How To Install Minikube on CentOS Stream 10

In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Minikube on CentOS Stream 10. Kubernetes has revolutionized the way applications are deployed and managed in modern infrastructure. For developers and system administrators looking to test and develop with Kubernetes locally, Minikube offers a lightweight solution. This comprehensive guide walks you through the process of installing Minikube on CentOS Stream 10, providing you with a functional local Kubernetes environment for development and testing purposes.

Understanding Minikube and Its Requirements

Minikube is a tool that allows you to run Kubernetes locally by creating a single-node Kubernetes cluster inside a virtual machine on your laptop or desktop computer. It’s designed specifically for users who want to explore Kubernetes functionality without committing to a full-scale deployment or cloud-based solution.

What makes Minikube valuable for development?

Minikube provides a lightweight, portable Kubernetes implementation that mimics a production environment without the associated costs and complexity. This makes it ideal for development, testing, and learning purposes.

Before proceeding with the installation, ensure your system meets these minimum requirements:

• 2 CPUs or more
• 2GB of free memory (4GB recommended)
• 20GB of free disk space
• Internet connection
• CPU with virtualization support

CentOS Stream 10 provides an excellent platform for running Minikube due to its stability and compatibility with enterprise environments. The latest version supports Minikube operation without significant configuration challenges.

Prerequisites for Installation

Before installing Minikube on your CentOS Stream 10 system, several preparatory steps need to be completed to ensure a smooth installation process.

Checking Hardware Compatibility

First, verify that your CPU supports virtualization, which is essential for running Minikube efficiently:

grep -E --color 'vmx|svm' /proc/cpuinfo

If you see colored output, your processor supports virtualization. If nothing appears, you may need to enable virtualization in your BIOS settings.

Required User Privileges

Many of the commands in this tutorial require administrative privileges. You’ll need either:

• A user account with sudo access
• Root access to the system

It’s generally recommended to use a regular user with sudo privileges for better security practices.

Updating CentOS Stream 10

Start by updating your CentOS Stream 10 system to ensure all packages are current:

sudo yum -y update

This command refreshes your system’s package database and installs any available updates, ensuring compatibility with the software we’ll install.

Installing a Hypervisor

Minikube requires a hypervisor to create virtual machines where the Kubernetes cluster will run. On CentOS Stream 10, KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is the recommended option, though alternatives like VirtualBox are also available.

Installing KVM on CentOS Stream 10

1. First, install the EPEL repository to access additional packages:

sudo yum -y install epel-release

2. Install KVM and related virtualization packages:

sudo yum -y install libvirt qemu-kvm virt-install virt-top libguestfs-tools bridge-utils

3. Start and enable the libvirtd service to ensure it runs automatically at boot:

sudo systemctl start libvirtd
sudo systemctl enable libvirtd

4. Verify the service is running correctly:

sudo systemctl status libvirtd

You should see “active (running)” in the output, confirming the service is operational.

Setting Up User Permissions for Virtualization

To use KVM without requiring root access for every command, add your user to the libvirt group:

sudo usermod -a -G libvirt $(whoami)

Next, configure libvirt to allow members of the libvirt group to manage virtual machines:

1. Open the libvirtd configuration file:

sudo vi /etc/libvirt/libvirtd.conf

2. Set or uncomment these lines:

unix_sock_group = "libvirt"
unix_sock_rw_perms = "0770"

3. Restart the libvirt service to apply these changes:

sudo systemctl restart libvirtd.service

Log out and log back in for the group changes to take effect.

Installing Minikube Binary

With the hypervisor configured, you can now proceed to install Minikube itself. There are several methods to install Minikube on CentOS Stream 10.

Direct Binary Download Method

This is the most straightforward approach and works on any Linux distribution:

1. Download the latest Minikube binary:

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

2. Make the binary executable:

chmod +x minikube-linux-amd64

3. Move it to your system’s executable path:

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

Alternatively, you can use the install command to handle the permissions and placement:

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

4. Verify the installation was successful:

minikube version

This should display the version of Minikube you’ve installed, confirming the installation worked correctly.

RPM Package Installation

For CentOS Stream 10, you can also use the RPM package:

1. Download the latest RPM package:

curl -LO https://storage.googleapis.com/minikube/releases/latest/minikube-latest.x86_64.rpm

2. Install the package:

sudo rpm -Uvh minikube-latest.x86_64.rpm

This method integrates better with CentOS’s package management system.

Installing and Configuring kubectl

Kubectl is the command-line tool that allows you to interact with your Kubernetes cluster. It’s essential for managing your Minikube environment.

Installing kubectl

1. Download the latest stable kubectl binary:

curl -LO "https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/$(curl -s https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/stable.txt)/bin/linux/amd64/kubectl"

2. Make the kubectl binary executable:

chmod +x kubectl

3. Move kubectl to your executable path:

sudo mv kubectl /usr/local/bin/

4. Verify the installation:

kubectl version --client -o json

This command should display the version information for kubectl, confirming it’s installed correctly.

Creating kubectl Aliases

To save time when working with kubectl, you might want to create an alias. Add this line to your ~/.bashrc file:

echo 'alias kubectl="minikube kubectl --"' >> ~/.bashrc

Then reload your bash configuration:

source ~/.bashrc

This allows you to use kubectl directly without specifying the full path each time.

