cert-manager

cert-manager adds certificates and certificate issuers as resource types in Kubernetes clusters, and simplifies the process of obtaining, renewing and using those certificates. The cert-manager Helm chart automates deployment and configuration of cert-manager in Kubernetes clusters using the Minimus cert-manager images.

Prerequisites

A subscription to the Minimus images included in the chart
A running Kubernetes cluster (v1.22 or higher is recommended)
kubectl installed and configured
Helm v3.8 or higher for OCI support (Installation instructions)
Cluster Admin privileges

Note: cert-manager uses Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs) for Certificates, Issuers, and related resources. You can install CRDs by adding --set cert-manager.crds.enabled=true to your helm install command, or install them separately from the cert-manager releases.

Try It Out

In this example we will deploy cert-manager on a Kubernetes cluster using the Minimus cert-manager Helm chart. cert-manager will provide automated TLS certificate management for your Kubernetes workloads.

Step 1: Start Cluster

If you have a cluster to work with, skip this step. Otherwise, start a Minikube cluster. Deployment instructions

Step 2: Create Namespace

Create a namespace:

kubectl create ns cert-manager

Step 3: Deploy the Helm Chart

Deploy the Minimus Helm chart:

helm install my-cert-manager oci://helm.mini.dev/cert-manager \
  --version v1.19.4 \
  --set cert-manager.crds.enabled=true \
  -n cert-manager \
  --wait

If you want to override the chart's defaults, go to the Values tab, save a copy locally with your changes. Deploy the chart with your overrides using -f values.yaml:

helm install my-cert-manager oci://helm.mini.dev/cert-manager \
  --version v1.19.4 \
  -f values.yaml \
  --set cert-manager.crds.enabled=true \
  -n cert-manager \
  --wait

Step 4: Verify cert-manager is Running

Confirm the chart deployed successfully and cert-manager started:

kubectl get pods -n cert-manager

You should see output similar to:

NAME                                          READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
my-cert-manager-xxxxxxxxx-xxxxx               1/1     Running   0          2m
my-cert-manager-cainjector-xxxxxxxxx-xxxxx    1/1     Running   0          2m
my-cert-manager-webhook-xxxxxxxxx-xxxxx       1/1     Running   0          2m

Step 5: Test Certificate Issuance

Create a self-signed issuer and a test certificate to verify cert-manager is working:

cat <<EOF | kubectl apply -f -
apiVersion: cert-manager.io/v1
kind: Issuer
metadata:
  name: test-selfsigned
  namespace: cert-manager
spec:
  selfSigned: {}
---
apiVersion: cert-manager.io/v1
kind: Certificate
metadata:
  name: test-cert
  namespace: cert-manager
spec:
  secretName: test-cert-tls
  issuerRef:
    name: test-selfsigned
    kind: Issuer
  commonName: test.example.com
  dnsNames:
    - test.example.com
EOF

Wait for the certificate to be issued:

kubectl wait --for=condition=Ready certificate/test-cert -n cert-manager --timeout=60s

You should see:

certificate.cert-manager.io/test-cert condition met

Step 6: Clean Up

Uninstall the chart and delete the namespace to remove all resources:

helm uninstall my-cert-manager -n cert-manager
kubectl delete namespace cert-manager

Terms & Info

Trademark

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Disclaimer

Images are provided "as-is" without warranty of any kind. "Hardened" refers to the security configuration applied at the time of build and does not constitute a guarantee of ongoing security or absence of vulnerabilities. The free tier is provided without support, SLA, or guaranteed patching timelines. Security updates may be applied to paid subscriptions before or instead of free tier images. By pulling or using any image you agree to our Terms of Use.

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