https://DevOpsCloud.io -- Cloud Monk Losang Jinpa, Ph.D., MCSE/MCT, GitOps DevOps Engineer

Return to Kubernetes, kubectl, KiND, Docker

minikube is a tool that allows users to run a local Kubernetes cluster on their development machine. Minikube is often used for testing and development purposes, providing a simple environment to simulate Kubernetes deployments without needing a full production cluster.

https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/minikube

Minikube is a powerful tool that simplifies the process of setting up and running a single-node Kubernetes cluster directly on your local machine. By creating a virtual machine (VM) or utilizing a container runtime like Docker, Minikube provides a convenient and accessible way to experiment with Kubernetes, develop applications, and test deployments without the need for a full-fledged, multi-node cluster.

• **Single-Node Kubernetes Cluster:** Minikube encapsulates an entire Kubernetes cluster, including a master node and a worker node, within a single VM or container. This eliminates the complexities of setting up multiple machines and configuring networking between them.
• **Local Development and Testing:** It's an ideal solution for developers who want to experiment with Kubernetes locally, build and test containerized applications, or try out new Kubernetes features without impacting production environments.
• **Easy Installation and Setup:** Minikube is designed to be easy to install and configure, with a simple command-line interface (CLI) for starting, stopping, and interacting with the cluster.
• **Addons:** Minikube supports a wide range of addons that extend its functionality, such as ingress controllers, service meshes, monitoring tools, and more.
• **Multi-Platform Support:** Minikube is available for multiple operating systems, including Linux, macOS, and Windows, providing flexibility and accessibility for developers on different platforms.

• **Simplified Learning and Development:** Minikube provides a low-friction environment for learning Kubernetes concepts and developing applications directly on your local machine.
• **Rapid Prototyping:** It allows you to quickly iterate and test your Kubernetes deployments, accelerating development cycles.
• **Cost-Effective:** Minikube eliminates the need for cloud resources or dedicated hardware for local development and testing.
• **Easy to Install and Manage:** Its simple installation process and intuitive CLI make it easy to get started and manage your cluster.
• **Extensible:** The addon system provides a way to extend Minikube's functionality with additional tools and features.

1. **Starting Minikube:**

```bash minikube start ```

This command launches a Minikube cluster, creating a VM (or using a container runtime) and configuring the necessary Kubernetes components.

2. **Accessing the Kubernetes Dashboard:**

```bash minikube dashboard ```

This command opens the Kubernetes dashboard in your default web browser, providing a graphical interface for interacting with the cluster.

3. **Enabling an Addon:**

```bash minikube addons enable ingress ```

This command enables the ingress addon, which provides an ingress controller for exposing services outside the cluster.

• **Minikube Official Website:** s://minikube.sigs.k8s.io/(https://minikube.sigs.k8s.io/)
• **Minikube GitHub Repository:** s://github.com/kubernetes/minikube(https://github.com/kubernetes/minikube)
• **Minikube Documentation:** s://minikube.sigs.k8s.io/docs/(https://minikube.sigs.k8s.io/docs/)

minikube quickly sets up a local Kubernetes cluster on macOS, Linux, and Windows. We proudly focus on helping Kubernetes application developers and new Kubernetes users.

• Supports the latest Kubernetes release (+6 previous minor versions)
• Cross-platform (Kubernetes on Linux, Kubernetes on macOS, Kubernetes on Windows)
• Deploy Kubernetes] as a VM, a container, or on bare-metal
• Multiple container runtimes (CRI-O, containerd, docker)
• Docker API endpoint for blazing fast docker image pushes
• Advanced features such as LoadBalancer, Kubernetes filesystem mounts, and FeatureGates
• Minikube Addons for easily installed Kubernetes applications
• Supports common CI environments

• https://minikube.sigs.k8s.io/docs

minikube provisions and manages local Kubernetes clusters optimized for development workflows.

Basic Minikube Commands:

• start Starts a local Kubernetes cluster
• status Gets the status of a local Kubernetes cluster
• stop Stops a running local Kubernetes cluster
• delete Deletes a local Kubernetes cluster
• dashboard Access the Kubernetes dashboard running within the minikube cluster
• pause pause Kubernetes
• unpause unpause Kubernetes

Minikube Images Commands:

• docker-env Configure environment to use minikube's Docker daemon
• podman-env Configure environment to use minikube's Podman service
• cache Add, delete, or push a local image into minikube
• image Manage images

Minikube Configuration and Management Commands:

• addons Enable or disable a minikube addon
• config Modify persistent configuration values
• profile Get or list the current profiles (clusters)
• update-context Update kubeconfig in case of an IP or port change

Minikube Networking and Connectivity Commands:

• service Returns a URL to connect to a service
• tunnel Connect to LoadBalancer services

Advanced Minikube Commands:

• mount Mounts the specified directory into minikube
• ssh Log into the minikube environment (for debugging)
• kubectl Run a kubectl binary matching the cluster version
• node Add, remove, or list additional nodes
• cp Copy the specified file into minikube

Minikube Troubleshooting Commands:

• ssh-key Retrieve the ssh identity key path of the specified node
• ssh-host Retrieve the ssh host key of the specified node
• ip Retrieves the IP address of the specified node
• logs Returns logs to debug a local Kubernetes cluster
• update-check Print current and latest version number
• version Print the version of minikube

Other Commands:

• completion Generate command completion for a shell

Use “minikube <command> --help” for more information about a given Minikube command.