode
 
-RUN git clone --depth 1 --branch v0.0.1 "https://github.com/$EDA_PLAYGROUND_REPO" $EDA_PLAYGROUND_DIR && cd $EDA_PLAYGROUND_DIR && \
+RUN git clone --depth 1 --branch main "https://github.com/$EDA_PLAYGROUND_REPO" $EDA_PLAYGROUND_DIR && cd $EDA_PLAYGROUND_DIR && \
     make download-tools
 
 RUN curl -o $HOME/.bundle.yaml "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nokia-eda/edaadm/refs/heads/main/bundles/eda-bundle-core-$EDA_VERSION.yaml" && \
@@ -55,12 +52,6 @@ RUN SRL=$(curl -s "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nokia-eda/playground/refs/h
 RUN sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"
 RUN curl -sS https://starship.rs/install.sh | sudo sh -s -- -y
 
-# Install Nerd Font for terminal icons (starship, etc.)
-RUN mkdir -p /home/vscode/.local/share/fonts && \
-    curl -fsSL https://github.com/ryanoasis/nerd-fonts/releases/latest/download/JetBrainsMono.tar.xz | \
-    tar -xJf - -C /home/vscode/.local/share/fonts && \
-    fc-cache -fv
-
 # copy shell files
 COPY --chown=vscode:vscode shell/ /home/vscode/
 COPY --chown=vscode:vscode shell/starship.toml /home/vscode/.config/starship.toml
diff --git a/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json b/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
index be36f06..35e2163 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
+++ b/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "name": "Nokia EDA in GitHub Codespaces",
-    "image": "ghcr.io/eda-labs/codespaces/base:main",
+    "image": "ghcr.io/eda-labs/codespaces/base:kindly",
     "features": {
         "ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/docker-in-docker:2": {
             "version": "latest",
diff --git a/.devcontainer/onCreate.sh b/.devcontainer/onCreate.sh
index de91b6d..4b72589 100755
--- a/.devcontainer/onCreate.sh
+++ b/.devcontainer/onCreate.sh
@@ -7,11 +7,3 @@ free -m
 sudo sysctl -w fs.inotify.max_user_watches=1048576
 sudo sysctl -w fs.inotify.max_user_instances=512
 
