OVERVIEW
Deploy one Microsoft‑supported Linux across your entire Azure environment
- Standardize on a single, Microsoft-backed platform for all your Linux workloads in Azure. Whether you are running scalable web apps, business-critical databases, AI solutions, or modern containerized applications, Azure Linux delivers consistency, single-vendor accountability and integration with key Azure services. Drive a unified Linux experience to simplify and streamline your Azure operations.
- Rely on the same supply chain security trusted by Microsoft services. Azure Linux can mitigate risks from third-party code tampering, minimize the attack surface, deliver a fast and predictable patching cycle, and provide a compliance path for regulated workloads. And with an immutable, container‑optimized Linux operating system for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), it provides a secure by default, minimal, and operationally consistent host OS.
- Improve the scalability and performance of your Linux estate in Azure. Azure Linux provides a lean OS with fast boot times, rapid service scaling, and a low overhead. Microsoft has been contributing to the Linux Kernel since 2009, and with Azure Linux developers and platform engineers can now experience predictable cloud native operations with quick Azure VM and AKS startup times.
- Drive cost efficiencies without compromise: Azure Linux is offered at no additional charge to Azure customers. With a minimal package footprint, it can reduce overhead, requiring less patching, lowering operational toil, and promoting a more efficient management of your IT estate. Help your organization lower TCO and scale Azure workloads more cost-effectively.
Use cases
Build and run a broad range of workloads on Azure Linux
Launch Azure Virtual Machines and lower your costs
Power business-critical workloads on Azure VMs with a Microsoft-backed Linux OS built for reliability. Azure Linux reduces operational complexity through a minimal footprint, a secure-by-default design, and single-vendor accountability.
Quickly scale out Linux apps on Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets
Scale your workloads elastically on virtual machine scale sets with a Linux distro optimized for Azure. Azure Linux's minimal footprint and fast boot times accelerate provisioning cycles, reduce overhead, and keep operations consistent as your environment grows and contracts.
Deploy a lightweight Linux OS as a container host for AKS
Maintain AKS clusters with a container-optimized host OS engineered for Kubernetes and already powering millions of cores in production. Gain reliability and consistency from cloud to edge with AKS and Azure Arc-enabled AKS on Azure Linux minimal foundation to run container workloads.
Host AKS nodes on an immutable Linux distro
Deploy AKS worker nodes on Azure Container Linux—an immutable, container-optimized OS with a minimal attack surface, automated image updates, and mandatory access controls. One production-grade host OS designed to reduce complexity and strengthen your Kubernetes security posture.
34K
Full-time equivalent engineers dedicated to security initiatives at Microsoft.
15K
Partners with specialized security expertise.
>100
Compliance certifications, including over 50 specific to global regions and countries.
Pricing
Increase operational efficiencies
Remove the burden of managing software licensing across operating systems with Azure Linux, included at no additional cost for Azure customers. Use it for Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Virtual Machine scale sets, or AKS.
RELATED PRODUCTS
Our products work better together
Use Azure Linux with other Azure products to build advanced and comprehensive solutions.
CUSTOMER STORIES
See how customers are innovating with Azure Linux
Frequently asked questions
- Azure Linux is a Microsoft commercially-supported Linux distribution, optimized for Azure virtual machines and containerized workloads.
- Azure Linux is offered to Azure customers at no additional charge.
- Whether you are running scalable web apps, mission-critical databases, AI solutions, or modern containerized applications, Azure Linux delivers consistency, security, and performance across your entire Azure environment.
- Azure Container Linux is a container-optimized, immutable OS tailored for cloud-native workloads on AKS. Azure Container Linux delivers a stable, and efficient container host for Kubernetes, especially users migrating from other container-optimized OSes.
- Yes, Azure Linux can be used as a container host for AKS, and it has been generally available in that regard since May 2023.
- Yes, Azure Linux can be deployed as a guest OS on Azure virtual machines and virtual machine scale sets.
- The core Azure Linux distribution is fully open source, from Open Source Initiative (OSI) approved licenses. There are packages in additional repositories shipped by Azure Linux that are not open source such as GPU drivers.
The Azure Linux source code can be found at https://github.com/Microsoft/azurelinux - Yes, Azure Linux can be installed on the latest GPU-enabled Azure Virtual Machines, please refer to the list / documentation for more information.
- Yes, Azure Linux publishes multiple base containers, including distroless.
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