> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.siderolabs.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What is Talos Linux?

> Talos Linux is the best OS for Kubernetes.

export const VersionWarningBanner = () => {
  const latestVersion = "v1.13";
  const [latestUrl, setLatestUrl] = useState(null);
  const [currentVersion, setCurrentVersion] = useState(null);
  const [isBeta, setIsBeta] = useState(false);
  const parseVersion = v => v.replace("v", "").split(".").map(Number);
  const isGreaterVersion = (a, b) => {
    const [aMajor, aMinor] = parseVersion(a);
    const [bMajor, bMinor] = parseVersion(b);
    if (aMajor > bMajor) return true;
    if (aMajor === bMajor && aMinor > bMinor) return true;
    return false;
  };
  useEffect(() => {
    if (typeof window === "undefined") return;
    const {pathname, hash, search} = window.location;
    const match = pathname.match(/\/talos\/(v\d+\.\d+)\//);
    if (!match) return;
    const detectedVersion = match[1];
    if (detectedVersion === latestVersion) return;
    setCurrentVersion(detectedVersion);
    if (isGreaterVersion(detectedVersion, latestVersion)) {
      setIsBeta(true);
    }
    const newPath = pathname.replace(`/talos/${detectedVersion}/`, `/talos/${latestVersion}/`);
    setLatestUrl(`${newPath}${search}${hash}`);
  }, []);
  if (!latestUrl || !currentVersion) return null;
  return <div className="not-prose sticky top-6 z-50 my-6">
      <div className="border border-yellow-500/30 bg-yellow-500/10 px-4 py-3 rounded-xl">
        <div className="text-sm">
          {isBeta ? <>
              ⚠️ You are viewing a <strong>beta version</strong> of Talos ({currentVersion}).
              This version may be unstable.
              <a href={latestUrl} className="ml-2 underline text-yellow-400 hover:text-yellow-300 font-medium">
                View latest stable version {latestVersion} →
              </a>
            </> : <>
              ⚠️ You are viewing an older version of Talos ({currentVersion}).
              <a href={latestUrl} className="ml-2 underline text-yellow-400 hover:text-yellow-300 font-medium">
                View the latest version {latestVersion} →
              </a>
            </>}
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>;
};

<VersionWarningBanner />

Talos Linux is a Kubernetes optimized Linux distro.
It does one thing and it does it better than any general purpose Linux distribution.
Boot it on [bare metal](../getting-started/getting-started) or [in a VM](../platform-specific-installations/cloud-platforms/aws) and have a Kubernetes cluster in minutes.

<iframe className="w-full aspect-video rounded-xl" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IO2Yo3N46nk" title="Run Talos Linux in Docker" frameBorder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowFullScreen />

It runs on your Kubernetes nodes and hosts your workloads.
It also runs the Kubernetes control plane components including the etcd database.
With a single use case and focus it removes complicated and fragile configuration, maintenance, and security vulnerabilities.

It's designed to be as minimal as possible while still maintaining practicality.
For these reasons, Talos has a number of features unique to it:

* API managed
* Immutable file system
* Minimal packages
* Secure by default

Talos can be deployed anywhere you can run a modern Linux kernel.

## API managed

Talos is managed by a single, declarative gRPC API.
This is the most unique thing about Talos and something Talos users love.

Imagine a Linux distribution that had configuration management built in.
That didn't have fragile cloud-init scripts that wrap `bash` scripts in yaml.

Talos ships with a network API for all configuration and troubleshooting needs.
You can [read more about the philosophy behind Talos and Sidero products](../learn-more/philosophy).

## Community & support

Talos has an active and welcoming community. Whether you have a question, found a bug, or want to share feedback, there are several ways to connect:

* **Support**: Ask questions, report bugs, or request features on [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/siderolabs/talos/discussions)
* **Slack**: Join our [Slack channel](https://taloscommunity.slack.com/). Request access via [inviter.co](https://inviter.co/sidero-labs-community)
* **Twitter**: Follow us at [@SideroLabs](https://twitter.com/SideroLabs)

We welcome users of all experience levels.

### Office hours

We host a recurring community office hours session:

* **When**: Second Monday of every month at 16:30 UTC
* **Where**: [Google Meet](https://meet.google.com/ivb-kjfm-jfc)

Office hours are open to everyone, come ask questions, share feedback, or see what others are building with Talos.