Install Minikube on Ubuntu/Linux, Mac and Windows

What is Minikube?

Minikube is a tool that makes it easy to run Kubernetes locally. It runs a single-node Kubernetes cluster on your personal computer (including Windows, macOS, and Linux PCs) so that you can try out Kubernetes, or develop with it on a daily basis. The purpose of Minikube is to lower the barrier to entry for those looking to experiment with Kubernetes or develop applications using the platform without the need to set up a complex cluster environment.

Prerequisites

• Hardware Requirements:

  • 2 CPUs or more.
  • 2GB of free memory.
  • 20GB of free disk space.
  • Internet connection.

• Software Requirements:

  • Virtualization support: Ensure that your system supports virtualization and it's enabled in the BIOS.
  • Hypervisor: Depending on your OS, you might need a hypervisor like VirtualBox, VMware Fusion, Hyper-V, etc. Alternatively, if you're on Linux, you might use Docker or KVM2.
  • kubectl: While not a strict requirement for running Minikube, it's essential for interacting with your Minikube Kubernetes cluster.

Installing Minikube on Ubuntu

1. Update and Install Dependencies: Ensure your system is up-to-date and install necessary dependencies.

   sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install apt-transport-https curl

2. nstall VirtualBox (or another hypervisor):

   sudo apt install virtualbox virtualbox-ext-pac

3. nstall Minikube:

   • Download the latest Minikube binary.

      curl -Lo minikube https://storage.googleapis.com/minikube/releases/latest/minikube-linux-amd64 

   • Make the Minikube binary executable.

      chmod +x minikube 

   • Move the binary in your PATH. bashCopy code

     sudo mv minikube /usr/local/bin/

Installing Minikube on macOS

1. Install Homebrew (if not already installed):

   /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

2. nstall VirtualBox (or another hypervisor):

    brew cask install virtualbox

3. Install Minikube via Homebrew:

    brew install minikube 

Installing Minikube on Windows

1. Install Chocolatey (if not already installed):

   • Open an administrative PowerShell and run: powershellCopy code

     Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force; [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072; iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))

2. Install VirtualBox (or another hypervisor):

   powershellCopy code

   choco install virtualbox

3. Install Minikube via Chocolatey:

    choco install minikube 

After installation, you can start Minikube by running:

minikube start

This command starts a virtual machine (VM) and runs a single-node Kubernetes cluster inside that VM. Minikube makes it easy to stop, start, and delete the cluster, allowing you to manage your local Kubernetes environment efficiently.

You'll primarily interact with your Minikube cluster using the kubectl command-line tool, just as you would with any other Kubernetes environment. For instance, to deploy applications, manage resources, inspect the state of the cluster, and more.

Minikube supports various Kubernetes features, such as DNS, NodePorts, ConfigMaps, and Secrets, making it suitable for developers looking to test their applications in a Kubernetes environment. Additionally, Minikube has features like the Minikube Dashboard, enabling a UI to manage your Kubernetes cluster, and minikube tunnel, which allows you to expose LoadBalancer services directly to your computer.

In summary, Minikube is an invaluable tool for anyone looking to learn Kubernetes, develop applications designed to run on Kubernetes, or test application deployments in a controlled environment.