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A Milestone for Lightweight Kubernetes: k0s Joins CNCF Sandbox

Prithvi Raj - April 02, 2025
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We are excited to announce that k0s, our lightweight, zero dependencies, and fully open-source Kubernetes distribution, has officially joined the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) as a Sandbox project! This is a significant milestone in our journey, and we couldn’t be more excited about what lies ahead.

The CNCF is the home for the most innovative cloud-native projects, and being part of this community reinforces our commitment to advancing Kubernetes usability and adoption for everyone. Joining the CNCF Sandbox program provides us with an incredible opportunity to collaborate with the community, gain valuable feedback, and scale our efforts to make Kubernetes more accessible and efficient.

What is k0s?

k0s was designed to be a zero-friction Kubernetes distribution, catering to the needs of developers, operators, and edge computing enthusiasts. Here’s what makes k0s stand out:

  • Lightweight and Minimal: A single binary that encapsulates all necessary components, making installation and maintenance effortless.

  • Fully Open Source: Built with transparency and a focus on community-driven innovation.

  • Optimized for Data Center to Edge Use Cases: With a compact footprint and high efficiency, can be used in centralized data centers while also being a perfect fit for edge and resource-constrained environments.

  • Simplified Management: Reduced complexity while maintaining full Kubernetes functionality.

From developers spinning up clusters on their laptops, to centralized large scale production clusters, to operators managing resource constrained AI inference engines at the edge, k0s has proven itself as a versatile and reliable solution.

Why CNCF Sandbox Matters

The CNCF Sandbox is an entry point for early-stage projects that show promise in the cloud-native ecosystem. It offers:

  • Community Support: Access to a broad and engaged community of developers and users.

  • Visibility: Greater exposure to end users, contributors, and organizations.

  • Collaboration Opportunities: A chance to work closely with other CNCF projects, fostering interoperability and innovation.

By becoming a CNCF Sandbox project, k0s is poised to gain invaluable feedback and contributions that will help us refine and expand our capabilities.

What This Means for k0s

Joining the CNCF paves a way for better:

  • Transparency: Reinforcing our open governance and commitment to community-led development.

  • Innovation: Continuing to push boundaries to make Kubernetes accessible in new and exciting ways.

  • Collaboration: Working alongside other CNCF projects and members to advance the cloud-native ecosystem.

This milestone marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter, where the k0s community and contributors can work together to shape the future of Kubernetes at the edge and beyond.

Join the Journey

We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has contributed to and supported k0s thus far. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without you.

If you’re new to k0s, now is the perfect time to get involved! Here’s how you can join the journey:

  • Try k0s: Download and get started with k0shere.

  • Contribute: Check out our GitHub repository and join the community discussions.

  • Spread the Word: Share your experiences with k0s and help us grow the community.

We’re excited about the road ahead and look forward to collaborating with the CNCF community to make Kubernetes simpler, lighter, and more powerful for everyone.

Thank you for being part of our story!

Prithvi Raj

Prithvi Raj is a Community Manager and Developer Advocate at Mirantis.

Mirantis simplifies Kubernetes.

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