What is this?
A step-by-step tutorial that walks you through bootstrapping a Kubernetes cluster manually, without any automation scripts, so you learn how every component actually works.
A step-by-step tutorial that walks you through bootstrapping a Kubernetes cluster manually, without any automation scripts, so you learn how every component actually works.Is this a tool or a tutorial?It's a pure documentation/tutorial repo (a series of Markdown labs), not a tool or installer you run.
It's a pure documentation/tutorial repo (a series of Markdown labs), not a tool or installer you run.How do I follow this tutorial?You work through the labs in order: set up a jumpbox, provision compute resources, generate TLS certs and kubeconfigs, bootstrap etcd and the control plane, then the worker nodes, and finally configure kubectl.
You work through the labs in order: set up a jumpbox, provision compute resources, generate TLS certs and kubeconfigs, bootstrap etcd and the control plane, then the worker nodes, and finally configure kubectl.What machines do I need to run the labs?Four ARM64 or AMD64 virtual or physical machines on the same network, running specific versions of Kubernetes, containerd, CNI, and etcd.
Four ARM64 or AMD64 virtual or physical machines on the same network, running specific versions of Kubernetes, containerd, CNI, and etcd.Can I use the resulting cluster in production?No — it's explicitly for learning, and the end result isn't production-ready and may get limited community support.
No — it's explicitly for learning, and the end result isn't production-ready and may get limited community support.Who is this tutorial for?Anyone who wants to deeply understand Kubernetes fundamentals and how its core components fit together, rather than just spin up a cluster quickly.
Anyone who wants to deeply understand Kubernetes fundamentals and how its core components fit together, rather than just spin up a cluster quickly.What does the final cluster look like?A basic cluster with all control plane components on a single node plus two worker nodes — enough to learn the core concepts.
A basic cluster with all control plane components on a single node plus two worker nodes — enough to learn the core concepts.Which component versions are used?Kubernetes v1.32.x, containerd v2.1.x, CNI v1.6.x, and etcd v3.6.x.
Kubernetes v1.32.x, containerd v2.1.x, CNI v1.6.x, and etcd v3.6.x.Are there scripts to automate the steps?No, the whole point is to do each step manually without scripts, as stated in the project description.
No, the whole point is to do each step manually without scripts, as stated in the project description.What's the last step after the cluster is up?Running a smoke test to verify everything works, followed by a cleanup lab to tear the cluster down.
Running a smoke test to verify everything works, followed by a cleanup lab to tear the cluster down.What are similar projects?CKAD-exercises, k3s, rook, cert-manager, certified-kubernetes-administrator-course, Linux-, kubeasz, ingress-nginx
CKAD-exercises, k3s, rook, cert-manager, certified-kubernetes-administrator-course, Linux-, kubeasz, ingress-nginxWhich topics is it in?etcd, homelab, arm64, infrastructure, tls, containers, cloud-native, sysadmin, beginner-friendly, kubernetes, guide, devops
etcd, homelab, arm64, infrastructure, tls, containers, cloud-native, sysadmin, beginner-friendly, kubernetes, guide, devops