Simple Guide: Install Argo CD in Kubernetes

1. Create a Namespace for Argo CD

kubectl create namespace argocd

2. Install Argo CD

Apply the Argo CD manifest in the argocd namespace:

kubectl apply -n argocd -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/argoproj/argo-cd/stable/manifests/install.yaml

3. Access the Argo CD UI

Option 1: Port Forwarding

Expose the Argo CD API server locally:

kubectl port-forward svc/argocd-server -n argocd 8080:443
# or
kubectl patch svc argocd-server -n argocd -p '{"spec": {"type": "NodePort", "ports": [{"port": 80, "targetPort": 8080, "nodePort": 30080}, {"port": 443, "targetPort": 8081, "nodePort": 30443}]}}'
 

Access the UI at: https://localhost:8080 (opens in a new tab)

Option 2: Ingress (Optional)

If you prefer external access, set up an ingress with your domain.

4. Log In to Argo CD

1. Get the initial admin password:

   kubectl -n argocd get secret argocd-initial-admin-secret -o jsonpath="{.data.password}" | base64 -d; echo

2. Login to the Argo CD UI:

   • Username: admin
   • Password: [Use the password from above]

5. Deploy Your First Application

1. Connect your Git repository from the Settings > Repositories in the Argo CD UI.
2. Create a new application by specifying:
   • Application Name
   • Repository URL
   • Target Namespace and other settings.

Argo CD will deploy the application to your Kubernetes cluster.

DOCS 2

Argo CD Setup on EKS

This guide covers installing and accessing Argo CD on an Amazon EKS cluster.

1. Create Argo CD Namespace

kubectl create namespace argocd

2. Install Argo CD

kubectl apply -n argocd -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/argoproj/argo-cd/stable/manifests/install.yaml

3. Verify Installation

kubectl get pods -n argocd

4. Expose Argo CD Server via LoadBalancer

By default, argocd-server is a ClusterIP service. Patch it to a LoadBalancer:

kubectl patch svc argocd-server -n argocd \
  -p '{"spec": {"type": "LoadBalancer"}}'

5. Get Argo CD Service Details

kubectl get svc -n argocd argocd-server

Note the EXTERNAL-IP — this is the URL for accessing the Argo CD web UI.

6. Get Argo CD Initial Admin Password

kubectl -n argocd get secret argocd-initial-admin-secret \
  -o jsonpath="{.data.password}" | base64 --decode; echo

7. Install Argo CD CLI

wget https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/releases/latest/download/argocd-linux-amd64
sudo install -m 555 argocd-linux-amd64 /usr/local/bin/argocd
rm argocd-linux-amd64

8. Login to Argo CD from CLI

argocd login <ARGOCD_SERVER_URL>

Example:

argocd login argocd-server.example.com

Username: admin Password: (from Step 6)