Deploying Your First App on Kubernetes: A Beginner's Guide (Minikube & Kind)

Emmanuel Chukwudi Posted on May 25 Deploying Your First App on Kubernetes: A Beginner's Guide (Minikube & Kind) # kubernetes # devops # docker # beginners If you've just learned the basics of Kubernetes Pods, Deployments, ReplicaSets, and Services the best next step is to actually use them. Reading about self-healing and rolling updates is one thing; watching Kubernetes recreate a deleted Pod in real time is another. In this guide, you'll deploy a simple Node.js app on a local Kubernetes cluster. We'll cover both Minikube and Kind (Kubernetes in Docker), so you can follow along whichever tool you prefer. By the end, you'll have: A containerised Node.js app running in Kubernetes 3 replicas managed by a Deployment and ReplicaSet A Service exposing the app to your browser Hands-on experience with self-healing and scaling Prerequisites Before we start, make sure you have these installed: Docker required by both Minikube and Kind kubectl the Kubernetes CLI Either Minikube or Kind (installation covered below) Part 1: Setting Up Your Local Cluster You only need one of these. If you're not sure which to pick: Minikube : slightly friendlier for beginners, has a built-in way to open services in the browser Kind : lighter, faster, great if you already have Docker set up Option A: Minikube Install Minikube macOS (Homebrew): brew install minikube Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode Linux: curl -LO https://storage.googleapis.com/minikube/releases/latest/minikube-linux-amd64 sudo install minikube-linux-amd64 /usr/local/bin/minikube Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode Windows (via winget): winget install Kubernetes.minikube Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode Start your cluster: minikube start Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode Verify it's running: kubectl get nodes # NAME STATUS ROLES AGE VERSION # minikube Ready control-plane 10s v1.x.x Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode Option B: Kind (Kubernetes in Docker) Install Kind macOS (Homebre