Kairos Linux Cloud
CLOUDDeploy reproducible images for cloud VMs and virtualized infrastructure.
Open artifact optionsDesign 3 — Download Catalog + Path Finder
The Immutable OS to Operate at Scale.
Kairos is a Linux Framework managing the full lifecycle of machines — from installation to upgrades and recovery. It makes large numbers of machines predictable, reproducible, and easy to operate over time. Kairos brings strong operational guarantees to Linux — from the edge to the datacenter.
Under the hood, Kairos uses OCI image-based deployments, immutable root filesystems, and atomic upgrades distributed via image registries — without locking you to a specific Linux distribution.
I run in:
Download Kairos
Kairos Linux on Edge
EDGERun on devices such as Raspberry Pi and Nvidia Orin with the same lifecycle model.
Open artifact optionsKairos on Baremetal
BAREMETALInstall directly on physical machines with immutable upgrades and recovery guarantees.
Open artifact optionsDownload Alternatives
Bring Your Own OSKairos Ubuntu, Kairos Fedora, Kairos Alpine, and more with BYOI.Trusted BootThe most secured way to run Kairos when your device includes a TPM.Withouto KubernetesRun Kairos as an immutable Linux framework when your workload does not need Kubernetes.Development imagesUse development pipelines to build and iterate quickly.k0s editionPrefer k0s as your Kubernetes distribution? We got your back.
What makes Kairos unique
Kairos is the only immutable Linux framework in this category that can run across Linux distributions via BYOI while keeping one repeatable lifecycle model.
Why not traditional Linux?
You need predictable operations at fleet scaleKairos keeps machine behavior consistent release after release
You want faster maintenance windowsKairos lets teams update and recover nodes with less downtime risk
You need one model across cloud, edge and datacenterKairos uses the same lifecycle approach in every environment
You want platform flexibility without lock-inBYOI lets you keep your preferred Linux base while standardizing operations
Smaller footprint, stronger baseline security, better operational consistency
Technically, Hadron provides a purpose-built minimal Linux base optimized for immutable deployments, secure boot paths, and efficient image distribution in modern cloud-native operations.
Hot off the press
How to integrate Kairos architecturally into an edge AI platform
Building secure Kubernetes edge images with Kairos and K0s
Spectro Cloud announces Hadron, a lightweight, security-first Linux base for modern enterprise edge deployments
Kairos on the road
There is nothing planned for the moment but keep checking our events page for news.
We are a Cloud Native Computing Foundation sandbox project.
The Linux Foundation (TLF) has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of TLF trademarks, see Trademark Usage.
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Stay up to date with releases, give and get feedback, and contribute by joining our different community channels.
Enterprise support
Need a hand? For enterprise support, get in touch with companies ready to help you tackle the toughest challenges.
Spectro Cloud is the main supporter behind Kairos and provides enterprise-grade Kubernetes management through its platform, Palette, which allows organizations to deploy, manage, and scale Kubernetes across various environments, including public clouds, data centers, bare metal, and edge computing.