Hey everyone! I'm working on setting up a unique Kubernetes cluster for my home lab, and I'm considering using Mac Minis. My goal is to prioritize reliability and power efficiency. I'm thinking about getting some used M1 or M2 models and running Asahi Linux since compatibility seems manageable. However, I saw that the new M4 Macs are relatively inexpensive right now, and I'm curious if they would also work with Kubernetes on macOS, even though I know that cgroups aren't available there. Has anyone experimented with using multiple instances of M1, M2, or M4 Mac Minis in a Kubernetes setup? Also, will deploying service meshes like Istio pose any challenges if I'm not using Asahi Linux? Thanks for the help!
1 Answer
Honestly, I wouldn't recommend going this route. Even though you can find M1 and M2 Mac Minis at decent prices, you might find better value with some old Raspberry Pis paired with SSDs instead. They are super power-efficient, way cheaper than Macs, and you won't have to deal with the complexities of virtualization. Trust me, I've built all sorts of clusters, and while using Macs can work, it can be quite a hassle due to sudo-virtualization on macOS. If speed and power efficiency aren't top priorities, Raspberry Pis might be the way to go!
That's true! For learning Kubernetes, I'd suggest using cloud services or just running a single instance on Proxmox. It could simplify things a lot.