ArgoCD is a popular tool for implementing continuous delivery in a Kubernetes environment. In this blog post, we'll walk you through the process of installing ArgoCD using a Helm chart, accessing the ArgoCD dashboard, and setting up your first application using ArgoCD.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you've set up the following:

1. A Kubernetes cluster - You can use any Kubernetes service like Minikube, Kind, Docker Desktop, etc. This tutorial assumes you have admin access to a Kubernetes cluster.

2. Helm - Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes that simplifies the deployment of applications. Make sure you have installed Helm version 3.x. You can refer to this blog on How to install helm

3. Kubectl - This is the command-line tool for Kubernetes. It allows you to run commands against Kubernetes clusters. Make sure the kubectl command is installed and configured to interact with your Kubernetes cluster.

Step 1: Add the Argo CD Chart

First, we need to add the ArgoCD Helm repository by executing the following command in a terminal:

helm repo add argo https://argoproj.github.io/argo-helm

Now, we need to update the Helm repository list to integrate the latest changes:

helm repo update

Next, we will install ArgoCD in the argocd namespace:

kubectl create namespace argocd
helm install argocd argo/argo-cd --namespace argocd

Finally, let's verify that ArgoCD is installed correctly by listing all resources in the argocd namespace:

kubectl get all -n argocd

This command provides a list of all resources deployed in the argocd namespace to indicate that ArgoCD is correctly installed.

Step 2: Accessing the ArgoCD Dashboard

With ArgoCD installed, we can now access its dashboard. Run the following command in your terminal to set up port forwarding:

kubectl port-forward service/argocd-server -n argocd 8080:80

This command sets up a localhost connection to the ArgoCD server via port 8080.
To visit the argocd dashboard, you can click here or go to localhost:8080

Now log in to the ArgoCD with the username admin and the password for the admin account is auto-generated. This can be retrieved with the following command:

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

Now, navigate to your ArgoCD server address (in this tutorial, it's localhost:8080) in your web browser, and log in with the username admin and password you obtained from the previous command.

Step 3: Setting up your First Application using ArgoCD

Lastly, you'll likely be eager to start deploying your applications. You can do this by creating a declarative definition file for your application. A minimal application definition should look like this:

apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1
kind: Application
metadata:
  name: my-first-app
  namespace: argocd
spec:
  project: default
  source:
    repoURL: 'https://github.com/TheSwarnim/sample-nginx-k8s-app.git'
    path: 'nginx'
    targetRevision: HEAD
  destination:
    server: 'https://kubernetes.default.svc'
    namespace: 'argocd'
  syncPolicy:
    automated: {}

Apply this definition file:

kubectl apply -f <your_filename.yaml>

Now, back in the ArgoCD dashboard, you will find your application and its status:

You're all set! You've successfully installed ArgoCD via Helm charts and deployed your first application. Explore ArgoCD features, automate your deployment cycles, and improve your container orchestration experience. Happy deploying!