Bootkube is a helper tool for launching self-hosted Kubernetes clusters.

When launched, bootkube will act as a temporary Kubernetes control-plane (api-server, scheduler, controller-manager), which operates long enough to bootstrap a replacement self-hosted control-plane.

Additionally, bootkube can be used to generate all of the necessary assets for use in bootstrapping a new cluster. These assets can then be modified to support any additional configuration options.

If you are interested in the design and details see the Kubernetes self-hosted design document which provides an architecture overview.