Installing containerd (Official Binary Method)¶

Introduction¶

containerd is an industry-standard container runtime that is widely used with Kubernetes. This guide provides a step-by-step installation method using the official binary approach, ensuring you get the latest version with full control over configurations. This method is preferred for Kubernetes cluster setups.

Why Use Official Binaries Instead of **``?**¶

There are multiple ways to install containerd, but the official binary method is recommended because: ✅ Provides the latest version ✅ Ensures Kubernetes compatibility ✅ Offers manual configuration control ✅ Avoids outdated versions from OS package repositories

Step-by-Step Installation Guide¶

🛠 Step 1: Install Dependencies¶

Ensure that your system has the necessary tools to download and extract files.

sudo apt update -y
sudo apt install -y curl tar wget

📌 These dependencies are required for downloading, extracting, and verifying binaries.

📦 Step 2: Download & Install containerd¶

# Get the latest containerd version
export VERSION=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/containerd/containerd/releases/latest | grep tag_name | cut -d '"' -f 4 | cut -c 2-)

# Download containerd binary
wget https://github.com/containerd/containerd/releases/download/v${VERSION}/containerd-${VERSION}-linux-amd64.tar.gz

# Verify SHA256 checksum (optional, but recommended)
wget https://github.com/containerd/containerd/releases/download/v${VERSION}/containerd-${VERSION}-linux-amd64.tar.gz.sha256sum
sha256sum -c containerd-${VERSION}-linux-amd64.tar.gz.sha256sum

# Extract containerd into /usr/local
sudo tar Cxzvf /usr/local containerd-${VERSION}-linux-amd64.tar.gz

📌 This installs containerd binaries in /usr/local/bin.

📝 Step 3: Configure Systemd Service¶

containerd should be managed via systemd to ensure automatic startup on system boot.

# Download the official systemd service file
sudo wget -O /usr/local/lib/systemd/system/containerd.service \
  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/containerd/containerd/main/containerd.service

# Reload systemd to recognize the new service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload

# Enable and start containerd service
sudo systemctl enable --now containerd

📌 This ensures that containerd starts automatically when the system boots.

🔧 Step 4: Install & Configure runc¶

runc is a low-level runtime required for container execution.

# Download latest runc binary
wget https://github.com/opencontainers/runc/releases/latest/download/runc.amd64

# Install runc
sudo install -m 755 runc.amd64 /usr/local/sbin/runc

📌 runc is required for managing container execution at a lower level.

🌐 Step 5: Install CNI Plugins (For Networking)¶

CNI plugins enable networking between containers, which is essential for Kubernetes.

# Create directory for CNI plugins
sudo mkdir -p /opt/cni/bin

# Download latest CNI plugins
wget https://github.com/containernetworking/plugins/releases/download/v1.6.2/cni-plugins-linux-amd64-v1.6.2.tgz

# Extract CNI plugins
sudo tar Cxzvf /opt/cni/bin cni-plugins-linux-amd64-v1.6.2.tgz

📌 These plugins are required for container networking, especially in Kubernetes clusters.

🚀 Step 6: Verify Installation¶

Ensure everything is correctly installed and running.

# Check containerd version
containerd --version

# Check runc version
runc --version

# Check if containerd service is running
systemctl status containerd

📌 If everything is installed correctly, containerd should be active and running.

🎯 Summary¶

✅ Installed containerd using the official binary method ✅ Configured systemd service ✅ Installed runc runtime ✅ Installed CNI plugins for networking.