Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

RancherOS VS LinuxKit

Compare RancherOS VS LinuxKit and see what are their differences

RancherOS logo RancherOS

A simplified Linux distribution built from containers, for containers. Everything in RancherOS is managed by Docker, with minimum software needed to run Docker.

LinuxKit logo LinuxKit

A toolkit for building secure, portable and lean operating systems for containers
  • RancherOS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-23
  • LinuxKit Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-23

RancherOS features and specs

  • Lightweight
    RancherOS is a minimalist operating system designed specifically for running containers, which allows it to have a very small footprint compared to traditional operating systems.
  • Container-Focused
    Since the main process is a Docker instance, RancherOS is entirely focused on container management, making it an excellent choice for environments heavily reliant on container-based applications.
  • Easy to Deploy
    RancherOS makes it simple to deploy and manage Docker containers, which can be beneficial for rapid development and scaling of applications.
  • Minimal Overhead
    By using containers for all system processes, RancherOS reduces the overhead associated with running traditional operating systems, thus enhancing performance.
  • Consistent Environment
    RancherOS provides a consistent and predictable environment for running containers, which is crucial for development and production parity.

Possible disadvantages of RancherOS

  • Limited Functionality
    Because RancherOS is pared down to just the essentials for running containers, it might lack features and capabilities found in full-fledged operating systems.
  • Learning Curve
    Users who are new to container-focused operating systems might find RancherOS to have a steep learning curve, especially if they are accustomed to traditional OS interfaces and functionalities.
  • Less Community Support
    Compared to more widely adopted operating systems, RancherOS might have less community support and fewer tutorials or third-party resources available.
  • Dependency on Docker
    RancherOS is heavily dependent on Docker, which may be a drawback if there are plans to use alternate container runtimes or if Docker's design does not align with user needs.
  • Niche Use Case
    RancherOS is primarily targeted at containerized applications, which might not be suitable for all types of applications or organizational requirements.

LinuxKit features and specs

  • Portability
    LinuxKit allows users to build custom, lightweight Linux distributions that can run on multiple platforms, improving the portability and flexibility of deployments.
  • Security
    LinuxKit focuses on security by providing minimal and immutable infrastructure, reducing the attack surface and making it easier to apply updates and patches.
  • Containerization
    LinuxKit is designed to build container-based systems, allowing developers to easily leverage container technologies to create reproducible and consistent environments.
  • Modularity
    It enables creation of modular systems where users can include only the components they need, optimizing for performance and resource usage.
  • Community Support
    As an open-source project with active contributions and support from a large community and Docker, LinuxKit benefits from continuous improvements and a wide range of available resources.

Possible disadvantages of LinuxKit

  • Complexity
    Setting up and maintaining a LinuxKit-based system can be complex and might require a deep understanding of both Linux and container technologies.
  • Learning Curve
    For users unfamiliar with creating custom Linux distributions or containerization, there is a significant learning curve associated with effectively using LinuxKit.
  • Limited Use Cases
    LinuxKit is optimized for creating secure, portable, and lean OS images, but it may not be suited for all workloads, especially those requiring a full-featured operating system or extensive GUI support.
  • Community and Documentation
    While LinuxKit has community support, the ecosystem and documentation may not be as extensive or mature as more established platforms, potentially leading to self-reliance in troubleshooting and implementation.

RancherOS videos

Del Taco® Huevos Rancheros Burrito REVIEW!

More videos:

  • Review - Rancher Online Meetup - September 2021 - Introducing SUSE Rancher 2.6
  • Tutorial - How to Intall RancherOS 0.6 to Hard Disk + Review on VMware Workstation Easy Tutorial [HD]
  • Review - DEMO 1431 Getting started with SUSE Rancher and Ondat persistent storage

LinuxKit videos

How LinuxKit Made Tinkerbell More Magical with Justin Cormack and Dan Finneran

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to RancherOS and LinuxKit)
Linux
76 76%
24% 24
DevOps Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Operating Systems
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, LinuxKit should be more popular than RancherOS. It has been mentiond 9 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

RancherOS mentions (3)

  • Kubernetes from Scratch in 2022
    Rancher is an enterprise managed platform that works well for large to medium cooperation. It includes all required components. Requirements are to use Docker as the container runtime engine, and when using block storage, their own solution Longhorn is used. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Strangler Pattern in practice
    The docker images ready for deployment were built on the pushed git tag. We used the Rancher tool for test/stage environments. - Source: dev.to / about 3 years ago
  • Kubernetes Dashboard with Keycloak
    Along with what /u/dwalvi said, the Kubernetes Dashboard doesn't have OAuth built-in so you will need something in between adding that functionality. This could be the OAuth2 Proxy or it could be your ingress controller or API gateway. Another alternative might be skipping the dashboard for a multi-cluster management tool like Rancher. Source: about 4 years ago

LinuxKit mentions (9)

  • Docker Containers | Linux Namespaces | Container Isolation
    Note: Namespaces are a feature of the linux kernel. But Docker allows you to run containers on Windows and Mac... How does that work? The secret is that embedded in the Docker product or Docker engine is a linux subsystem. Docker open-sourced this linux subsystem to a new project: LinuxKit. Being able to run containers on many different platforms is one advantage of using the Docker tooling with containers. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Gokrazy – Go Appliances
    Another project that aims to deliver this is Linuxkit (https://github.com/linuxkit/linuxkit). All the components they ship are written in memory safe languages (usually Go) and run as containers under containerd. You can build a custom image very easily, fully defined as a YAML file. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • An overview of single-purpose Linux distributions
    Docker-the-company maintained https://github.com/linuxkit/linuxkit. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Create a minimalist OS using Docker Containers and Hashicorp Packer
    LF-Edge EVE project leverages Linuxkit to create custom OSs for Edge Devices which in turn leverages Containers as Lego Blocks. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Unpopular opinion: I was promised lightweight containers but I got yet another VM
    Behind the scenes Docker Desktop for Mac spawns a linuxkit VM with a bit of extra stuff like NFS to enable mounting Mac paths into containers. In the Docker Desktop settings you'll find the current resource assignment for that VM. That is pretty much reserved for docker so that it does not have to compete with MacOS processes for available resources. Source: over 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing RancherOS and LinuxKit, you can also consider the following products

DistroWatch - 9 hours ago - It does include a proprietary software set optimized for business users, students, researchers and developers." A list of features and further details can be found in the company's release announcement.

Ottomatica slim - Build and run tiny vms from Dockerfiles. Small and sleek. - ottomatica/slim

SUSE Studio - Modernisieren Sie Ihre Infrastruktur mit SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, OpenStack Cloud-Technologie für IAAS und softwaredefiniertem Storage von SUSE.

Kitematic - The easiest way to start using Docker on your Mac

Puppy Linux - Home, overview and getting started with Puppy Linux, amazingly fast, fascinatingly complete and delightfully small Linux.‎Wiki · ‎Download latest Puppy Linux .

Rancher - Open Source Platform for Running a Private Container Service