Install K3s Kubernetes

K3s is a lightweight Kubernetes distribution designed for resource-constrained environments, making it ideal for running Kubernetes on a VPS.

Prerequisites

Installation Steps

Connect to your VPS

Connect via SSH to your server.

Install K3s

Run the K3s installation script:

curl -sfL https://get.k3s.io | sh -

Wait for installation

The installation may take a few minutes. K3s will automatically start after installation.

Configure kubectl

Copy the K3s configuration for kubectl:

mkdir -p ~/.kube
sudo cp /etc/rancher/k3s/k3s.yaml ~/.kube/config
sudo chown $USER:$USER ~/.kube/config

Verify installation

Check that K3s is running:

kubectl get nodes

You should see your VPS listed as a node.

Create a manifest file

Create a Kubernetes manifest file (e.g., my-app.yaml) describing your application.

Deploy the application

kubectl apply -f my-app.yaml

Check deployment status

kubectl get pods
kubectl get services

Stop K3s

sudo systemctl stop k3s

Start K3s

sudo systemctl start k3s

Uninstall K3s

/usr/local/bin/k3s-uninstall.sh

For more information, refer to the official K3s documentation.