Select your operating system

Google Distributed Cloud runs on Linux. Google Distributed Cloud version 1.33.0 and subsequent patch releases support the following Linux distributions and versions.

Important: To be eligible for assistance from Cloud Customer Care, your Google Distributed Cloud environment must run on one of the supported operating system versions listed on this page. It must also use the original kernel supplied with that distribution. Environments running on unsupported OS versions, or on supported OS versions with custom or third-party kernels, are not eligible for support from Cloud Customer Care.

This page is for Admins and architects and Operators who define IT solutions and system architecture in accordance with company strategy. To learn more about common roles and example tasks that we reference in Google Cloud content, see Common GKE user roles and tasks.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Google Distributed Cloud is tested on and supports the following Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) minor releases:

• RHEL 9.4
• RHEL 9.2
• RHEL 8.10

When we test and qualify a minor version for support, we target RHEL minor versions that provide optimal stability and longevity. For example, Google Distributed Cloud doesn't support odd-numbered RHEL minor releases, because they typically have a short lifecycle without extended update support. Google Distributed Cloud doesn't support RHEL OS versions that are no longer covered under Red Hat's Full and Maintenance support phases. For information about the support phases for RHEL, see Red Hat Enterprise Linux Life Cycle.

We evaluate major and minor versions as they're released for inclusion into our support matrix. If you have questions about recent, unsupported versions, contact Google Cloud Support.

For supported kernel versions, see Red Hat Enterprise Linux Release Dates.

For instructions about how to configure RHEL on your node machines, see Configure RHEL.

Ubuntu

All supported versions of Google Distributed Cloud software are tested on and support the following Long Term Support (LTS) versions of Ubuntu:

• 24.04 LTS¹, ²
• 22.04 LTS

¹ Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is supported for Google Distributed Cloud version 1.33.0 and later.

² Google Distributed Cloud doesn't support the 6.14 kernel package for use with Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

For each LTS version, Ubuntu maintains multiple kernel packages, but the support lifecycle for individual LTS version and kernel version pairings varies. Google Distributed Cloud supports only LTS and kernel pairings that are covered by Ubuntu's Standard support offering. OS versions that go out of support are removed from the list. For more information about the Ubuntu kernel support lifecycle, see The Ubuntu lifecycle and release cadence.

To successfully install Google Distributed Cloud, you must use an Ubuntu Hardware Enablement (HWE) kernel.

For instructions to configure Ubuntu on your node machines, see Configure Ubuntu.