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k3d-cluster-part1

This repository contains the code and configurations for Part 1: Preparations of the "Home Services Project" article series. Here, I transform an old HP notebook into a home server by setting up a lightweight Kubernetes cluster using k3d. The goal is to prepare the server for hosting ScanserverJS (a scanning service) and Paperless-NGX (a document management solution), all managed via Kubernetes.

Overview

In this part, I:

  • Repurpose an HP notebook as a home server (currently a print/scan station via USB MFU).
  • Use Ansible to automate the setup of a k3d cluster—a lightweight Kubernetes environment running in Docker.
  • Configure persistent storage with local-path-provisioner and automated TLS certificates with cert-manager and step-ca.

This setup is ideal for learning Kubernetes on limited hardware while preparing for real workloads.

Repository Contents

  • Ansible Playbooks: Automate server prep, k3d deployment, and cluster configuration (playbooks/).
  • Templates: Jinja2 templates for k3d config, cert-manager, and step-ca (templates/).
  • Variables: Group and host variables for customization (group_vars/, host_vars/).
  • Inventory: Example inventory.yaml for Ansible.

Key files:

.
├── ansible.cfg
├── group_vars/
│   ├── k3d_servers.yml
│   └── local_servers.yml
├── host_vars/
│   └── k3d.yaml
├── inventory.yaml
├── playbooks/
│   ├── main.yaml
│   └── sections/
│       ├── deploy-certmanager.yaml
│       ├── deploy-helm.yaml
│       ├── deploy-k3d.yaml
│       ├── deploy-local-path.yaml
│       ├── deploy-step-ca.yaml
│       └── prep_server.yaml
└── templates/
    ├── cert-manager.yaml.j2
    ├── clusterissuer.yaml.j2
    ├── k3d-config.yml.j2
    └── smallstep-values.yaml.j2

Prerequisites

  • An old computer (e.g., HP notebook) with Linux (Debian/Ubuntu tested).
  • Docker installed on the server.
  • Ansible installed on your control machine.
  • Basic knowledge of Kubernetes, Docker, and Ansible.

Usage

  1. Clone the Repository: 
    git clone https://github.com/stillru/k3d-cluster-part1.git
cd k3d-cluster-part1
  2. Customize Variables: Edit group_vars/k3d_servers.yml and host_vars/k3d.yaml with your server details (e.g., hostname, IP).
  3. Update Inventory: Adjust inventory.yaml to point to your server.
  4. Run Ansible: 
    ansible-playbook -i inventory.yaml playbooks/main.yaml
    This sets up the server, installs k3d, and configures the cluster with storage and certificates.

What’s Next?

This is Part 1 of a series. In Part 2, I’ll deploy ScanserverJS and Paperless-NGX into this cluster. Check the full article for detailed explanations and diagrams. Stay tuned!

Contributing

Feel free to fork, tweak, or submit pull requests. Issues and suggestions are welcome!

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License—see LICENSE for details.

Happy clustering! Follow my journey on GitHub or connect via email. Also you can discover my journey in IT at Personal site