Google Distributed Cloud node pools also supportContainer-Optimized OS. Container-Optimized OS on Google Distributed Cloud
supportskdumpfor
debugging kernel issues.
Google Distributed Cloud offers the following node image options for your cluster:
New Google Distributed Cloud versions sometimes introduce a new Kubernetes version
for clusters. Version changes are announced inRelease notes. To learn which
Kubernetes version your cluster runs, seeVersions.
Preinstalled tools
The node OS has the following tools preinstalled:arpingcloud-utils,conntrack,logrotate,prips, andsystemd-container.
The node OS has thedebug-toolboxcontainer image preinstalled.debug-toolboxincludes several packages for debugging node issues. You run
an accompanying shell script,toolbox, to unpack and run thedebug-toolboxcontainer.Learn about thetoolboxscript.
Networking
As of version 1.1.0-gke.6, the node OS default networking configuration is
disabled to support static IP allocation.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-09-04 UTC."],[],[],null,["This page describes the node operating system (node OS) image that runs on\nGoogle Distributed Cloud (software only) for VMware cluster nodes.\n\nCluster nodes run ubuntu_containerd by default. The image is similar to\n[Google Kubernetes Engine's Ubuntu node image](/kubernetes-engine/docs/concepts/node-images).\n\nGoogle Distributed Cloud node pools also support\n[Container-Optimized OS](/container-optimized-os/docs/concepts/features-and-benefits). Container-Optimized OS on Google Distributed Cloud\nsupports [kdump](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kdump_(Linux)) for\ndebugging kernel issues.\n\nGoogle Distributed Cloud offers the following node image options for your cluster: \n\n1.16\n\n| OS | Node images | Status |\n|------------------------|---------------------|----------------------|\n| Container-Optimized OS | - cos | General Availability |\n| Ubuntu with containerd | - ubuntu_containerd | General Availability |\n\n1.28\n\n| OS | Node images | Status |\n|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|----------------------|\n| Container-Optimized OS | - cos | General Availability |\n| Container-Optimized OS with [cgroup v2](https://docs.kernel.org/admin-guide/cgroup-v2.html) | - cos_cgv2 | Preview |\n| Ubuntu with containerd | - ubuntu_containerd | General Availability |\n| Ubuntu with containerd and [cgroup v2](https://docs.kernel.org/admin-guide/cgroup-v2.html) | - ubuntu_cgv2 | Preview |\n\n1.29\n\n| OS | Node images | Status |\n|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|----------------------|\n| Container-Optimized OS | - cos | General Availability |\n| Container-Optimized OS with [cgroup v2](https://docs.kernel.org/admin-guide/cgroup-v2.html) | - cos_cgv2 | General Availability |\n| Ubuntu with containerd | - ubuntu_containerd | General Availability |\n| Ubuntu with containerd and [cgroup v2](https://docs.kernel.org/admin-guide/cgroup-v2.html) | - ubuntu_cgv2 | General Availability |\n\nKubernetes version\n\nNew Google Distributed Cloud versions sometimes introduce a new Kubernetes version\nfor clusters. Version changes are announced in\n[Release notes](/kubernetes-engine/distributed-cloud/vmware/docs/release-notes). To learn which\nKubernetes version your cluster runs, see\n[Versions](/kubernetes-engine/distributed-cloud/vmware/docs/version-history).\n\nPreinstalled tools\n\n- The node OS has the following tools preinstalled: `arping` `cloud-utils`, `conntrack`, `logrotate`, `prips`, and `systemd-container`.\n- The node OS has the `debug-toolbox` container image preinstalled. `debug-toolbox` includes several packages for debugging node issues. You run an accompanying shell script, `toolbox`, to unpack and run the `debug-toolbox` container. [Learn about the `toolbox` script](/kubernetes-engine/distributed-cloud/vmware/docs/troubleshooting/toolbox).\n\nNetworking\n\nAs of version 1.1.0-gke.6, the node OS default networking configuration is\ndisabled to support static IP allocation.\n\nSecurity\n\nSee [node security](/kubernetes-engine/distributed-cloud/vmware/docs/concepts/security#node_security)."]]
