My First Steps into Cloud-Native: Docker, Minikube & WSL2 Setup

I can say my move into cloud-native technologies feels overwhelming at this point.This is because there are a lot of tools, configurations, and concepts to wrap my head around. But with curiosity and consistent effort, things are starting to click. In this article, I’m sharing my hands-on experience transitioning into the cloud-native space, starting with Docker, Minikube, and WSL2. This is my first practical step in my long journey unto DevOps and release engineering.

Let's Look at WSL2, Minikube, Docker and Podman

What is WSL2?

WSL2 is short for Windows Subsystem for Linux version 2. It enables to you run a real Linux system inside your Windows PC, like having two computers in one machine. It is very helpful because many cloud tools are made for Linux, and WSL2 allows to you use them without needing a separate machine or virtual setup. I Like especially as it is very light and convenient.

What is Minikube?

Minikube, you can see it as a mini version of Kubernetes that runs on your PC. Kubernetes been a tool used to manage apps in the cloud, Minikube helps you learn and test it without needing a real cloud account. It’s just perfect for beginners who are eager to practice how apps are deployed and managed in the cloud.

How is Docker similar to Podman?

Docker and Podman are both tools that help you run apps in containers, which are like small, portable computers for your software. Docker needs a background service to work, while Podman doesn’t, it runs more simply and securely. They all do similar things, but Podman is often used when you priotize more control and security.

Why I’m Transitioning to Cloud-Native

For someone like me who is coming from a background in technical support, Linux server administration, and PACS/RIS systems in the healthcare technology industry, I’ve always had a strong foundation in systems troubleshooting and infrastructure awareness. However over time, I have realized the future is clearly transitioning toward scalable, automated infrastructure, and cloud technologies, practices are at the core of that. So I thought to myself, It was time to transition.

Setting Up the Environment

I’m running Windows, I began by setting up WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux), which is light, convenient, and something I already use for my day-to-day Ubuntu server administration. Because I have been comfortable with the terminal and scripting, I installed Docker Desktop and enabled WSL2 integration.

Docker Setup Highlights:

• Installed Docker Desktop on Windows and Enabled WSL2 backend with Ubuntu

• Verified Docker engine was running using docker version

I also experimented with Podman as a daemonless alternative and successfully ran containers like nginx using:

podman run -d -P docker.io/library/nginx:1.20

Running My First Minikube Cluster

Once Docker was stable, I installed Minikube to simulate a Kubernetes cluster locally.

What I did:

• Installed Minikube on Ubuntu (inside WSL2)

• Configured Docker as the default driver

• Ran:
  

minikube start --driver=docker

• Verified cluster with:

minikube status
minikube profile list

It was exciting to see a working cluster up and running locally. Even basic commands like checking the namespace and dashboard showed me what was going on under the hood.

Challenges I Faced

• Docker daemon not running correctly in WSL2 initially

• Podman requiring fully qualified image names (e.g., docker.io/library/nginx)

• Minikube driver issues that were fixed by restarting Docker and updating system packages

Every error was an opportunity for me to dig deeper and understand how the different tools connect. As you would agree, that's real learning.

What’s Next for Me

• Deploy my first pod and service manually using YAML

• Learn kubectl in more depth

• Start using GitHub Actions to simulate simple CI/CD workflows

• Explore Helm for templating Kubernetes configs

• Get hands-on with Terraform for infrastructure as code

  Final Words

  DevOps, Cloud-native is something we can get comfortable with, even getting to tutor others only if we put in our best time into the right resources and roadmap. It’s about mindset and approach: automation, resilience, scale. Kicking off small with Minikube and Docker is giving me the confidence to learn more. If you're transitioning from IT support or sysadmin like I am, I advise you start with what you already know and build from there, you never can tell how much you already know until you start getting your hands dirty.