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🪟 Windows (WSL2)

LaraKube CLI is built for professional Kubernetes orchestration. Because of the complex networking and file permission requirements of Kubernetes, Windows users MUST use WSL2.

No Windows-Native Support

We do not support running LaraKube CLI directly in PowerShell or CMD. You will encounter pathing and symlink errors. Always use the instructions below.

🛠 Prerequisites​

  1. WSL2 (Ubuntu Recommended): Install via wsl --install.
  2. Docker Desktop:
    • Go to Settings ➔ General ➔ Enable Use the WSL 2 based engine.
    • Go to Settings ➔ Resources ➔ WSL Integration ➔ Enable for your distribution (e.g. Ubuntu).

🚀 Setup Instructions​

1. Enter your WSL2 Terminal​

Open your Ubuntu (or other Linux) terminal. All subsequent commands must be run here.

2. Install LaraKube CLI​

Download and install the standalone binary inside WSL2:

curl -sSL https://larakube.luchtech.dev/install.sh | bash

3. Prepare your Cluster​

Windows users have two elite options for local Kubernetes:

Option A: Docker Desktop (Integrated) For the most integrated experience, use the engine provided by Docker Desktop:

  1. Open Docker Desktop Settings ➔ Kubernetes.
  2. Check Enable Kubernetes.

LaraKube CLI inside WSL2 will automatically detect and orchestrate this cluster.

Option B: k3d (Automated & Isolated) If you prefer a more isolated cluster approach inside your WSL2 environment:

# Automated k3d cluster creation
larakube cluster:setup

4. Port Forwarding & Trust​

  1. Trust SSL: Run larakube trust inside your WSL2 terminal to install the Local CA.
  2. Firewall: Ensure your Windows firewall allows Docker Desktop to listen on ports 80 and 443.

Your Windows browser will talk to the cluster inside WSL2 seamlessly.

📐 Why WSL2?​

By running LaraKube CLI inside WSL2, you get true Linux-native performance and file compatibility. Your Laravel code remains on the Linux filesystem, avoiding the slow "9p" mount performance of the standard Windows drive mounts.