Install OpenShift Locally: Single-Node Cluster Setup with CodeReady Containers (CRC)

Our course you can check :-   Udemy course 

Here’s the step-by-step guide to install OpenShift locally with full admin access using CodeReady Containers (CRC) on a Windows laptop:

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✅ 1. Check System Requirements

• OS: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit).
• CPU: 4 cores minimum.
• RAM: 9 GB minimum (16 GB recommended).
• Disk: 35 GB free space.
• Virtualization: Enabled in BIOS.
• Hyper-V: Must be enabled (or use WSL2).

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✅ 2. Enable Virtualization & Hyper-V

1. Enable Virtualization in BIOS:
   • Restart → Enter BIOS → Enable Intel VT-x or AMD-V.
2. Enable Hyper-V in Windows:
   • Open PowerShell as Administrator:
     dism.exe /Online /Enable-Feature:Microsoft-Hyper-V /All
   • Restart your system.

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✅ 3. Download CRC

• Go to: Red Hat CRC Download
• Login with your Red Hat account (free to create).
• Download:
  • CRC Windows installer (ZIP).
  • Pull secret (JSON file).

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✅ 4. Install CRC

1. Extract the ZIP file.
2. Move crc.exe to a folder (e.g., C:\crc).
3. Add this folder to your PATH:
   • Search Environment Variables → Edit PATH → Add C:\crc.

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✅ 5. Setup CRC

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and run:

crc setup

This configures networking and Hyper-V for CRC.

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✅ 6. Start the Cluster

Run:

crc start -p C:\path\to\pull-secret.json

• This will:
  • Create a local OpenShift cluster.
  • Print login credentials and console URL.

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✅ 7. Access the Cluster

• Web Console: Use the URL shown after crc start (usually https://console-openshift-console.apps-crc.testing).
• Login: Use:
  • developer (normal user).
  • kubeadmin (full cluster-admin access).

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✅ 8. CLI Access

Login with oc:

crc oc-env

Copy the output and run it in PowerShell to set environment variables, then:

oc login -u kubeadmin -p <password> https://api.crc.testing:6443

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✅ 9. Verify Admin Access

oc whoami

oc get nodes

oc get clusterrolebinding

You should see full access.

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✅ 10. Common Admin Tasks

• Create a project: oc new-project myproject
• Deploy an app:
  oc new-app nginx
  oc expose svc nginx

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🔥 Tips

• CRC runs a single-node OpenShift cluster.
• Use crc stop and crc delete to manage resources.
• Keep your laptop plugged in (CRC is resource-heavy).

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>>>> Delete cluster after work done to save resources of laptop:-

Here’s the step-by-step guide to completely uninstall OpenShift CodeReady Containers (CRC) on a Windows laptop:

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✅ 1. Stop the CRC Cluster

Open PowerShell or Command Prompt and run:

crc stop

This stops the running OpenShift cluster.

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✅ 2. Delete the CRC Instance

Remove the local OpenShift VM and cluster data:

crc delete

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✅ 3. Cleanup CRC Configuration

Run:

crc cleanup

This removes network configurations, DNS entries, and other CRC-related settings.

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✅ 4. Remove CRC Executable

• Navigate to the folder where you placed crc.exe (e.g., C:\crc).
• Delete crc.exe.
• Remove the folder from your PATH:
  • Search Environment Variables → Edit PATH → Remove C:\crc.

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✅ 5. Delete CRC Cache and Config Files

Remove CRC directories:

• Open File Explorer and delete: %USERPROFILE%.crc

This contains cached images and configuration.

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✅ 6. Remove Pull Secret (Optional)

Delete the pull secret JSON file you downloaded earlier if you want a clean uninstall.

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✅ 7. Verify Uninstallation

Run:

crc version

If CRC is removed, you’ll see:

'crc' is not recognized as an internal or external command

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🔥 Extra Cleanup (Optional)

• Remove any leftover Hyper-V virtual machine named crc.
  • Open Hyper-V Manager → Delete crc VM.
• Restart your system to ensure all changes apply.

Conclusion:-

Want to run OpenShift on your laptop without the complexity of a full cluster? This course shows you how to install a single-node OpenShift cluster using CodeReady Containers (CRC)—perfect for developers, DevOps engineers, and SREs who want a local OpenShift environment for testing and learning.

In this hands-on course, you'll learn:

• How to download and install CRC on Linux, Windows, or macOS
• How to configure your system and start the OpenShift cluster
• How to use the oc CLI and OpenShift web console
• How to deploy sample applications locally
• How to troubleshoot common CRC issues

By the end of this course, you'll have a fully functional OpenShift cluster running on your machine—ideal for development, experimentation, and learning OpenShift fundamentals.