How To Install K9s on AlmaLinux 9
In this tutorial, we will show you how to install K9s on AlmaLinux 9. K9s is a powerful and user-friendly terminal-based UI for managing and interacting with Kubernetes clusters. Designed to simplify navigation, observation, and management of deployed applications, K9s is an essential tool for system administrators and DevOps engineers working with Kubernetes. With its ability to handle both standard Kubernetes resources and custom resource definitions, K9s provides a comprehensive overview of your cluster’s state.
In this article, we will guide you through the step-by-step process of installing K9s on AlmaLinux 9. We’ll cover the prerequisites, installation commands, and basic configuration to get you started with this powerful Kubernetes management tool. Additionally, we’ll explore some of K9s’s key features and provide troubleshooting tips to ensure a smooth experience.
Prerequisites
- A server running one of the following operating systems: AlmaLinux 9.
- It’s recommended that you use a fresh OS install to prevent any potential issues.
- SSH access to the server (or just open Terminal if you’re on a desktop).
- You’ll need an internet connection to download the necessary packages and dependencies.
- K9s has minimal hardware requirements, but it’s recommended to have at least 2 GB of RAM and a dual-core CPU for optimal performance.
- K9s is designed to manage Kubernetes clusters, so you’ll need access to a running cluster. This can be a local cluster (e.g., Minikube) or a remote cluster (e.g., on a cloud provider).
- You’ll need root or sudo privileges to install K9s and make system-wide changes. Make sure you have the necessary permissions before starting the installation process.
Install K9s on AlmaLinux 9
Step 1. Update Your System.
Before installing K9s, it’s crucial to update your AlmaLinux 9 system packages to ensure compatibility and security. To do this, run the following command in your terminal:
sudo dnf clean all sudo dnf update
This command will fetch the latest package information from the configured repositories and upgrade any outdated packages to their latest versions. The -y flag automatically answers “yes” to any prompts, streamlining the update process.
Step 2. Installing Snapd.
Snapd is a package management system that simplifies the installation and management of applications across different Linux distributions. To install K9s on AlmaLinux 9, we’ll use Snapd to handle the installation process.
First, install the EPEL (Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux) repository:
sudo dnf install epel-release
Next, install Snapd using the following command:
sudo dnf install snapd
Once Snapd is installed, enable and start the Snapd socket:
sudo systemctl enable --now snapd.socket
Finally, create a symbolic link to ensure that Snap-installed applications are accessible from the command line:
sudo ln -s /var/lib/snapd/snap /snap
Step 3. Installing K9s using Snap.
Now that Snapd is installed and configured, installing K9s is a straightforward process. Run the following command in your terminal:
sudo snap install k9s
Once the installation is complete, verify that K9s is working by running the following command:
k9s
If the installation is successful, the K9s interface should launch in your terminal, displaying information about your connected Kubernetes cluster.
Step 4: Configure Terminal for K9s.
To ensure the best experience with K9s, it’s essential to configure your terminal to support 256 colors and set the appropriate editor for Kubernetes.
First, set your terminal to use 256 colors by adding the following line to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc file, depending on your shell:
export TERM=xterm-256color
Next, configure your preferred editor for Kubernetes by setting the KUBE_EDITOR environment variable. For example, to use Vim as your editor, add the following line to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc file:
export KUBE_EDITOR=vim
To make these changes permanent, save the file and reload your shell configuration using the following command:
source ~/.bashrc
or
source ~/.zshrc
With these configurations in place, K9s will display colors correctly and use your preferred editor when editing Kubernetes resources. This enhances the overall user experience and makes it easier to manage your cluster using K9s.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed K9s. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the K9s on your AlmaLinux 9 system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official K9s website.
