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Quick Start Guide

Get started with Meshery in under 5 minutes. This guide will walk you through installing Meshery using mesheryctl, starting the system, and accessing the UI.
Prerequisites: Ensure you have Docker or a Kubernetes cluster available. Meshery runs as a set of containers inside or outside of your Kubernetes clusters.

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Install Meshery

1

Install mesheryctl

Install mesheryctl, the Meshery command-line client, using the official installation script:
curl -L https://meshery.io/install | bash -
The installation script automatically detects your operating system and architecture, downloading the appropriate mesheryctl binary.
Verify the installation:
mesheryctl version
2

Start Meshery

Start Meshery with a single command. By default, Meshery deploys using Docker:
mesheryctl system start
This command will:
  • Pull the latest Meshery container images
  • Start Meshery Server (port 9081)
  • Deploy Meshery components
  • Configure default settings
First-time startup may take a few minutes as container images are downloaded. Subsequent starts will be much faster.
Expected output:
Meshery is starting...

 Starting Meshery...
 Meshery Server is running on http://localhost:9081
 
 Successfully started Meshery.
3

Access Meshery UI

Once Meshery is running, open your browser and navigate to:
http://localhost:9081
You’ll be greeted with the Meshery login page. On first launch, Meshery uses the Local Provider for authentication.Meshery Dashboard
4

Connect a Kubernetes Cluster

To manage your infrastructure, connect a Kubernetes cluster:
  1. In the Meshery UI, navigate to Settings → Connections
  2. Click + Connect Cluster
  3. Meshery will auto-detect your kubeconfig contexts
  4. Select the cluster you want to connect and click Connect
Meshery automatically discovers Kubernetes contexts from ~/.kube/config. You can also manually upload a kubeconfig file.
Alternatively, use mesheryctl to connect a cluster:
mesheryctl system context create k8s --set
5

Deploy Your First Integration

Now that you’re connected, let’s deploy your first integration:
  1. Navigate to Integrations in the sidebar
  2. Browse through 300+ available integrations
  3. Select an integration (e.g., Prometheus, Istio, NGINX)
  4. Click Deploy to install it on your cluster

Browse Catalog

Explore the Design Catalog for pre-built configurations

Design Visually

Use Kanvas to drag-and-drop components and design your infrastructure

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Alternative Installation Methods

The quick start uses Docker by default. For Kubernetes-native deployments, see the Installation Guide.

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Deploy on Kubernetes

To deploy Meshery directly on a Kubernetes cluster: 
mesheryctl system start --platform kubernetes
Or use Helm: 
helm repo add meshery https://meshery.io/charts/
helm repo update
helm install meshery meshery/meshery --namespace meshery --create-namespace

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Deploy with Docker Compose

For manual Docker Compose deployments: 
git clone https://github.com/meshery/meshery.git
cd meshery/install/docker
docker-compose up -d

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Verify Installation

Check the status of Meshery components: 
mesheryctl system status
Expected output: 
meshery-server                         RUNNING
meshery-broker                         RUNNING
meshery-meshsync                       RUNNING

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Common Commands

mesheryctl system start

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Configuration

Meshery stores its configuration in ~/.meshery/config.yaml. You can customize settings such as:
  • Provider: Local or Remote Provider (e.g., Meshery Cloud)
  • Kubernetes Context: Default cluster context
  • Adapters: Service mesh and integration adapters
View current configuration: 
mesheryctl system config view

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Troubleshooting

Verify that Meshery Server is running:
mesheryctl system status
Check if port 9081 is available:
lsof -i :9081
View logs for errors:
mesheryctl system logs
Verify your kubeconfig is accessible:
kubectl config get-contexts
Ensure the selected context is active:
kubectl config current-context
Check cluster connectivity:
kubectl cluster-info
Add mesheryctl to your PATH:
export PATH=$HOME/.meshery/bin:$PATH
Add this to your shell profile (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc) to persist across sessions.

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Next Steps

Installation Guide

Explore detailed installation options for all platforms

Architecture

Learn how Meshery components work together

Integrations

Browse 300+ cloud native integrations

Community

Join the Meshery community on Slack
Pro Tip: Try the Cloud Native Playground to experiment with Meshery without any installation.

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Additional Resources