-ensure-docker-is-ready
-
-k3d cluster create eda-demo \
-    --image rancher/k3s:v1.34.1-k3s1 \
-    --k3s-arg "--disable=traefik@server:*" \
-    --k3s-arg "--disable=servicelb@server:*" \
-    --volume "$HOME/.images.txt:/opt/images.txt@server:*" \
-    --no-lb
diff --git a/.devcontainer/overrides.mk b/.devcontainer/overrides.mk
index e3d01cf..44eb1c4 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/overrides.mk
+++ b/.devcontainer/overrides.mk
@@ -31,3 +31,47 @@ define INSTALL_KPT_PACKAGE
 		echo -e "--> INSTALL: [\033[0;32m$2\033[0m] - Applied and reconciled package"						;\
 	}
 endef
+
+.PHONY: patch-codespaces-engineconfig
+patch-codespaces-engineconfig: | $(YQ) $(KPT_PKG) ## Patch the EngineConfig manifest to add codespaces custom settings
+	@{	\
+		echo "--> INFO: Patching EngineConfig manifest for codespaces"																			;\
+		ENGINE_CONFIG_FILE="$(KPT_CORE)/engine-config/engineconfig.yaml"																		;\
+		if [[ ! -f "$$ENGINE_CONFIG_FILE" ]]; then (echo "[ERROR] EngineConfig manifest not found at $$ENGINE_CONFIG_FILE" && exit 1); fi		;\
+		$(YQ) eval '.spec.customSettings = load("$(CODESPACES_ENGINECONFIG_CUSTOM_SETTINGS_PATCH)").customSettings' -i "$$ENGINE_CONFIG_FILE"	;\
+	}
+
+.PHONY: ls-ways-to-reach-api-server 
+ls-ways-to-reach-api-server: | $(KUBECTL) configure-codespaces-keycloak
+
+.PHONY: configure-codespaces-keycloak
+configure-codespaces-keycloak: | $(KUBECTL) ## Configure Keycloak frontendUrl for GitHub Codespaces
+	@if [ -n "$(CODESPACE_NAME)" ] && [ -n "$(GITHUB_CODESPACES_PORT_FORWARDING_DOMAIN)" ]; then \
+		CODESPACE_URL="https://$(CODESPACE_NAME)-9443.$(GITHUB_CODESPACES_PORT_FORWARDING_DOMAIN)" ;\
+		KC_URL="https://eda-keycloak:9443/core/httpproxy/v1/keycloak" ;\
+		echo "--> INFO: Configuring Keycloak frontendUrl for Codespaces..." ;\
+		$(KUBECTL) wait --for=condition=ready pod -l eda.nokia.com/app=keycloak -n $(EDA_CORE_NAMESPACE) --timeout=300s ;\
+		TOKEN=$$($(KUBECTL) exec -n $(EDA_CORE_NAMESPACE) deploy/eda-toolbox -- curl -sk -X POST \
+			"$${KC_URL}/realms/master/protocol/openid-connect/token" \
+			-d "username=admin" -d "password=admin" -d "grant_type=password" -d "client_id=admin-cli" | jq -r '.access_token') ;\
+		$(KUBECTL) exec -n $(EDA_CORE_NAMESPACE) deploy/eda-toolbox -- curl -sk -X PUT \
+			"$${KC_URL}/admin/realms/eda" \
+			-H "Authorization: Bearer $${TOKEN}" \
+			-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+			-d "{\"attributes\": {\"frontendUrl\": \"$${CODESPACE_URL}/core/httpproxy/v1/keycloak\"}}" ;\
+		echo "--> INFO: Keycloak frontendUrl set to: $${CODESPACE_URL}/core/httpproxy/v1/keycloak" ;\
+	else \
+		echo "--> INFO: Not running in Codespaces, skipping Keycloak frontendUrl configuration" ;\
+	fi
+
+
+.PHONY: metallb-operator
+metallb-operator: | $(BASE) $(BUILD) $(KUBECTL) ; $(info --> LB: Loading the load balancer, metallb in the cluster)
+	@{	\
+		$(KUBECTL) apply -f $(CFG)/metallb-native.yaml | $(INDENT_OUT)	;\
+		sleep 15 														;\
+		$(KUBECTL) wait --namespace metallb-system \
+						--for=condition=ready pod \
+						--selector=app=metallb \
+						--timeout=120s | $(INDENT_OUT);\
+	}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.devcontainer/postAttach.sh b/.devcontainer/postAttach.sh
index 55284f9..d848397 100755
--- a/.devcontainer/postAttach.sh
+++ b/.devcontainer/postAttach.sh
@@ -1,16 +1,23 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 echo "
-                     .:....             
-                .:=**+--:.               _____ ____    _      ___ ____    _   _ ____   
-              :=*******##**+-:..        | ____|  _ \  / \    |_ _/ ___|  | | | |  _ \  
-            .=+******###*++=-::.        |  _| | | | |/ _ \    | |\___ \  | | | | |_) | 
-           -+++******######***=...      | |___| |_| / ___ \   | | ___) | | |_| |  __/  
-          -++++******#######+----.      |_____|____/_/   \_\ |___|____/   \___/|_|     
-       .-++++++******#########*-:::.                                                   
-      .++++++++******########=:=:.      
-   ..-=---=++++******#########+  ..     
-   ..      -++++=-:::-=+####::*=        URL: https://${CODESPACE_NAME}-${EDA_PORT}.${GITHUB_CODESPACES_PORT_FORWARDING_DOMAIN}
-            =++:         +##*  .        
-            .:.           .-:           
+         ╔═══════════════════════════════════════╗
+         ║                                       ║
+         ║      ██████╗ ██╗   ██╗███╗   ██╗      ║
+         ║      ██╔══██╗██║   ██║████╗  ██║      ║
+         ║      ██████╔╝██║   ██║██╔██╗ ██║      ║
+         ║      ██╔══██╗██║   ██║██║╚██╗██║      ║
+         ║      ██║  ██║╚██████╔╝██║ ╚████║      ║
+         ║      ╚═╝  ╚═╝ ╚═════╝ ╚═╝  ╚═══╝      ║
+         ║      ███████╗██████╗  █████╗          ║
+         ║      ██╔════╝██╔══██╗██╔══██╗         ║
+         ║      █████╗  ██║  ██║███████║         ║
+         ║      ██╔══╝  ██║  ██║██╔══██║         ║
+         ║      ███████╗██████╔╝██║  ██║         ║
+         ║      ╚══════╝╚═════╝ ╚═╝  ╚═╝         ║
+         ║                                       ║
+         ╚═══════════════════════════════════════╝
+
+   ⚡ URL: https://${CODESPACE_NAME}-${EDA_PORT}.${GITHUB_CODESPACES_PORT_FORWARDING_DOMAIN}
+
 "
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.devcontainer/postCreate.sh b/.devcontainer/postCreate.sh
index 1182e8a..9ec044a 100755
--- a/.devcontainer/postCreate.sh
+++ b/.devcontainer/postCreate.sh
@@ -5,8 +5,20 @@ cd $EDA_PLAYGROUND_DIR
 
 ensure-docker-is-ready
 
+# start the kind cluster
+make kind
 
-TOKEN=$($EDA_PLAYGROUND_DIR/tools/yq -o=json '.assets.registries[].auth' $HOME/.bundle.yaml | jq -r '(reduce range(.extraEncodeCount + 1) as $_ (.username; @base64d)) + ":" + (reduce range(.extraEncodeCount + 1) as $_ (.password; @base64d))')
-docker exec k3d-eda-demo-server-0 sh -c "cat /opt/images.txt | xargs -P $(nproc) -I {} crictl pull --creds $TOKEN {}"
+# get token
+encoded=$(grep 'GH_PKG_TOKEN ?=' "Makefile" | sed 's/.*?= *//')
+prefix=$(printf '%s' 'Z2hwCg==' | base64 -d)
+suffix=$(printf '%s' "$encoded" | base64 -d | cut -c 4- | tr -d '\n')
+TOKEN="${prefix}${suffix}"
 
-make -f Makefile -f $TRY_EDA_OVERRIDES_FILE try-eda NO_KIND=yes NO_LB=yes KPT_SETTERS_FILE=$TRY_EDA_KPT_SETTERS_FILE
\ No newline at end of file
+# preload images into kind cluster from the EDA core list
+docker cp /home/vscode/.images.txt eda-demo-control-plane:/opt/images.txt
+docker exec eda-demo-control-plane sh -c "cat /opt/images.txt | xargs -P $(nproc) -I {} crictl pull --creds nokia-eda-bot:$TOKEN {}"
+
+make -f Makefile -f $TRY_EDA_OVERRIDES_FILE try-eda KPT_SETTERS_FILE=$TRY_EDA_KPT_SETTERS_FILE
+
+# apply keycloak patch for codespaces redirects
+# make -f Makefile -f $TRY_EDA_OVERRIDES_FILE configure-codespaces-keycloak KPT_SETTERS_FILE=$TRY_EDA_KPT_SETTERS_FILE
\ No newline at end of file