Introduction

This guide provides a comprehensive template for setting up a basic self-hosted Kubernetes (k8s) cluster. It covers the installation of essential Kubernetes tools such as kubeadm, kubectl, and kubelet, as well as the initialization of a Kubernetes cluster and the installation of common plugins and applications. This document is designed for those who are deploying Kubernetes on Linux-based VPS or bare metal servers.

Table of Contents

• Prerequisites
• Key Components
• Installation Steps
• Preparing the Servers (Debian) CentOS, Fedora
• Installation of Kubeadm
• Cluster Initialization
• Installing Additional Components

Prerequisites

Before initiating the installation process, ensure you have the following setup:

• A minimum of one VPS or bare metal server to serve as the control plane.
• Additional servers to function as worker nodes.
• Each server should have a minimum specification of 2GB RAM and 2 CPUs.

Key Components

This setup involves a variety of crucial Kubernetes components, tools, and additional applications that aid in creating a production-ready environment:

• A choice among several Container Network Interface (CNI) plugins such as Cilium, Calico, Weave, or Flannel.
• The Nginx Ingress Controller for managing access to services in a Kubernetes cluster.
• A container runtime, options include Docker or Containerd.
• Cert Manager for handling certificates within the cluster.
• Helm for managing Kubernetes packages.
• An example application, such as the Echo Server, to test the deployment.

Installation Steps

The following sequence will guide you through preparing your servers, installing required software, initializing your Kubernetes cluster, and adding additional functional components:

1. Preparing the Servers: Guide on setting up and configuring your machines for Kubernetes installation.
2. Installing kubeadm, kubectl and kubelet: Steps to install Kubernetes management tools.
3. Initializing the Kubernetes Cluster: Procedure to start and configure the cluster.
4. Installing Additional Components: Instructions on how to add plugins and applications to enhance the cluster's capabilities.