Kubernetes connection error in Mac

Question

OS : OSX (mac)

Docker : 18.06.0-ce (edge)

Kubernetes : 1.10.3

I use Kubernetes for the first time.

I tried Google but could not find the manual for Kubernetes, which operates on the Mac.

Running kubectl version outputs The connection to the server localhost:8080 was refused - did you specify the right host or port?

Answer 1

I came across this issue when changing from minikube to the Docker Desktop supplied Kubernetes. For me, the issue was caused by a stale .kube configuration. Posting my workaround here as this was the first result I found on google when looking to troubleshoot the issue.

1. Uninstall Minikube

I had originally installed with homebrew: brew uninstall minikube. If installed using other methods, go back to your install source for uninstall info.

After minikube was uninstalled, I restarted my machine which may or may not have been necessary but it is what I did.

2. Disable Kubernetes in docker Desktop

1. Open Docker Desktop preferences, click Kubernetes menu
2. De-select 'Enable Kubernetes' checkbox. Click Apply & Restart

3. Remove old kube and minikube config

1. Open terminal to your home directory.
2. Check for settings directories: ls -al and look for .kube and .minikube.
3. Remove .kube settings: rm -rf ./.kube.
4. Remove .minikube settings: rm -rf ./.minikube.
5. Confirm: ls -al and make sure the .kube and .minikube directories have been deleted.
6. If everything looks good, close terminal.

4. Re-enable Kubernetes in Docker Desktop

1. Open Docker Desktop preferences, click Kubernetes menu
2. Select 'Enable Kubernetes' checkbox. Click Apply & Restart
3. Open new terminal window and run kubectl version. You should see info for Client Version and Server Version if everything worked.