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In this lesson, we install a basic Kubernetes cluster using the Minikube utility. This beginner-friendly guide focuses on the core installation and configuration steps. For more advanced provisioning options such as using kubeadm, please refer to the CKA Certification Course - Certified Kubernetes Administrator. We start by visiting the official Kubernetes website. Navigate to the Documentation section, then proceed to the Tasks and Install Tools area.
The image shows the Kubernetes documentation webpage, featuring navigation links and a statement supporting the Black community against racism.

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Installing kubectl

Before installing Minikube, it is essential to install the kubectl command-line tool. Kubectl manages your Kubernetes resources and interacts with your cluster once it is set up via Minikube. Installing kubectl first enables Minikube to configure it correctly during provisioning.
The image shows a webpage from Kubernetes documentation, specifically the "Install Tools" section, with links to set up kubectl and Minikube.
While you might see various ways of fine-tuning its name, they all refer to this single utility. To download the latest stable version of kubectl, run:
After the download is complete, make the binary executable and move it to a directory included in your PATH:
Verify the installation by checking the client version. Note that until a cluster is running, you might encounter a message about the connection being refused:
Example output:
Other installation methods are available in the Kubernetes documentation. For example, on Ubuntu you might use:

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Verifying Virtualization Support

Before installing Minikube, ensure virtualization is enabled on your machine. This check is essential regardless of whether you are on Linux, Windows, or macOS. On Linux, you can check for the necessary virtualization flags (vmx for Intel or svm for AMD) with the following command:
If no output is returned from the command above, virtualization may be disabled in your BIOS settings. Consult your laptop’s manual or search online using your specific model to enable virtualization.

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Installing Minikube

After installing kubectl and verifying that virtualization is enabled, the next step is to install Minikube. On Linux, you typically choose between two hypervisors: VirtualBox or KVM. In this lesson, VirtualBox is the chosen hypervisor because of its cross-platform availability (Linux, Windows, and macOS) and ease of resetting via snapshots. If VirtualBox is not installed on your system, download the appropriate package from the VirtualBox website. For systems using yum (such as CentOS or RHEL), install VirtualBox with:
Once VirtualBox is installed, launch it to see its interface. The image below shows VirtualBox with no running virtual machines—a new one will appear when Minikube starts the cluster.
The image shows a webpage from Kubernetes documentation about installing Minikube, detailing hypervisor options like KVM and VirtualBox, and discussing the --driver=none option.

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Downloading and Installing Minikube

Download the latest Minikube binary and make it executable:
Then, add Minikube to your PATH by installing it to /usr/local/bin:

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Starting the Minikube Cluster

With both kubectl and Minikube now installed, you can start your local Kubernetes cluster. Specify the virtualization driver—in this example, VirtualBox—with the following command:
Minikube will download the necessary ISO image and Kubernetes binaries (for example, Kubernetes v1.18.3) to set up your cluster. You will notice a new virtual machine named “minikube” appear in VirtualBox once the provisioning process begins. Example session output:
In the VirtualBox Manager, you will see the “minikube” virtual machine running with 2 CPUs and 2 GB of RAM.
The image shows the Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager interface with a virtual machine named "minikube" running, displaying its system and network settings.
After the setup completes, kubectl is automatically configured to use the new Kubernetes cluster.

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Verifying the Cluster

To ensure everything is functioning correctly, check the status of your Minikube cluster with:
Expected output:
Next, verify that the node is ready by listing all nodes:
Expected output:

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Deploying a Sample Application

With your cluster up and running, deploy a sample application to verify that the environment is fully operational.

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1. Create a Deployment

Deploy a sample echoserver application with the following command:
You should see a confirmation message:

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2. Verify the Deployment

Check the deployment status with:
Expected output:

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3. Expose the Deployment as a Service

Expose the deployment on port 8080 using a NodePort service:
To obtain the URL of the exposed service, run:
Open the URL in your browser to view details of the application. Although the interface may be basic, this confirms your cluster’s functionality.

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4. Cleaning Up

After testing, remove the service and deployment:
You can verify that the pod is terminating with:
Example output:

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Conclusion

Your Minikube-based Kubernetes cluster is now operational, and you have successfully deployed and exposed a sample application. This setup forms a solid foundation for upcoming lessons where more complex deployments and Kubernetes concepts will be explored. Happy learning, and see you in the next lesson!
Consider exploring additional Kubernetes resources such as the Kubernetes Documentation and tutorials to deepen your understanding of cluster management and container orchestration.

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