How to Set Up the Latest Kubernetes Cluster

Kubernetes has become the industry standard for container orchestration, allowing developers and DevOps teams to deploy, manage, and scale applications effortlessly. This guide walks you through setting up the latest Kubernetes cluster using kubeadm.

Prerequisites

• Linux machine (Ubuntu 20.04 / 22.04 recommended)
• Minimum 2 CPU cores and 2 GB RAM
• Root or sudo privileges
• Internet connectivity

Step 1: Update Your System

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sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo reboot

Step 2: Install Docker

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sudo apt install -y docker.io
sudo systemctl enable docker
sudo systemctl start docker
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
docker --version

Step 3: Add Kubernetes Repository

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sudo apt install -y apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl
curl -s https://packages.cloud.google.com/apt/doc/apt-key.gpg | sudo apt-key add -
echo "deb https://apt.kubernetes.io/ kubernetes-xenial main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/kubernetes.list
sudo apt update

Step 4: Install kubeadm, kubelet, and kubectl

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sudo apt install -y kubelet kubeadm kubectl
sudo apt-mark hold kubelet kubeadm kubectl
kubeadm version
kubectl version --client

Step 5: Disable Swap

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sudo swapoff -a
sudo sed -i '/ swap / s/^/#/' /etc/fstab

Step 6: Initialize Kubernetes Master Node

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sudo kubeadm init --pod-network-cidr=192.168.0.0/16
mkdir -p $HOME/.kube
sudo cp -i /etc/kubernetes/admin.conf $HOME/.kube/config
sudo chown $(id -u):$(id -g) $HOME/.kube/config

Step 7: Install Pod Network

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kubectl apply -f https://docs.projectcalico.org/manifests/calico.yaml

Step 8: Join Worker Nodes (Optional)

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kubeadm join :6443 --token  --discovery-token-ca-cert-hash sha256:

Step 9: Verify Cluster

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kubectl get nodes
kubectl get pods --all-namespaces

Step 10: Deploy Your First Application

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kubectl create deployment nginx --image=nginx
kubectl expose deployment nginx --port=80 --type=NodePort
kubectl get svc

Conclusion

Setting up the latest Kubernetes cluster is straightforward using kubeadm. Once configured, you can scale your applications, manage workloads efficiently, and leverage the full power of container orchestration.