I’ve been using Docker Desktop for years. When I started supporitng Kubernetes in the workplace I enabled the Kubernetes feature within Docker Desktop for any local testing. I was able to do everything I needed - for example adding metrics server for HPA testing and using port-forward to get to nodePort IP’s.
As I’m trying to broaden my exposure to k8s I’m finding all the various blogs and YT videos are 100% (not even 90 or 95 or 99) using Minikube. Can someone please fill me in on what I’m missing? I figure most others also already have Docker Desktop installed but still chose to add Minikube?
I went the Docker route for no other reason than it was already there and again stuck with it because it did everything I needed. As a side note I typically work on Windows OS with WSL Ubuntu insatlled - any docker/kubectl commands I would work from within Ubuntu.
Are you able to do this simple demo with Services?
I moved from DD to minikube because I wasn’t able to get things working and now even this fails on minikube. (No way I am going to go out and get a MacOS just for this).
all the same in development, but DD uses kubectl version -1, if this may matter to you
with minikube it is also easy to enable some controllers like ingress- helm , isto
It’s great that Docker Desktop has served your Kubernetes needs well so far! Many developers use Docker Desktop with Kubernetes for local testing, and it works fine for most scenarios. However, Minikube is often preferred in tutorials and blogs for several reasons. First, Minikube is a dedicated Kubernetes tool, designed specifically for running local clusters, so it provides more native Kubernetes features and flexibility than Docker Desktop. It supports multiple Kubernetes versions, which makes it easier to test across different environments. Also, Minikube allows for greater customization with multiple drivers (e.g., VirtualBox, KVM) and resources allocation. Since Minikube is closer to a production-like environment, it’s used widely in learning materials and by people looking for a deeper Kubernetes experience. If you’re looking to expand your Kubernetes knowledge, experimenting with Minikube could be a good next step. Both tools can coexist, and with WSL installed, you should have no issues running Minikube alongside Docker Desktop.