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Container-Optimized OS is tested and qualified for running various container
workloads on Google Cloud. It is actively patched with security updates (CVEs)
and bug-fixes to address issues that impact Google Cloud users. Users get access
to these fixes via our image releases in the cos-cloud project.
Container-Optimized OS image support is available for our Long Term Supported (LTS)
family of images in the cos-cloud project. For a description of available
image families, see Versioning scheme.
The following support commitment applies only to our LTS family of images.
Support duration
Approximately twice each year, the
Container-Optimized OS team releases a Long Term Supported (LTS) milestone on
its cos-[MILESTONE]-lts and cos-arm64-[MILESTONE]-lts image families. Once
a milestone is introduced on the LTS families, it is supported for 2 years.
During this support window:
The milestone is actively patched for any critical bugs.
The milestone is actively scanned for security vulnerabilities, and security
fixes are applied on regular basis.
New releases containing high priority bug and security fixes are released
on-demand.
New releases containing medium and low priority bug and security fixes are
released every 3 months.
To maintain stability, no new breaking features are introduced.
All changes in the image are documented on a dedicated
release notes
page.
Deprecation
At the end of a milestone's support window, the corresponding cos-[MILESTONE]-lts
and cos-arm64-[MILESTONE]-lts families are deprecated. Specifically, we set the
DEPRECATED flag on images in
that milestone and those images stop appearing in the active list of images in
the cos-cloud project.
Deprecated images are still accessible and usable when accessed directly by name
using the images get API.
However, any issues with those images might not be fixed or will only be fixed
in newer milestones. Issues reported against deprecated images may be fixed only
in newer image milestones. To continue having access to bug fixes and security
patches, upgrade to one of the newer active milestones.
[[["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\u003eContainer-Optimized OS (COS) is designed and tested for container workloads on Google Cloud, receiving regular security and bug-fix updates through image releases.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eCOS offers Long Term Supported (LTS) image families in the \u003ccode\u003ecos-cloud\u003c/code\u003e project, with each LTS milestone supported for 2 years.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eDuring the support window, LTS milestones receive active patching for bugs, regular security vulnerability scans and fixes, and on-demand or quarterly releases with fixes, while refraining from introducing new breaking features.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eDeprecated LTS image families are marked with a \u003ccode\u003eDEPRECATED\u003c/code\u003e flag, preventing them from appearing in the active image list, and using the Image Family API with deprecated images will return errors.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eDeprecated images are still accessible through the \u003ccode\u003eimages get\u003c/code\u003e API, however issues may only be fixed in newer milestones, and users are advised to upgrade to active milestones to ensure continued bug fixes and security patches.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Support policy\n\nContainer-Optimized OS is tested and qualified for running various container\nworkloads on Google Cloud. It is actively patched with security updates (CVEs)\nand bug-fixes to address issues that impact Google Cloud users. Users get access\nto these fixes via our image releases in the `cos-cloud` project.\n\nContainer-Optimized OS image support is available for our Long Term Supported (LTS)\nfamily of images in the `cos-cloud` project. For a description of available\nimage families, see [Versioning scheme](/container-optimized-os/docs/concepts/versioning#image_families).\nThe following support commitment applies only to our LTS family of images.\n\nSupport duration\n----------------\n\nApproximately twice each year, the\nContainer-Optimized OS team releases a Long Term Supported (LTS) milestone on\nits `cos-[MILESTONE]-lts` and `cos-arm64-[MILESTONE]-lts` image families. Once\na milestone is introduced on the LTS families, it is supported for **2 years**.\n\nDuring this support window:\n\n- The milestone is actively patched for any critical bugs.\n- The milestone is actively scanned for security vulnerabilities, and security fixes are applied on regular basis.\n- New releases containing high priority bug and security fixes are released on-demand.\n- New releases containing medium and low priority bug and security fixes are released every 3 months.\n- To maintain stability, no new breaking features are introduced.\n- All changes in the image are documented on a dedicated [release notes](/container-optimized-os/docs/release-notes#lts_image_families) page.\n\nDeprecation\n-----------\n\nAt the end of a milestone's support window, the corresponding `cos-[MILESTONE]-lts`\nand `cos-arm64-[MILESTONE]-lts` families are deprecated. Specifically, we set the\n[DEPRECATED flag](/compute/docs/reference/latest/images/deprecate) on images in\nthat milestone and those images stop appearing in the active list of images in\nthe `cos-cloud` project.\n| **Warning:** Any [Image Family API](/compute/docs/reference/rest/v1/images/getFromFamily) references to the deprecated image family will return errors and break any workflows depending on it. You should not use this API to create production instances.\n\nDeprecated images are still accessible and usable when accessed directly by name\nusing the [`images get` API](/compute/docs/reference/rest/v1/images/get).\nHowever, any issues with those images might not be fixed or will only be fixed\nin newer milestones. Issues reported against deprecated images may be fixed only\nin newer image milestones. To continue having access to bug fixes and security\npatches, upgrade to one of the newer active milestones.\n\nContact us\n----------\n\n- For technical support: Contact [Google Cloud support](/support)\n- For general questions:\n - StackOverflow: [google-container-os](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/google-container-os) tag\n - Mailing list for Compute Engine users: [gce-discussion](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/gce-discussion)\n - Mailing list for Kubernetes Users: [kubernetes-users](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/kubernetes-users)\n - Visit the Google Cloud [Slack community](https://googlecloud-community.slack.com/); [use this form to sign up](https://join.slack.com/t/googlecloud-community/shared_invite/zt-2mz6i6j8l-qMC13DEg6FAtGMH4wVytTA)."]]
