Deploy Applications with ArgoCD on a Kubernetes Cluster | GitOps in Kubernetes

Argo CD is a declarative, GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes. In this guide, we will install Argo CD on a Kubernetes cluster, configure it to sync with a Git repository, and deploy applications automatically.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed on your system:
Kubernetes cluster
kubectl command-line tool
Internet access to download Argo CD

Step 1: Install Argo CD

First, create a namespace for Argo CD:

kubectl create namespace argocd

Then, apply the Argo CD installation manifest:

kubectl apply -n argocd -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/argoproj/argo-cd/stable/manifests/install.yaml

Step 2: Install Argo CD CLI

Download and install the Argo CD CLI:

curl -sLO https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/releases/latest/download/argocd-linux-amd64
chmod +x argocd-linux-amd64
sudo mv argocd-linux-amd64 /usr/local/bin/argocd

Step 3: Verify Argo CD Installation

Check if the Argo CD pods are running:

kubectl get pods -n argocd

List the services:

kubectl get svc -n argocd

Step 4: Expose Argo CD Server

Forward the Argo CD server port to access it from your local machine:

kubectl port-forward svc/argocd-server -n argocd 8080:443 --address 0.0.0.0 &

Step 5: Retrieve the Initial Admin Password

Get the initial admin password and decode it:

kubectl get secret argocd-initial-admin-secret -n argocd -o yaml

echo provide-pass-got-from-the-above-command | base64 -d

Step 6: Login to Argo CD

Authenticate with Argo CD using the admin credentials:

argocd login localhost:8080 --username admin --password <INITIAL_PASSWORD> --insecure

Step 7: Connect Argo CD to Your Git Repository

Add your Git repository to Argo CD:

argocd repo add https://github.com/pradeep-kudukkil/kubernetes.git \
  --username your-user-name \
  --password <YOUR_GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN>

Verify the repository connection:

argocd repo list

Step 8: Create and Deploy an Application

Create an application in Argo CD:

argocd app create my-app \
  --repo https://github.com/pradeep-kudukkil/kubernetes.git \
  --path workload \
  --dest-server https://kubernetes.default.svc \
  --dest-namespace default

Enable automatic synchronization:

argocd app set my-app --sync-policy automated --auto-prune --self-heal

Verify deployment:

kubectl get pods
argocd app get my-app

Step 9: Delete an Application (If Needed)

To remove an application, run:

argocd app delete my-app