Single-node, “lightweight” Kubernetes distributions such as MicroK8s and K3s are examples. Limited-purpose distributions: The final category includes those distributions (or platforms built using Kubernetes) that are intended for a specific and limited purpose.But you can get up and running in just a few clicks, so who’s complaining? Azure AKS, AWS EKS and Google GKE are the obvious examples of this type of Kubernetes-as-a-service distribution. These distributions give users the least amount of control. Kubernetes-as-a-service: If you run Kubernetes in the cloud using a managed service, you are essentially consuming a distribution that is provided by your cloud vendor.OpenShift and Rancher (both of which are broad platforms that didn’t include Kubernetes at all in their early days) are examples. These are Kubernetes distributions in the sense that they include Kubernetes, but they do not give you the pure upstream version of the technology or the flexibility to set it up any way you want. By that, I mean platforms that integrate Kubernetes with other specific technologies, such as certain container runtimes, host operating systems or control-plane add-ons.
‘Plus’ distributions: These are what I call “Kubernetes plus” distributions.Canonical Kubernetes and Kontena Pharos are examples in this category. In this sense, these are the “purest” Kubernetes distributions. For the most part, they leave it up to the user to choose which other technologies to use to build out a complete containerized application stack.
At a high level, a Kubernetes distribution is any pre-built, prepackaged software platform that includes Kubernetes.
Instead, most people who use Kubernetes install it using a distribution.