Rancher Labs, a start-up based in Cupertino, California, released its ultra-lightweight container OS.
Key features of RancherOS include:
- Minimalist OS: Eliminates the need for unnecessary libraries and services
- Automatic configuration: Simplifies OS configuration by using cloud-init to parse the cloud-config files from multiple data sources
- Simple setup: Runs services inside containers orchestrated using Docker Compose service files, making setup as simple as running a Docker container
- Reduced footprint: Decreases resource requirements with a footprint three times smaller than that of other container operating systems in the market
- Extensive platform support: Supports Amazon EC2, bare metal, Digital Ocean, Docker Machine, GCE, KVM, OpenStack, Packet, Vagrant, VMware (experimental) and VirtualBox
“RancherOS is a minimalist Linux distribution that is perfect for running Docker containers,” said Sheng Liang, co-founder and CEO of Rancher Labs. “By running Docker directly on top of the kernel and delivering Linux services as containers, RancherOS delivers just what you need to build a containerized application environment.”