---
title:  Installation
---

import Tabs from '@theme/Tabs';
import TabItem from '@theme/TabItem';

> For upgrading existing KubeVela, please read the [upgrade guide](../platform-engineers/advanced-install/#upgrade).

## 1. Choose Control Plane Cluster

Requirements:
- Kubernetes cluster >= v1.18.0
- `kubectl` installed and configured

KubeVela relies on Kubernetes as control plane. The control plane could be any managed Kubernetes offering or your own cluster. The only requirement is please ensure [ingress-nginx](https://kubernetes.github.io/ingress-nginx/deploy/) is installed and enabled.

For local deployment and test, you could use `minikube` or `kind`.

<Tabs
className="unique-tabs"
defaultValue="minikube"
values={[
{label: 'Minikube', value: 'minikube'},
{label: 'Kind', value: 'kind'},
]}>
<TabItem value="minikube">

Follow the minikube [installation guide](https://minikube.sigs.k8s.io/docs/start/).

Then spins up a minikube cluster

```shell script
minikube start
```

Install ingress:

```shell script
minikube addons enable ingress
``` 

  </TabItem>
  <TabItem value="kind">

Follow [this guide](https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user/quick-start/#installation) to install kind.

Then spins up a kind cluster:

```shell script
cat <<EOF | kind create cluster --image=kindest/node:v1.18.15 --config=-
kind: Cluster
apiVersion: kind.x-k8s.io/v1alpha4
nodes:
- role: control-plane
  kubeadmConfigPatches:
  - |
    kind: InitConfiguration
    nodeRegistration:
      kubeletExtraArgs:
        node-labels: "ingress-ready=true"
  extraPortMappings:
  - containerPort: 80
    hostPort: 80
    protocol: TCP
  - containerPort: 443
    hostPort: 443
    protocol: TCP
EOF
```

Then install [ingress for kind](https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user/ingress/#ingress-nginx):
```shell script
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes/ingress-nginx/master/deploy/static/provider/kind/deploy.yaml
```

  </TabItem>
</Tabs>


## 2. Install KubeVela

1. Add helm chart repo for KubeVela
    ```shell script
    helm repo add kubevela https://charts.kubevela.net/core
    ```

2. Update the chart repo
    ```shell script
    helm repo update
    ```
   
3. Install KubeVela
    ```shell script
    helm install --create-namespace -n vela-system kubevela kubevela/vela-core
    ```
    By default, it will enable the webhook with a self-signed certificate provided by [kube-webhook-certgen](https://github.com/jet/kube-webhook-certgen).
    You can also [install it with `cert-manager`](../platform-engineers/advanced-install#install-kubevela-with-cert-manager).

4. Verify chart installed successfully
    ```shell script
    helm test kubevela -n vela-system
    ```

    <details> <summary> Click to see the expected output of helm test </summary>

    ```shell
    Pod kubevela-application-test pending
    Pod kubevela-application-test pending
    Pod kubevela-application-test running
    Pod kubevela-application-test succeeded
    NAME: kubevela
    LAST DEPLOYED: Tue Apr 13 18:42:20 2021
    NAMESPACE: vela-system
    STATUS: deployed
    REVISION: 1
    TEST SUITE:     kubevela-application-test
    Last Started:   Fri Apr 16 20:49:10 2021
    Last Completed: Fri Apr 16 20:50:04 2021
    Phase:          Succeeded
    TEST SUITE:     first-vela-app
    Last Started:   Fri Apr 16 20:49:10 2021
    Last Completed: Fri Apr 16 20:49:10 2021
    Phase:          Succeeded
    NOTES:
    Welcome to use the KubeVela! Enjoy your shipping application journey!
    ```

    </details>

## 3. Get KubeVela CLI

KubeVela CLI gives you a simplified workflow to manage applications with optimized output. It is not mandatory though.

KubeVela CLI could be [installed as kubectl plugin](../platform-engineers/advanced-install#install-kubectl-vela-plugin), or install as standalone binary.

<Tabs
    className="unique-tabs"
    defaultValue="script"
    values={[
        {label: 'Script', value: 'script'},
        {label: 'Homebrew', value: 'homebrew'},
        {label: 'Download directly from releases', value: 'download'},
    ]}>
<TabItem value="script">

** macOS/Linux **

```shell script
curl -fsSl https://kubevela.io/script/install.sh | bash
```

**Windows**

```shell script
powershell -Command "iwr -useb https://kubevela.io/script/install.ps1 | iex"
```
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="homebrew">

**macOS/Linux**

Update your brew firstly.
```shell script
brew update
```
Then install kubevela client.

```shell script
brew install kubevela
```
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="download">

- Download the latest `vela` binary from the [releases page](https://github.com/oam-dev/kubevela/releases).
- Unpack the `vela` binary and add it to `$PATH` to get started.

```shell script
sudo mv ./vela /usr/local/bin/vela
```

> Known Issue(https://github.com/oam-dev/kubevela/issues/625): 
> If you're using mac, it will report that “vela” cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified.
>
> The new version of MacOS is stricter about running software you've downloaded that isn't signed with an Apple developer key. And we haven't supported that for KubeVela yet.  
> You can open your 'System Preference' -> 'Security & Privacy' -> General, click the 'Allow Anyway' to temporarily fix it.

</TabItem>
</Tabs>

## 4. Enable Helm Support

KubeVela leverages Helm controller from [Flux v2](https://github.com/fluxcd/flux2) to deploy [Helm](https://helm.sh/) based components.

You can enable this feature by enabling fluxcd addon

```shell
vela addon enable fluxcd
```

Or you could install full Flux v2 following its own guide of course.


## 5. Verify

Checking available application components and traits by `vela` CLI tool:

```shell script
vela components
```
```console
NAME      	NAMESPACE  	WORKLOAD        	DESCRIPTION
task      	vela-system	jobs.batch      	Describes jobs that run code or a script to completion.
webservice	vela-system	deployments.apps	Describes long-running, scalable, containerized services
          	           	                	that have a stable network endpoint to receive external
          	           	                	network traffic from customers.
worker    	vela-system	deployments.apps	Describes long-running, scalable, containerized services
          	           	                	that running at backend. They do NOT have network endpoint
          	           	                	to receive external network traffic.
```

These capabilities are built-in so they are ready to use if showed up. KubeVela is designed to be programmable and fully self-service, so the assumption is more capabilities will be added later per your own needs. 

Also, whenever new capabilities are added in the platform, you will immediately see them in above output.

> See the [advanced installation guide](../platform-engineers/advanced-install) to learn more about installation details.