Textbook of Linux

← Software

k3s

A lightweight Kubernetes distribution.

k3s is a lightweight Kubernetes distribution packaged as a single binary under 100 MB. It removes optional features (in-tree cloud providers, alpha APIs, some legacy storage plugins) and bundles a SQLite-based default datastore (etcd is optional but not required). The result is a Kubernetes distribution that runs comfortably on a Raspberry Pi or any other modest ARM/x86 box.

Rancher Labs (now SUSE) created k3s in 2019. It is fully CNCF-certified — a workload that runs on k3s runs on any conformant Kubernetes — and supports HA configurations through embedded etcd or external SQL databases (MySQL, Postgres). A related "k3os" project ships an immutable Linux distribution that boots straight into k3s.

k3s is the default choice for edge, IoT, and homelab Kubernetes deployments where running a full kube-prometheus- stack-style setup would be overkill. It is also widely used for local development clusters where minikube and kind feel heavier, and is the foundation of several PaaS-style platforms aimed at self-hosters.

curl -sfL https://get.k3s.io | sh -