Rancher on Alpine Linux: Installing Rancher on Alpine Linux

This article provides a step-by-step guide to installing Rancher on Alpine Linux. Rancher requires Docker to run, so we will start by installing Docker and then proceed to set up Rancher.

Prerequisites:

• Alpine Linux server prepared as per the previous article
• Internet access for downloading Docker and Rancher images

Steps:

1. Install Docker:
   Docker is a platform that allows you to develop, ship, and run applications in containers. To install Docker on Alpine Linux, run the following command:

   sudo apk add docker

   Enable Docker to start on boot:

   sudo rc-update add docker boot

   Start the Docker service:

   sudo service docker start

   You can verify that Docker is running by checking its status:

   sudo service docker status

2. Download and Run Rancher:
   With Docker installed, you can now download and run Rancher. Use the following command to pull the Rancher Docker image and start a Rancher container:

   sudo docker run -d --restart=unless-stopped \
     -p 80:80 -p 443:443 \
     --privileged \
     rancher/rancher:latest

   This command will download the latest Rancher image and run it in a Docker container. The --restart=unless-stopped option ensures that the Rancher container restarts automatically if it crashes or if the server reboots.

3. Access the Rancher Web Console:
   Once the Rancher container is running, you can access the Rancher web console. Open a web browser and navigate to https://. You will see the Rancher setup page where you can configure your Rancher instance.
   Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the initial setup. You will be prompted to set up an admin password and configure the Rancher server settings.

With Rancher installed and running, you now have a powerful tool for managing Kubernetes clusters. In the next article, we will guide you through deploying your first application using Rancher on Alpine Linux.