How to Install Kubernetes Cluster on Ubuntu 24.04 | Step-by-Step Guide

In this tutorial, I will walk you through the process of installing a Kubernetes cluster on Ubuntu 24.04 using Kubeadm. We will cover each step required to get your cluster up and running, from setting hostnames to testing the deployment. Whether you're new to Kubernetes or looking to refine your setup, this guide is for you!
In this video, you will learn:
1) Set Hostname & Update Hosts File
Configure the master and worker nodes' hostnames and update the hosts file for network communication.
sudo hostnamectl set-hostname "k8s-control-node" // Master Node
sudo hostnamectl set-hostname "k8s-worker01-node" // Worker Node 1
sudo hostnamectl set-hostname "k8s-worker02-node" // Worker Node 2
add the following lines to /etc/hosts file on each node
192.168.1.56 k8s-control-node
192.168.1.57 k8s-worker01-node
192.168.1.58 k8s-worker02-node
2) Disable Swap & Load Kernel Modules
Disable swap memory and configure kernel modules like overlay and br_netfilter for Kubernetes.
sudo swapoff -a && sudo sed -i '/ swap / s/^\(.*\)$/#\1/g' /etc/fstab
sudo modprobe overlay && sudo modprobe br_netfilter
Create a file with following content
sudo vi /etc/modules-load.d/k8s.conf
overlay
br_netfilter
Next, add the kernel parameters like IP forwarding. Create a file and load the parameters using sysctl command,
sudo vi /etc/sysctl.d/kubernetes.conf
net.bridge.bridge-nf-call-ip6tables = 1
net.bridge.bridge-nf-call-iptables = 1
net.ipv4.ip_forward = 1
To load the above kernel parameters, run
sudo sysctl --system
3) Install Containerd
Install and configure containerd with SystemdCgroup to manage container runtime.
sudo apt install -y curl gnupg2 software-properties-common apt-transport-https ca-certificates
sudo curl -fsSL download.docke... | sudo gpg --dearmour -o /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/containerd.gpg
sudo add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] download.docke... $(lsb_release -cs) stable"
sudo apt update && sudo apt install containerd.io -y
containerd config default | sudo tee /etc/containerd/config.toml
sudo sed -i 's/SystemdCgroup \= false/SystemdCgroup \= true/g' /etc/containerd/config.toml
4) Add Kubernetes Package Repository
Download and configure the Kubernetes package repository for Ubuntu 24.04.
curl -fsSL pkgs.k8s.io/co... | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/k8s.gpg
echo 'deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/k8s.gpg] pkgs.k8s.io/co... /' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/k8s.list
5) Install Kubernetes Components
Install Kubeadm, Kubelet, and Kubectl on all nodes to manage your Kubernetes cluster.
sudo apt update
sudo apt install kubelet kubeadm kubectl -y
6) Initialize the Kubernetes Cluster
Initialize the control plane node using Kubeadm.
sudo kubeadm init --control-plane-endpoint=k8s-control-node
On the master node, run following set of commands.
mkdir -p $HOME/.kube
sudo cp -i /etc/kubernetes/admin.conf $HOME/.kube/config
sudo chown $(id -u):$(id -g) $HOME/.kube/config
7) Join Worker Nodes
Add worker nodes to your Kubernetes cluster using the token generated during initialization.
sudo kubeadm join k8s-master-noble:6443 --token xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Now head back to the master node and run kubectl get nodes command to verify the status of worker nodes.
kubectl get nodes
8) Install Calico Network Plugin
kubectl create -f raw.githubuser...
After the successful installation of calico, nodes status will change to Ready in a minute or two.
kubectl get pods -n kube-system
kubectl get nodes
9) Test Kubernetes Installation
Create and expose an NGINX deployment to verify the setup.
kubectl create ns demo-app
kubectl create deployment nginx-app --image nginx --replicas 2 --namespace demo-app
kubectl get deployment -n demo-app
kubectl get pods -n demo-app
kubectl expose deployment nginx-app -n demo-app --type NodePort --port 80
kubectl get svc -n demo-app
Now try to access your application using nodeport
curl Any-worker-IP:30336
By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have a fully functioning Kubernetes cluster with networking and a test deployment.
📌 Commands and configurations mentioned in the video are included step-by-step. Make sure to follow along!
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#Kubernetes #Ubuntu24 #Kubeadm #Containerd #Linux #Calico #K8s

[@Fayaz-Rehman]

Great - Thank you - This is the power of bash scripting. I have a question: Are you using three nodes from kvm or bare metal hypervisor ? Also what if I want to install kubernetes 1.28 - will these scripts work for older versions. While switching off swap - the swap file also needs to be deleted to clear some space. Not sure if I can install everything as "root" user.

[@linuxtechi9979]

I have used Virtual Box VMs in the demo. Yes, you can use the same steps and instructions for K8s 1.28, make sure you specify k8s version 1.28 while configuring APT repository