Minikube runs a Kubernetes cluster locally for testing deployments without using a cloud environment. It commonly starts as a single-node cluster, but multinode configurations help test behavior that depends on several nodes. section 3.4 section 3.4.2
Install Minikube for your system, then start the desired cluster. The start command automatically configures kubectl to use the Minikube context, so subsequent kubectl commands target the local cluster. section 3.4.2
Use the local cluster as a regular Kubernetes environment:
- Run kubectl get nodes to verify connectivity and confirm that the nodes are Ready. section 3.4.2
- Apply the same declarative configuration locally that will later be deployed to production. section 3.4.3
- Forward a Service port with kubectl port-forward when a local LoadBalancer has no external IP. section 3.4.3
- Stop Minikube to release CPU and memory, or delete it to remove cluster data and recreate it with different settings. section 3.4.2
Testing a local Service
Start a multinode cluster, deploy a Deployment and Service from YAML, then expose the Service locally with kubectl port-forward service/timeserver 8080:80 and browse to http://localhost:8080. Minikube also provides minikube service timeserver as another way to route traffic. section 3.4.3
