How to Install Minikube on Ubuntu

Introduction

Minikube is an open-source tool for setting up a single-node Kubernetes cluster on a local machine. The cluster runs inside a virtual machine and includes a container runtime, allowing users to start containers inside the node.

This tutorial will show you how to install Minikube on Ubuntu.

Prerequisites

• A system running Ubuntu.
• Virtualization support (like VT-x or AMD-v) enabled in BIOS.
• Virtualization software like Docker, KVM, or VirtualBox installed.
• Command-line access.
• Sudo access to the system.

How to Install Minikube on Ubuntu

Follow the steps below to install Minikube on a local Ubuntu system. The steps show how to set up the necessary dependencies, download the Minikube binary, and enable its execution.

Step 1: Install Required Packages

Minikube installation requires the curl command to download the Minikube installer and the apt-transport-https package to handle HTTPS connections during package installation.

Proceed with the steps below to install the packages:

1. Update the package information on the system by entering the following command:

sudo apt update

2. Install curl and apt-transport-https:

sudo apt install curl apt-transport-https

Step 2: Download Minikube Binary

Minikube binaries for all major systems and architectures are available on the Minikube website. The following procedure downloads the binary for X86-64 Ubuntu systems:

1. Use curl to download the latest Minikube binary:

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

2. Copy the downloaded file and store it in the /usr/local/bin/ directory:

sudo cp minikube-linux-amd64 /usr/local/bin/minikube

The command prints no output.

Step 3: Enable Minikube Binary Execution

By default, binaries do not have the permission to execute. Give the execute permission to the Minikube binary using the chmod command:

sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/minikube

Verify the installation by checking the Minikube version:

minikube version

The output displays the software version number.

Step 4: Install kubectl

Kubectl is the official command line tool for Kubernetes, which provides an interface for cluster deployment and management. Ubuntu has a kubectl snap package that can be installed by typing:

sudo snap install kubectl --classic

Alternatively, follow the steps below to download and install the kubectl binary directly from the maintainer:

1. Download kubectl with the following command:

curl -LO "https://dl.k8s.io/release/$(curl -L -s https://dl.k8s.io/release/stable.txt)/bin/linux/amd64/kubectl"

2. Make the binary executable by typing:

chmod +x ./kubectl

3. Move the binary to the path with the following command:

sudo mv ./kubectl /usr/local/bin/kubectl

Step 5: Start Minikube

Start Minikube by running the command below:

minikube start

Minikube selects the default driver and begins pulling the latest available Kubernetes image.

Once Minikube finishes initialization, the output shows the confirmation message, and the shell prompt reappears.

Managing Kubernetes with Minikube

The following sections present the minikube commands that help users manage and monitor their Minikube cluster.

Common Minikube Commands

The Minikube platform provides the minikube command-line tool for managing and configuring your local Kubernetes cluster. The following are the most commonly used commands:

• Establish an SSH connection to the Minikube container:

minikube ssh

A container shell prompt appears.

This feature allows users to interact with the container's operating system, run commands, troubleshoot issues, and perform system administration tasks.

• See the status of the Minikube container, the cluster, and the core Kubernetes components:

minikube status

• Display a list of installed Minikube addons:

minikube addons list

• Enable an addon:

minikube addons enable [addon_name]

• Stop running the Minikube cluster:

minikube stop

• Delete the Minikube cluster:

minikube delete

Access Minikube Dashboard

Minikube comes with a dashboard addon enabled by default. The web dashboard allows users to manage the Kubernetes cluster without running terminal commands.

Run the command below to enable and access the Minikube dashboard:

minikube dashboard

A web browser instance opens, and the dashboard appears.

To shut down the dashboard process, press Ctrl + D while in the related terminal instance or quit the instance.

Alternatively, to access the dashboard directly via the browser, obtain the dashboard’s IP address:

minikube dashboard --url

The address appears in the output.

Copy and paste the address in a browser or click the link while holding Ctrl to access the Minikube dashboard.

Conclusion

After reading this tutorial, you know how to install and configure a Minikube cluster on Ubuntu. The article also introduced the commands commonly used to monitor and manage Minikube.

You can use Minikube to test-deploy tools on Kubernetes. For example, read how to install Jenkins on a Kubernetes cluster.