Quick Start¶

This guide will help you get a local Crossplane development environment running in minutes.

Prerequisites¶

Before starting, ensure you have:

• Docker installed and running
• kubectl installed

Step 1: Install kindplane¶

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kanzifucius/kindplane/main/install.sh | bash

Step 2: Check Prerequisites¶

Verify your system is ready:

kindplane doctor

Step 3: Initialise Configuration¶

Create a configuration file:

kindplane init

This creates a kindplane.yaml file with sensible defaults. The file includes:

• A Kind cluster with 1 control plane and 1 worker node
• Crossplane installation
• AWS and Kubernetes providers

Step 4: Bootstrap the Cluster¶

Create and configure your cluster:

kindplane up

This command will:

1. Create a Kind cluster
2. Install Crossplane
3. Install configured providers
4. Wait for providers to become healthy
5. Install any configured Helm charts
6. Apply compositions (if configured)

Step 5: Verify Status¶

Check that everything is running:

kindplane status

Step 6: Use Your Cluster¶

Your cluster is now ready! You can:

# List Crossplane providers
kubectl get providers

# Check provider status
kubectl get providers -o wide

# Apply a Crossplane resource
kubectl apply -f my-resource.yaml

Step 7: Clean Up¶

When you're done, delete the cluster:

kindplane down --force

Next Steps¶

• Configure your cluster with custom settings
• Add more providers for different clouds
• Install Helm charts for additional tools
• Export resources for GitOps workflows

Example: Minimal Configuration¶

Here's a minimal configuration to get started:

cluster:
  name: my-dev-cluster

crossplane:
  version: "1.15.0"
  providers:
    - name: provider-kubernetes
      package: xpkg.upbound.io/crossplane-contrib/provider-kubernetes:v0.12.0

Example: Full Development Setup¶

Here's a more complete development configuration:

cluster:
  name: dev-cluster
  kubernetesVersion: "1.29.0"
  nodes:
    controlPlane: 1
    workers: 2
  portMappings:
    - containerPort: 80
      hostPort: 8080
      protocol: TCP
  ingress:
    enabled: true

crossplane:
  version: "1.15.0"
  providers:
    - name: provider-aws
      package: xpkg.upbound.io/upbound/provider-aws-s3:v1.1.0
    - name: provider-kubernetes
      package: xpkg.upbound.io/crossplane-contrib/provider-kubernetes:v0.12.0

charts:
  # Install External Secrets Operator via charts
  - name: external-secrets
    repo: https://charts.external-secrets.io
    chart: external-secrets
    namespace: external-secrets
    phase: post-providers
    values:
      installCRDs: true

  # Install ingress controller
  - name: ingress-nginx
    repo: https://kubernetes.github.io/ingress-nginx
    chart: ingress-nginx
    namespace: ingress-nginx
    phase: final
    wait: true