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Deploying Argo CD on a Self-Hosted Kubernetes Cluster ​

Argo CD is a declarative, GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes. It allows you to manage Kubernetes resources directly from Git repositories. This guide will walk you through deploying Argo CD on a self-hosted Kubernetes cluster.

1. Prerequisites ​

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  • A self-hosted Kubernetes cluster (can be kubeadm, k3s, microk8s, or kind).
  • kubectl installed and configured to access your cluster.
  • Helm installed (optional if using Helm for Argo CD installation).
  • Internet access to pull Argo CD images.

2. Create a Namespace for Argo CD ​

Argo CD should run in its dedicated namespace:

bash
kubectl create namespace argocd

3. Install Argo CD ​

Option 1: Using kubectl ​

Apply the official Argo CD manifests:

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

This will deploy:

  • argocd-server
  • argocd-repo-server
  • argocd-application-controller
  • argocd-dex-server

Option 2: Using Helm ​

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

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

Helm allows easier upgrades and configuration customization.

4. Expose the Argo CD API Server ​

By default, Argo CD API server is internal. To access it, you can use Port Forwarding for testing or a LoadBalancer/Ingress for production.

Port Forwarding ​

bash
kubectl port-forward svc/argocd-server -n argocd 8080:443

Open your browser and access: https://localhost:8080

Ingress Example (Nginx) ​

yaml
apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: Ingress
metadata:
  name: argocd-ingress
  namespace: argocd
  annotations:
 nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/ssl-redirect: "true"
spec:
  rules:
 - host: argocd.yourdomain.com
   http:
 paths:
   - path: /
 pathType: Prefix
 backend:
   service:
 name: argocd-server
 port:
   number: 443
  tls:
 - hosts:
 - argocd.yourdomain.com
   secretName: argocd-tls

5. Access Argo CD UI ​

Retrieve the initial admin password:

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

Login to the Argo CD UI:

  • Username: admin
  • Password: <retrieved-password>

6. Deploy Your First Application ​

  1. Create a Git repository containing Kubernetes manifests or Helm charts.

  2. In Argo CD UI, click New App:

    • Application Name: e.g., my-app
    • Project: default
    • Repository URL: your Git repo
    • Path: path to manifests
    • Cluster: https://kubernetes.default.svc
    • Namespace: namespace to deploy

  3. Click Create and then Sync to deploy.

7. Optional Configurations ​

  • Enable SSO / OAuth using Dex or GitHub.
  • Automatic Sync to keep your cluster in sync with Git.
  • RBAC Policies for user access management.

8. Verify Deployment ​

Check the status of your Argo CD pods:

bash
kubectl get pods -n argocd

Ensure all pods are in Running or Completed state.

Check your deployed application:

bash
kubectl get all -n <application-namespace>

9. Customize Argo CD Configuration and Ingress (Fix Redirects and Domain) ​

After initial setup, you might need to fix redirect URLs or update your Argo domain (for example, argocd.cloudmateria.com instead of argocd.example.com).

Step 1 — Update Argo CD Base URL ​

Edit the main Argo CD configuration map:

bash
 kubectl -n argocd edit configmap argocd-cm

Add or update the following under data::

yml
 data: url: https://argocd.example.com  # update this if you create custom domain

Then restart the Argo CD server pods to apply changes:

bash
 kubectl rollout restart deployment argocd-server -n argocd

This ensures the correct redirect domain appears when logging out or using OAuth.

Step 2 — Update the Ingress Configuration ​

If your Argo CD UI is still pointing to the wrong hostname or you want to change how it’s exposed:

bash
 kubectl -n argocd edit ingress argocd-server

Adjust the host and annotations as needed. For example:

yml
spec:
  ingressClassName: traefik
  rules:
    - host: argocd.example.com # update this if you create custom domain
      http:
        paths:
          - backend:
              service:
                name: argocd-server
                port:
                  number: 80
            path: /
            pathType: Prefix

Then apply:

bash
 kubectl rollout restart deployment argocd-server -n argocd

Verify the change:

bash
 kubectl get ingress -n argocd

Now visiting https://argocd.cloudmateria.com should work properly and redirect correctly after logout.

10. Summary ​

You now have Argo CD running on your self-hosted Kubernetes cluster, fully customized with your own domain.
Argo CD enables:

  • Declarative management of Kubernetes resources.
  • GitOps-driven continuous delivery.
  • Rollback and sync capabilities for rapid recovery.
  • Configuration through simple Git commits rather than manual commands.

This setup provides a centralized and automated way to manage your deployments across multiple clusters — your Git repository becomes the single source of truth for the desired state of your applications.