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kubernetes/minikube

A tool that runs a local single-node or multi-node Kubernetes cluster on macOS, Linux, and Windows for application development.

Open-source alternative to:Docker Desktop

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What is it?

minikube sets up a local Kubernetes cluster on a developer's machine, aiming to be a practical tool for building and testing Kubernetes applications locally. It runs the latest stable Kubernetes release and supports several container runtimes, so you can choose the runtime that fits your setup.

Beyond basic cluster creation, minikube covers common networking and access needs. The `minikube tunnel` command exposes LoadBalancer services, `minikube service` opens NodePort services, and the `minikube dashboard` command launches the Kubernetes web UI. It also supports multiple named clusters via profiles, persistent volumes, filesystem mounts, and GPU passthrough for NVIDIA and AMD hardware.

minikube provides an addons system for enabling pre-packaged services on the cluster, and it can run in GitHub Codespaces or CI environments.

Key features

  • 01Exposes LoadBalancer services locally with `minikube tunnel`.
  • 02Runs multiple named clusters side by side using profiles.
  • 03Supports selectable container runtimes and configurable apiserver and kubelet options.
  • 04Provides a built-in dashboard launched with `minikube dashboard`.
  • 05Includes addons for enabling pre-packaged services and GPU support for NVIDIA and AMD.

Use cases

  • Developing and testing Kubernetes applications on a laptop before deploying to a shared cluster.
  • Running Kubernetes-based integration tests in CI pipelines.
  • Experimenting with Kubernetes features such as persistent volumes and LoadBalancer services locally.
  • Running GPU-accelerated machine learning workloads on a local cluster.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Follow the Getting Started Guide to install minikube

  2. 2

    Start a local cluster

    minikube start

In collections

CLI & terminal tools

Topics

#kubernetes#containers#local-development#cluster#devops#cli#cncf#go#minikube

FAQ

What is minikube?
A tool that runs a local single-node or multi-node Kubernetes cluster on macOS, Linux, and Windows for application development. minikube sets up a local Kubernetes cluster on a developer's machine, aiming to be a practical tool for building and testing Kubernetes applications locally. It runs the latest stable Kubernetes release and supports several container runtimes, so you can choose the runtime that fits your setup.
Is minikube free to use? What license does it have?
minikube is open source under the Apache-2.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is minikube still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to minikube was on Oct 23, 2026.
What can I use minikube for?
Developing and testing Kubernetes applications on a laptop before deploying to a shared cluster. Running Kubernetes-based integration tests in CI pipelines. Experimenting with Kubernetes features such as persistent volumes and LoadBalancer services locally. Running GPU-accelerated machine learning workloads on a local cluster.
How do I install minikube?
Follow the Getting Started Guide to install minikube Start a local cluster: minikube start
Where can I get minikube?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/kubernetes/minikube

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