Architecture
Explore the internal design of Kairos and how its modular, container-based approach supports secure, reproducible infrastructure.
Artifact Naming Convention
Detailed information about how we name our artifacts including repositories.
AuroraBoot
Reference documentation for AuroraBoot, a tool for generating bootable images
Configuration
Welcome to the Kairos configuration reference page. This page provides details on the fields available in the YAML file used for installing Kairos, a Linux distribution focused on running Kubernetes. This file, written in cloud-config format, allows you to enable Kairos features, configure k3s, and set various other options.
kairosctl
Learn how to use kairosctl to register nodes, generate tokens, and manage VPN connections securely and efficiently.
Stage modules
Explore built-in modules for DNS, users, files, and services that help you customize Kairos via cloud-init during boot stages.
Bring Your Own Image
Build and publish your own Kairos images while keeping full control of release cadence.
The Kairos Factory
Converting any base image into a Kairos ready image
Reset
Discover how to reset a Kairos node using boot options, Kubernetes integration, or recovery tools while preserving config data.
Build Kairos from scratch
This article shows how to bring your own image with Kairos, and build a Kairos derivative from scratch using base container images from popular distributions such as Ubuntu, Fedora, openSUSE, etc.
Build Raw images with QEMU
This article shows how to bring your own image with Kairos, and build a Kairos derivative from scratch using base container images from popular distributions such as Ubuntu, Fedora, openSUSE, etc.
Image support matrix
Kairos supports multiple Linux distributions and this remains a core feature.
Troubleshooting
Things can go wrong. This section tries to give guidelines in helping out identify potential issues.
Recovery mode
The Kairos recovery mode can be used to recover a damaged system or to regain access remotely (with assistance) to a machine which has been lost access to. The recovery mode is accessible only from the GRUB menu, from both the LiveCD, and an installed system.
Entangle
Inter-connecting Kubernetes clusters without the need of exposing any service to the public via E2E P2P encrypted networks.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Kairos compared to Talos/Sidero Metal and Flatcar?
Alerts Styling
This page demonstrates the styling and colors of alerts in the Kairos Docs.
Branding
Customize the appearance and behavior of Kairos components