> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gcore.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Install nginx Ingress controller

> Install and set up the nginx Ingress Controller on Kubernetes with Helm, then get the Load Balancer IP address.

Installing the nginx Ingress Controller automatically creates a [Load Balancer](https://gcore.com/cloud/load-balancers) that acts as an entry point for incoming traffic. The Load Balancer forwards requests to the Ingress Controller, which routes them to the appropriate services based on Ingress manifest rules.

## Step 1. Install Helm

[Helm](https://helm.sh/) is a package manager that simplifies deploying and managing applications on Kubernetes.

The following tabs cover installation on the most common operating systems. For other platforms, the Helm [installation guide](https://helm.sh/docs/intro/install/) lists additional methods.

**On Linux**

1\. In the terminal, run the official Helm installation script:

```sh theme={null}
curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/helm/helm/main/scripts/get-helm-3 | bash
```

This downloads and installs the latest version of Helm to `/usr/local/bin/helm`.

2\. Verify the installation: `helm version`

**On macOS**

With [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/) installed, run:

```sh theme={null}
brew install helm
```

Without Homebrew, use the Linux installation method.

Verify the installation: `helm version`

**On Windows**

Download the latest Helm release from the [Helm GitHub releases](https://github.com/helm/helm/releases) page and extract the ZIP file to a local directory.

Add the directory containing `helm.exe` to the system `PATH`:

1\. Open **Start** and search for **Edit the system environment variables**.

2\. In the **System properties** window, click **Environment variables**.

3\. Under **System variables**, select **Path** and click **Edit**.

4\. Click **New** and enter the full path to the directory containing `helm.exe`.

5\. Click **OK** to save.

Verify the installation by running `helm version` in the terminal.

## Step 2. Deploy the nginx Ingress Controller

The following commands create a dedicated namespace, register the Helm repository, and install the controller.

1. Create a namespace for the controller:

```sh theme={null}
kubectl create namespace ingress-nginx
```

2. Add the nginx Ingress Controller Helm repository:

```sh theme={null}
helm repo add ingress-nginx https://kubernetes.github.io/ingress-nginx
```

3. Update the repository index:

```sh theme={null}
helm repo update
```

4. Install the nginx Ingress Controller:

```sh theme={null}
helm install ingress-nginx ingress-nginx/ingress-nginx \
\--namespace ingress-nginx \
\--set controller.ingressClassResource.name=nginx
```

Once installed, the controller provisions a Load Balancer automatically.

## Step 3. Get the Load Balancer IP address

Run the following command to watch the service until an external IP is assigned:

```sh theme={null}
watch kubectl -n ingress-nginx get svc
```

Wait until the `EXTERNAL-IP` column changes from `<pending>` to an IP address.

The Load Balancer also appears in the [Gcore Customer Portal](https://portal.gcore.com) under **Networking** > **Load Balancers**, where it routes all incoming traffic to the nginx Ingress Controller.

![Load Balancers page showing the load balancer created by the nginx Ingress Controller](https://mintcdn.com/gcore/yzm2PLPphFfDbIQv/images/docs/cloud/kubernetes/networking/install-and-set-up-the-nginx-ingress-controller/load-balancers-page.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=yzm2PLPphFfDbIQv\&q=85\&s=80af8b60ea5534998232819a5e8e82cb)