Google Distributed Cloud node pools also support
Container-Optimized OS.
Dualstack is not supported by Container-Optimized OS on
Google Distributed Cloud. Container-Optimized OS on Google Distributed Cloud
supports kdump for
debugging kernel issues.
Google Distributed Cloud offers the following node image options per OS for your
cluster:
OS
Node images
Status
Container-Optimized OS
General Availability
Ubuntu
Ubuntu
Ubuntu with Docker (ubuntu)
General Availability
Kubernetes version
New Google Distributed Cloud versions sometimes introduce a new Kubernetes version
for clusters. Version changes are announced in
Release notes. To learn which
Kubernetes version your cluster runs, see
Versions.
Preinstalled tools
Google Distributed Cloud's node OS has the following tools preinstalled: arpingcloud-utils, conntrack, logrotate, prips, systemd-container
Google Distributed Cloud's 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.
Networking
As of Google Distributed Cloud 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 2025-08-25 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eGoogle Distributed Cloud cluster nodes primarily run Ubuntu 18.04 (bionic), similar to Google Kubernetes Engine's Ubuntu node image, but also offer Container-Optimized OS.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe node operating system includes preinstalled tools like \u003ccode\u003earping\u003c/code\u003e, \u003ccode\u003ecloud-utils\u003c/code\u003e, \u003ccode\u003econntrack\u003c/code\u003e, \u003ccode\u003elogrotate\u003c/code\u003e, \u003ccode\u003eprips\u003c/code\u003e, \u003ccode\u003esystemd-container\u003c/code\u003e, and the \u003ccode\u003edebug-toolbox\u003c/code\u003e container image for debugging node issues.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe available node image options per OS are Container-Optimized OS and Ubuntu (with and without Docker).\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eAs of Google Distributed Cloud version 1.1.0-gke.6, the default networking configuration on the node OS is disabled to facilitate static IP allocation.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eNew Kubernetes versions may be introduced with updates to the Google Distributed Cloud, with these changes being announced in the release notes.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Node image\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\nThis page describes the node operating system (node OS) image that runs on\nGoogle Distributed Cloud cluster nodes.\n|\n| **Beta\n| --- Preview**\n|\n|\n| This feature is subject to the \"Pre-GA Offerings Terms\" in the General Service Terms section\n| of the [Service Specific Terms](/terms/service-terms#1).\n|\n| Pre-GA features are available \"as is\" and might have limited support.\n|\n| For more information, see the\n| [launch stage descriptions](/products#product-launch-stages).\n\nGoogle Distributed Cloud cluster nodes run Ubuntu version 18.04 (bionic) by default. The\nimage is similar to\n[Google Kubernetes Engine's Ubuntu node\nimage](/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).\nDualstack is not supported by Container-Optimized OS on\nGoogle Distributed Cloud. 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 per OS for your\ncluster:\n\nKubernetes version\n------------------\n\nNew Google Distributed Cloud versions sometimes introduce a new Kubernetes version\nfor clusters. Version changes are announced in\n[Release notes](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.9/release-notes). To learn which\nKubernetes version your cluster runs, see\n[Versions](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.9/version-history).\n\nPreinstalled tools\n------------------\n\n- Google Distributed Cloud's node OS has the following tools preinstalled: `arping` `cloud-utils`, `conntrack`, `logrotate`, `prips`, `systemd-container`\n- Google Distributed Cloud's 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](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.9/toolbox).\n\nNetworking\n----------\n\nAs of Google Distributed Cloud version 1.1.0-gke.6, the node OS' default\nnetworking configuration is disabled to support static IP allocation.\n\nSecurity\n--------\n\nSee [node security](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.9/concepts/security#node_security)."]]
