KevsRobots Learning Platform
Running K3s on Raspberry Pi
25% Percent Complete
Introduction
Preparing Your Raspberry Pi Cluster
Installing K3s
Using Your K3s Cluster
Real-World Deployments
Advanced Topics
Final Project
Summary
Installing K3s
Install K3s on your Raspberry Pi cluster, configure your master node, and prepare for adding workers.
By Kevin McAleer, 2 Minutes
Page last updated May 24, 2025
In this lesson, you’ll install K3s on your Raspberry Pi master node, set up the cluster, and prepare for adding worker nodes.
K3s makes Kubernetes installation fast and easy — especially on resource-limited devices like Raspberry Pi.
🚀 Step 1: SSH into the Master Node
From your main computer, SSH into the Pi that will act as the control plane (master):
Replace
piandpi-master.localwith your username and hostname or IP if needed.
🧰 Step 2: Install K3s (Master Node)
Run this one-liner:
curl -sfL https://get.k3s.io | sh -
K3s will:
- Download and install Kubernetes
- Start systemd service:
k3s.service - Set up networking with Flannel
- Create a default service account and kubeconfig
📁 Step 3: Check Cluster Status
After installation:
sudo k3s kubectl get nodes
You should see your master node listed as Ready.
To make kubectl easier to use, copy the K3s kubeconfig to your user’s home directory:
mkdir -p ~/.kube
sudo cp /etc/rancher/k3s/k3s.yaml ~/.kube/config
sudo chown $(id -u):$(id -g) ~/.kube/config
Now you can run:
kubectl get nodes
🔑 Step 4: Get the Join Token
You’ll need a token to join worker nodes to the cluster:
sudo cat /var/lib/rancher/k3s/server/node-token
Copy the token — you’ll use it on the worker nodes in the next lesson.
🧪 Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
k3s.service fails to start |
Check logs: journalctl -u k3s -e |
kubectl not found |
Use sudo k3s kubectl or set up kubeconfig |
| Token file missing | Confirm you’re on the master node |
| Network errors | Check for cgroup settings and firewalls |
📝 Notes
- K3s uses a built-in SQLite database by default (great for small clusters).
- For multi-master HA setups, use an external datastore (e.g. MySQL, Postgres, etcd).
- The default CNI is Flannel, which works well for most local setups.
🎉 Your Kubernetes control plane is now running!
Next up: Adding Nodes
You can use the arrows ← → on your keyboard to navigate between lessons.
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