this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2026
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I just got myself some mini PC's and want to set up a k8s lab to strengthen my skills, I was laid off 8mo ago and haven't been able to find a new job.

I want to automate everything I can while building this and was just looking for input on how people might recommend I do it.

I was thinking of using pxeboot to install Debian using preseed to automate the installation.

Then maybe install k8s on VMs on the servers, but I'm not sure if I should do that or just keep it on the hosts themselves. They're decently specced. AMD Ryzen 3 2200 CPUs with 24gb ram and an SSD/NVME combo.

So, any advice for where I should start or tips/tricks?

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PXE is unnecessary unless you're going to be creating a reusable boot image. Just faster to use LiveUSB.

What did you getaid off, and what are you trying to apply to? Maybe help to understand on what you're trying to learn.

Just for your own sanity, just install Talos on the 3 machines, understand how to join them to a cluster, then deploy some stuff around the cluster. Get a feel for the basics before you get into the mess of trying to do it all in VMs.

I'd also check some comparisons on the various flavors of different lube stacks: k3s, microk8s, kubedge...etc. Theres so many now it's hard to track.