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Prerequisites

Before you begin using Stacktic, ensure you have the following requirements in place.

Two Deployment Scenarios​

Stacktic has two distinct deployment contexts:

1. Hosting the Stacktic Platform​

This refers to running the Stacktic control plane itself (the web UI and automation engine).

2. Deploying Stacktic-Generated Stacks​

This refers to deploying the automated stack repositories that Stacktic generates for your applications.

The requirements below apply to BOTH scenarios.

Supported Kubernetes Clusters​

Stacktic is designed to work with any native Kubernetes cluster. Any standard Kubernetes distribution should work seamlessly.

Tested and Verified​

The following distributions have been thoroughly tested:

Self-Managed & On-Premises​

Local Development​

  • Minikube ✅
  • Kind (Kubernetes in Docker) ✅
  • Docker Desktop (with Kubernetes enabled) ✅
  • k3d ✅

Not Yet Tested​

  • OpenShift - Support expected but not yet verified. Contact us if you need OpenShift compatibility testing.

Your Distribution Not Listed?​

Any native Kubernetes cluster should work. If you're using a different distribution, it will likely work without issues. Contact support@stacktic.io if you encounter any compatibility concerns.

Kubernetes Version Requirements​

  • Minimum version: Kubernetes 1.20+
  • Recommended version: Kubernetes 1.24+
  • Latest tested: Kubernetes 1.29

Required Tools​

Install the following tools on your local machine:

Essential Tools​

ToolVersionPurpose
kubectl1.20+Kubernetes command-line tool
git2.0+Version control
ToolVersionPurpose
helm3.0+Package manager for Kubernetes
kustomize4.0+Kubernetes native configuration management
age1.0+Encryption tool for SOPS secret management

Cluster Requirements​

Your Kubernetes cluster should have:

Minimum Resources​

  • Nodes: 2+ worker nodes (for production)
  • CPU: 4+ cores per node
  • Memory: 8GB+ RAM per node
  • Storage: Dynamic volume provisioning enabled

Network Requirements​

  • Ingress Controller: Stacktic uses APISIX by default
  • Load Balancer: For exposing services externally
  • Network Policies: Support for NetworkPolicy resources (optional but recommended)

Access Requirements​

Git Repository Access​

  • GitHub account with repository creation permissions
  • Personal Access Token (PAT) with repo scope
  • SSH key configured (optional, for SSH-based git operations)

Container Registry Access​

  • Docker Hub, GitHub Container Registry, or private registry
  • Registry credentials for pushing/pulling images
  • Recommendation: Use tokens instead of passwords

Kubernetes Cluster Access​

  • kubectl configured with cluster credentials
  • RBAC permissions:
    • Create/manage namespaces
    • Deploy workloads (Deployments, StatefulSets, etc.)
    • Manage ConfigMaps and Secrets
    • Apply CustomResourceDefinitions (CRDs)

Optional: Encryption Setup​

For secret management with SOPS encryption:

  1. Install Age:

    # macOS
    brew install age

    # Linux
    apt-get install age  # or yum install age

  2. Generate Age Key Pair:

    age-keygen -o keys.txt

  3. Save Public Key: You'll add this to Stacktic's system configuration

Verification Checklist​

Before proceeding, verify you have:

  • Kubernetes cluster running (version 1.20+)
  • kubectl installed and configured
  • Git installed
  • GitHub account with PAT token
  • Container registry credentials
  • kubectl cluster access verified (kubectl get nodes)
  • Dynamic storage provisioner available (kubectl get storageclass)

Next Steps​

Once you have all prerequisites in place:

  1. Review the Quick Start guide
  2. Configure your System Settings
  3. Design your first application
  4. Review Private SaaS Deployment

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

Support​

Need help with prerequisites? Contact us at: