Minikube

Getting Started with Minikube

Minikube is a tool that makes it easy to run Kubernetes locally. It runs a single-node Kubernetes cluster inside a virtual machine on your laptop. This is perfect for local development, testing, and learning Kubernetes.

Core Minikube Commands

Here are some essential Minikube commands to get you started:

Starting Minikube

To start Minikube with a specific driver, like VirtualBox, use the following command:

# To start with virtualbox driver:
minikube start --vm-driver=virtualbox

Configuring Docker Environment

To use your local Docker daemon with Minikube, run:

# To configure docker environment variables:
minikube docker-env

Accessing the Kubernetes Dashboard

You can easily launch the Kubernetes dashboard in your browser:

# To start view the dashboard in a browser:
minikube dashboard

Managing Services

Listing all services running in your Minikube cluster is straightforward:

# To list all services:
minikube service list

To open a specific service in your default browser:

# To start a service in a browser:
minikube service <service>

Benefits of Local Kubernetes Development

Using Minikube for local Kubernetes development offers several advantages:

Rapid Iteration: Quickly test changes without deploying to a remote cluster.
Cost-Effective: Avoid cloud costs for development and testing environments.
Offline Development: Work on your Kubernetes applications even without an internet connection.
Learning Platform: An excellent environment for learning Kubernetes concepts and commands.

Minikube - Local Kubernetes Development Tool