Installing Docker Container Runtime

Minikube requires a container runtime to operate. Docker is the most common choice and works well with CentOS Stream 10:

1. Add the Docker repository:

sudo yum install -y yum-utils
sudo yum-config-manager --add-repo https://download.docker.com/linux/centos/docker-ce.repo

2. Install Docker and related packages:

sudo yum install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

3. Start and enable the Docker service:

sudo systemctl enable --now docker

4. Add your user to the Docker group to run Docker commands without sudo:

sudo usermod -aG docker $(whoami)

5. Verify Docker is running correctly:

docker version

Log out and log back in for the group changes to take effect.

Starting Minikube for the First Time

With all components installed, you’re ready to start Minikube and create your first local Kubernetes cluster.

Basic Start Command

The simplest way to start Minikube is with:

minikube start

However, it’s often beneficial to specify which driver to use explicitly:

minikube start --driver=kvm2

For KVM-based installations, or:

minikube start --driver=docker

For Docker-based installations.

Resource Allocation Configuration

If you want to customize the resources allocated to Minikube, you can specify them at startup:

minikube start --driver=kvm2 --cpus=2 --memory=4096MB --disk-size=20GB

This command allocates 2 CPUs, 4GB of RAM, and a 20GB disk to the Minikube VM.

Initial Cluster Verification

After starting Minikube, verify its status:

minikube status

You should see information about the Minikube host, kubelet, and apiserver, all showing as “Running”.

To check if all Kubernetes components are functioning correctly:

kubectl get nodes

This should show your Minikube node as “Ready”.

Configuring Minikube Settings

Minikube offers various configuration options to customize your environment according to your needs.

Default Profile Configuration

Minikube uses profiles to maintain separate configurations. The default profile is named “minikube”, but you can create additional profiles:

minikube start -p custom-profile --driver=kvm2

This creates a separate cluster with its own settings.

Kubernetes Version Selection

You can specify which Kubernetes version to use:

minikube start --kubernetes-version=v1.25.0

This is particularly useful for testing applications against specific Kubernetes versions.

Network Settings

By default, Minikube uses its own network. To configure custom networking, use:

minikube start --network-plugin=cni

This allows for more advanced networking configurations if needed.

Working with Addons and Plugins

Minikube includes several built-in addons that extend its functionality. These addons provide additional services for your local Kubernetes environment.

Viewing Available Addons

To see all available addons:

minikube addons list

This displays all addons and their current status (enabled/disabled).

Essential Addons for Development

Some particularly useful addons include:

1. Dashboard – A web-based Kubernetes UI:

minikube addons enable dashboard

2. Metrics Server – For resource monitoring:

minikube addons enable metrics-server

3. Storage Provisioner – For persistent storage:

minikube addons enable storage-provisioner

After enabling an addon, access it with:

minikube addons open dashboard

This command opens the specified addon (in this case, the dashboard) in your default browser.

Deploying a Test Application

To ensure your Minikube installation is working correctly, deploy a simple test application.

Simple Deployment Example

1. Create a basic deployment:

kubectl create deployment hello-minikube --image=kicbase/echo-server:1.0

2. Expose the deployment as a service:

kubectl expose deployment hello-minikube --type=NodePort --port=8000

3. Check that the service is running:

kubectl get services hello-minikube

4. Access the service:

minikube service hello-minikube

This opens the application in your default browser. If successful, you’ve confirmed that your Minikube installation is fully functional.

Advanced Minikube Usage

Once you’re comfortable with basic Minikube operations, you can explore more advanced features.

Working with Container Registries

Minikube can access your local Docker images without pushing them to a remote registry:

eval $(minikube docker-env)
docker build -t my-app:latest .
kubectl run my-app --image=my-app:latest --image-pull-policy=Never

This sequence allows you to test locally built images directly in Minikube.

Persistent Volumes Configuration

For applications requiring persistent storage:

kubectl create -f pv-volume.yaml
kubectl create -f pv-claim.yaml

Minikube automatically provisions the necessary storage for your persistent volume claims.

Integration with Development Workflow

For a smooth development experience, consider using tools like Skaffold, which automates the build-deploy-test cycle:

skaffold init
skaffold dev

This continuously rebuilds and redeploys your application as you make changes to your code.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

When working with Minikube, you might encounter various issues. Here are solutions to common problems:

Driver-Related Problems

If you see errors related to the virtual machine driver:

minikube delete
minikube start --driver=docker

Sometimes switching drivers can resolve compatibility issues.

Network Connectivity Issues

If pods can’t communicate or external services aren’t accessible:

1. Check Minikube’s IP address:

minikube ip

2. Verify routing between your host and Minikube:

ping $(minikube ip)

3. For more complex network issues, configure proper routing:

sudo route -n add 192.168.49.0/24 $(minikube ip)

This adds a route to the Minikube subnet through the Minikube host.

Resource Constraints

If Minikube runs slowly or crashes due to insufficient resources, adjust the allocation:

minikube stop
minikube config set memory 4096
minikube config set cpus 2
minikube start

This permanently changes the resource allocation for future starts.

Stopping and Managing Minikube

Proper management of your Minikube cluster helps maintain system resources and ensures consistent operation.

Pausing and Resuming Clusters

To temporarily pause your cluster without destroying it:

minikube pause

And to resume operations:

minikube unpause

Stopping Minikube Properly

When you’re done working with Minikube, stop it to free up resources:

minikube stop

This preserves your cluster’s state for the next startup.

Deleting and Recreating Clusters

If you need to start fresh:

minikube delete
minikube start

This completely removes the existing cluster and creates a new one.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Minikube. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the latest version of the Minikube on CentOS Stream 10. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official Minikube website.