Requirements
Ubuntu version, SSH access, and network rules for servers you connect to Kubeara.
Kubeara deploys onto machines you provide. The control panel (Cloud or self-hosted) must reach those machines over SSH during connect. After that, the agent talks outbound.
Connected servers (workloads)
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| OS | Ubuntu 22.04 or newer |
| Access | SSH with a user that can install packages / run Docker as configured by Kubeara |
| Reachability | Host and port reachable from the control panel at connect time |
| Disk | Enough space for images, volumes, and logs for the services you deploy |
| GPU (optional) | NVIDIA stack on the host if you deploy GPU models; Kubeara reports utilization, VRAM, and temperature per container |
You do not need to pre-install Docker, configure the firewall for each service, or issue certificates. Kubeara does that on the connected server.
Network
- Connect uses SSH from the panel to the server.
- Runtime uses an outbound-only agent. You should not leave an inbound Kubeara management port open on the internet for the panel to scrape the host.
- TLS for published services is provisioned automatically (Let's Encrypt). The host must be able to complete HTTP-01 or the challenge path your install uses — typically the server needs a public DNS name for automatic certificates.
If the server sits behind a firewall, allow SSH from the panel’s IP (Cloud) or from your self-hosted panel host. Do not expose Docker or database ports to the world unless you intend to.
Control panel host (self-hosted only)
To run self-hosted Kubeara you need:
- Linux, macOS, or Windows (WSL / Git Bash), or Windows PowerShell with Docker Desktop
- Docker and Docker Compose (the install script can install Docker Engine on Linux)
curlandopensslfor the one-line installer- A port for the dashboard (default 3000 — check installer output)
Accounts
- Cloud: register with email. No credit card for the free tier.
- Self-hosted: first-run setup in the dashboard after install. No Kubeara Cloud account is required for the MIT-licensed panel.
What Kubeara does not require
- A DevOps ticket to write nginx or certbot scripts
- Packing SSH keys into a wiki in plain text (the product encrypts credentials; see Security)
- Moving Postgres data, model weights, or app files onto Kubeara-owned disks