With impeccable timing given the recent Windows issues, Microsoft has made Azure Linux 3.0 generally available. It contains an update of the Linux kernel and new versions of various packages.
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However, users tiring of problems with Microsoft's flagship operating system should look away now. Azure Linux 3.0 (formerly CBL-Mariner) continues to be a bare-bones product, with just enough to get something like Kubernetes up and running but not much else. Desktop aficionados would be wise to look elsewhere.
Which, to be fair, is as it should be. While Azure Linux 3.0 is the commercially supported face of CBL-Mariner (CBL stands for Common Base Linux), its primary purpose is as a container or container host and remains an example of the stripped-down, minimalist kind of distributions.
Unfortunately, the release does not yet include an ISO – the GitHub repository will direct users to the v2.0 release, which weighs in at just over 800MB. However, the source code is available for users who want to roll their own and check out Microsoft's take on a Linux distribution.
