Setting up ArgoCD on a local cluster

Local kubernetes clusters like Orbstack, Docker desktop don’t give api server ip which can be accessed from within the pod and outside universally. There is no single URL.

To be able to access it from within the pod a server parameter should be internal dns name like..

server: https://kubernetes.default.svc.cluster.local

However this server exposed as on your desktop.

server: https://127.0.0.1:26443

This poses a unique challenge while installing ArgoCD, argocd cluster add command will fail.

Workaround:

Create a bootstrap docker image and run that docker image as a pod in your default namespace in your cluster. Dockerfile

FROM debian:bullseye-slim

# Install dependencies
RUN apt-get update && \
    apt-get install -y curl ca-certificates vim && \
    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

# Install kubectl (ARM64)
RUN curl -Lo /usr/local/bin/kubectl https://dl.k8s.io/release/v1.28.0/bin/linux/arm64/kubectl && \
    chmod +x /usr/local/bin/kubectl

# Install ArgoCD CLI (ARM64)
RUN curl -sSL -o /usr/local/bin/argocd https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/releases/latest/download/argocd-linux-arm64 && \
    chmod +x /usr/local/bin/argocd

# Optionally, install bash-completion for ease of use
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y bash-completion && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

Then copy your current context to the pod and change server parameter to https://kubernetes.default.svc.cluster.local

Then sit in this pod and install ArgoCD as per documentation, which includes installation, running proxy to argocd-server, setting up initial password and login. (actually you want run the proxy on your laptop and set the password)

Login to argocd from within the pod by using ip addess, no need of the proxy.

From within the pod execute this command as per documentation

argocd cluster add

Acknowledgement: This idea have emerged with the help of github copilot while installing it on my Orbstack cluster on M4 Mac.