How to use k3d on Ubuntu?

You can install k3d on Ubuntu, which is a lightweight wrapper to run k3s (a lightweight Kubernetes distribution) in Docker. Follow these steps to install k3d on Ubuntu:

1. Prerequisites

• Docker: k3d uses Docker to run k3s clusters, so make sure Docker is installed and running. You can install Docker if it's not already set up.

Install Docker:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common -y
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo apt-key add -
sudo add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable"
sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker-ce -y

Verify Docker installation:

sudo systemctl status docker

Add your user to the docker group to run Docker without sudo:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Log out and log back in to apply the group changes.

2. Install k3d

You can install k3d using a simple script, Homebrew, or manually by downloading the binary. Here's how to do it using the official installation script:

Method 1: Install Using the Official Script

Verify the installation:

k3d --version

You should see the k3d version output.

Run the following command to install k3d:

curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/k3d-io/k3d/main/install.sh | bash

Method 2: Install Using Homebrew (optional)

If you have Homebrew installed on Ubuntu, you can also install k3d via Homebrew:

Install k3d via Homebrew:

brew install k3d

Make sure Homebrew is installed. If not, install it:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

3. Create a k3s Cluster Using k3d

Once k3d is installed, you can create a k3s cluster with just one command.

Check that your cluster is running:

kubectl get nodes

If you don't have kubectl installed, you can install it with:

sudo snap install kubectl --classic

Then, re-run the command to check the cluster status.

Create a k3s cluster with one server node (you can add more nodes as needed):

k3d cluster create mycluster

This will spin up a single-node Kubernetes cluster named mycluster.

4. Access the k3s Cluster

By default, k3d sets up your kubeconfig to point to the new cluster. You can inspect your cluster and manage workloads just like a regular Kubernetes cluster.

To access the cluster:

kubectl get all -A

This command shows all running services, pods, and deployments in your k3s cluster.

5. Delete the Cluster

When you're done, you can delete the cluster by running:

k3d cluster delete mycluster

Conclusion

You've successfully installed k3d on your Ubuntu system, which runs a k3s Kubernetes cluster inside Docker. Now you can deploy and test Kubernetes workloads in a lightweight, local environment.