/Projects
Homelab Kubernetes Cluster
A bare-metal, highly available Kubernetes cluster built on HP EliteDesk mini PCs with Talos Linux, documented from the first boot onwards.
Started
- Talos Linux
- Kubernetes
- Flannel
- HP EliteDesk 800 G4
- 10-inch rack
Overview
This is my hands-on Kubernetes lab: a small rack of HP EliteDesk mini PCs running Talos Linux on bare metal, with no hypervisor and no managed control plane. It’s built to behave like a real platform: three control-plane nodes for high availability, a floating API endpoint, and dedicated workers.
Why I’m building it
I’m building it for three reasons: to sharpen my Kubernetes skills ahead of the CKA, to self-host tools I actually use, and to have somewhere I can break things on purpose and practise recovering, which you can’t do on platforms people depend on.
The posts in this series cover the build in order, including the dead ends: architecture decisions, hardware issues, bootstrapping, failover testing and everything after.
Coming next
Worker nodes, Longhorn storage, and GitOps.
Hardware(8)
The cluster started with five nodes; a sixth joined later to give me three workers — the reason gets its own post.
qty 6
HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini — Intel Core i5-8500
second-hand
3 control-plane nodes, 3 workers. The i5-8500 is a vPro CPU, which enables Intel AMT for remote power and screen access. If you're buying, check the CPU: lookalike units with an i5-8400 or i3 have no AMT.
qty —
RAM (DDR4 SO-DIMM)
second-hand
Control planes: 16 GB each. Workers: 32 GB (WN1), 24 GB (WN2), 16 GB (WN3).
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NVMe SSD (128 GB / 256 GB)
second-hand
One per node for the Talos OS install. Storage for workloads comes in a later post.
qty 1
Tec Mojo 10" 12U open rack
new
qty 6
Tec Mojo 10" 1U vented shelves
new
qty 1
10" rack PDU (UK sockets)
new
Tec Mojo
qty 1
Netgear GS308E 8-port managed switch
new
Sits in the rack.
qty 6 × 20 cm, 10 × 50 cm
Tec Mojo Cat6 patch cables
new
Posts in this series(3)
01
Why I'm building a bare-metal Kubernetes homelab
Five second-hand mini PCs, a 10-inch rack and a plan: why I'm building Kubernetes from the metal up, and the decisions that shaped it.
- #homelab
- #kubernetes
- #talos
- #bare-metal
02
Designing the lab: hardware, rack and power
Why five identical HP EliteDesk mini PCs, how I split the memory, and what it took to fit a Kubernetes cluster into a 10-inch rack on a corner shelf.
- #homelab
- #hardware
- #rack
- #bare-metal
03
Homelab networking: the part everyone skips
An IP address plan for a bare-metal Kubernetes cluster on an ordinary home network: DHCP reservations, a floating API address, and room to grow.
- #homelab
- #networking
- #dhcp
- #kubernetes