How to Install Minikube on Ubuntu 20.04

Minikube is a powerful tool that enables developers to run Kubernetes clusters locally. It provides a lightweight and easy-to-set-up environment for testing and developing Kubernetes applications. If you're using Ubuntu 20.04 and eager to dive into the world of Kubernetes, this guide will walk you through the step-by-step process of installing Minikube on your Ubuntu system.

Prerequisites:

Before we begin the installation, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place:

1. Ubuntu 20.04 installed on your machine.
2. A user account with sudo privileges.
3. A stable internet connection.

Step 1: Update and Upgrade:

Start by updating the package list to ensure you have the latest information about available packages. Open a terminal and run the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install VirtualBox:

Minikube requires a hypervisor to run, and VirtualBox is a popular choice. Install it using the following command:

sudo apt install virtualbox -y

Step 3: Install kubectl:

Kubectl is the command-line tool used to interact with Kubernetes clusters. Install it using the following commands:

sudo apt install kubectl -y

Step 4: Install Minikube:

Now, let's install Minikube. Download the latest release and move it to the /usr/local/bin directory:

curl -LO https://storage.googleapis.com/minikube/releases/latest/minikube-linux-amd64
sudo install minikube-linux-amd64 /usr/local/bin/minikube

Step 5: Start Minikube:

With Minikube installed, start your first Kubernetes cluster using the following command:

minikube start

Step 6: Check Minikube Status:

Ensure that Minikube is up and running by checking its status:

minikube status

Step 7: Interact with Minikube Cluster:

Now that your Minikube cluster is running, you can interact with it using kubectl commands. For example:

kubectl get nodes
kubectl get pods --all-namespaces

Step 8: Stop and Delete Minikube:

When you're done experimenting, you can stop and delete your Minikube cluster with the following commands:

minikube stop
minikube delete

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Minikube on Ubuntu 20.04 and started your first local Kubernetes cluster. Feel free to explore more Kubernetes features and deploy your applications in this environment.