Installation

Kubermatic Virtualization Installation Overview

The Kubermatic Virtualization Installer offers multiple installation methods for deploying a Kubermatic Virtualization stack, enabling users to select the approach that best aligns with their operational preferences. You can choose between a guided, interactive installation or a fully automated, GitOps-driven workflow. Both methods also support offline mode, making them suitable for fully offline environments or air-gapped environments.

Interactive TUI Installation

Kubermatic Virtualization can be installed using an interactive Terminal User Interface (TUI). This method guides users step by step through the installation process.

During the TUI-based installation, the user is prompted to:

• Prompting for all required configuration values in a structured sequence
• Offering interactive selection of installation options (e.g., Load balancing settings, network settings, offline mode)
• Validating inputs in real time to prevent misconfigurations before provisioning begins

Once all inputs are collected and confirmed, the installer automatically provisions and configures the full Kubermatic Virtualization stack.

This approach is ideal for:

• Quick, one-time installations
• First-time users exploring Kubermatic Virtualization
• Proof-of-concept (PoC) or demo environments
• Teams or individuals who prefer a guided, interactive experience over manual configuration

API-Driven - Declarative Installation

Kubermatic Virtualization also supports an API-driven installation approach, aligned with GitOps and cloud-native best practices.

In this model, the installation is defined and controlled through a Kubermatic Virtualization configuration file, which declaratively specifies the complete desired state of the Kubermatic Virtualization stack. This configuration file can be:

• Stored in version control (e.g., Git)
• Applied declaratively
• Automatically reconciled to ensure the live system matches the declared state

This approach enables Infrastructure as Code (IaC) workflows and simplifies ongoing operations.

This approach is ideal for:

• GitOps-oriented teams and environments
• Simplified future upgrades and reconfigurations
• Users seeking a persistent, reusable, and portable installation configuration

Offline Mode (Fully Offline or Air-Gapped Installations)

Both installation methods—Interactive TUI and Declarative GitOps—fully support offline mode, enabling you to deploy a complete Kubermatic Virtualization (KubeV) stack in air-gapped or disconnected environments.

To prepare for an offline installation, you’ll need to perform a few additional upfront steps, such as:

• Preloading required container images into a local registry
• Providing access to internal or mirrored package repositories
• Configuring the installation to disable or replace any external dependencies (e.g., public APIs, update servers, or cloud integrations)

Detailed, step-by-step guidance for preparing and executing an offline installation—including image bundles, registry setup, and configuration adjustments—is available in the dedicated Offline Mode section of this documentation.

With flexible installation workflows and comprehensive offline support, Kubermatic Virtualization delivers consistent, secure, and reproducible deployments across diverse infrastructure environments—from connected cloud setups to fully isolated on-premises data centers.