File Sync

How to sync files into minikube

Built-in sync

minikube has a built-in file sync mechanism, but it only syncs when minikube start is run, though before Kubernetes is started. Examples where this may be useful are custom versions of system or Kubernetes configuration files, such as:

• DNS configuration
• SSL certificates
• Kubernetes service metadata

Adding files

Place files to be synced in $MINIKUBE_HOME/files

For example, running the following will result in the deployment of a custom /etc/resolv.conf:

mkdir -p ~/.minikube/files/etc
echo nameserver 8.8.8.8 > ~/.minikube/files/etc/resolv.conf
minikube start

Other approaches

With a bit of work, one could setup Syncthing between the host and the guest VM for persistent file synchronization.

If you are looking for a solution tuned for iterative application development, consider using a Kubernetes tool that is known to work well with minikube:

• Draft: see specific minikube instructions
• Okteto
• Skaffold

Last modified February 1, 2022: Added Network Policy page to handbook (51092e0e3)