Photon OS
Photon OS is a free, open-source Linux appliance operating system built for cloud and edge applications.
What Photon OS is
Photon OS is a free, open-source Linux appliance operating system built for cloud and edge applications. It can run on bare metal, VMware ESXi hypervisors, and public clouds, and can act as a standalone container host or a base for Kubernetes nodes and clusters. The project also describes it as a local or remote development environment for building modern applications. Downloads include local images for x86, ARM64, and Raspberry Pi, as well as cloud images for AWS, Google Compute Engine, and Azure. ISO options include minimal and full installations, with direct or automated PXE/kickstart setup; OVA appliances are also available. Photon OS uses tdnf, a yum-compatible package manager intended to keep the system small. The project describes a kernel guided by Kernel Self-Protection Project recommendations and packages built with hardened security flags that can be updated and verified. It also provides a real-time kernel stack for deployments such as virtual radio access network applications requiring very low latency. Community support is available through GitHub. ISO and OVA images are distributed under the VMware Photon OS EULA.
Good
- Runs on bare metal, hypervisors, and public clouds
- Can host containers or Kubernetes nodes
- Offers x86, ARM64, and Raspberry Pi images
- Includes minimal and full ISO installations
- Provides a real-time kernel stack
Watch out
- ISO and OVA images use the VMware Photon OS EULA
- Support is community-based through GitHub
Who it suits
Photon OS suits developers and operators building container, Kubernetes, cloud, or edge environments on physical hardware, virtual machines, or public clouds. Its Raspberry Pi images also make it relevant to users deploying on that device.
Verdict
Photon OS is oriented toward container and cloud workloads, with several installation and deployment routes. Its target environments and image options make it worth considering for Linux infrastructure rather than as a general desktop system.
Plans and prices
From Photon OS's own pricing page, checked 9 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Photon OS | Free | Open source · ISO and OVA images distributed under VMware Photon OS EULA · community support |
The facts
Each one read from Photon OS's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Cloud compatibility
- The site names VMware vSphere, Microsoft Azure, Google Compute Engine, and Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud as container deployment environments.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Containers
- It can act as a standalone container host or run cloud-scale Kubernetes nodes and clusters.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Containers and Kubernetes
- It can serve as a standalone container host or as a base for Kubernetes nodes and clusters.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Contributions
- The project welcomes community contributions and says its CLA bot guides contributors who have not signed the Contributor License Agreement.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- Photon OS can run on bare metal, VMware ESXi hypervisors, or public clouds.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Development
- The site describes Photon OS as a local or remote development environment for building modern applications.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Downloads
- The site lists local images for x86, ARM64, and Raspberry Pi, plus cloud images for AWS, GCE, and Azure.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Images
- Downloads include ISO and OVA images, plus cloud images for AWS, Google Compute Engine, and Azure; local images are available for x86, ARM64, and Raspberry Pi.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Installation options
- ISO downloads offer minimal or full installations, and the site also describes PXE/kickstart automated installation and OVA appliances.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Install options
- ISO images offer minimal or full installations and support direct installation or automated PXE/kickstart installation.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The project identifies VMware vSphere, Microsoft Azure, Google Compute Engine, and Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud as environments where Photon OS can run containers.checked 9 Oct 2026
- License
- The site says ISO and OVA images are distributed under the VMware Photon OS EULA and links to open source license information.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Package management
- Photon OS uses tdnf, an open-source, yum-compatible package manager designed to keep the operating system small.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Photon OS is an open source, security-hardened Linux appliance operating system built for cloud and edge applications.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Real-time workloads
- Photon OS provides a real-time kernel stack for deployments such as Virtual Radio Access Network applications that need ultra-low latency.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Security
- The site says the kernel follows Kernel Self-Protection Project recommendations and packages use hardened security flags and can be updated and verified.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project provides community support through its GitHub project page and issues page.checked 9 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Virtual machines and bare metal
- It runs applications on bare metal, VMware ESXi hypervisors, and public clouds.checked 9 Oct 2026
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