Server Operating System Analysis

Evaluation of operating systems for homelab Kubernetes infrastructure

This section provides detailed analysis of operating systems evaluated for the homelab server infrastructure, with a focus on Kubernetes cluster setup and maintenance.

Overview

The selection of a server operating system is critical for homelab infrastructure. The primary evaluation criterion is ease of Kubernetes cluster initialization and ongoing maintenance burden.

Evaluated Options

Ubuntu - Traditional general-purpose Linux distribution
- Kubernetes via kubeadm, k3s, or MicroK8s
- Strong community support and extensive documentation
- Familiar package management and system administration
Fedora - Cutting-edge Linux distribution
- Latest kernel and system components
- Kubernetes via kubeadm or k3s
- Shorter support lifecycle with more frequent upgrades
Talos Linux - Purpose-built Kubernetes OS
- API-driven, immutable infrastructure
- Built-in Kubernetes with minimal attack surface
- Designed specifically for container workloads
Harvester - Hyperconverged infrastructure platform
- Built on Rancher and K3s
- Combines compute, storage, and networking
- VM and container workloads on unified platform

Evaluation Criteria

Each option is evaluated based on:

Kubernetes Installation Methods - Available tooling and installation approaches
Cluster Initialization Process - Steps required to bootstrap a cluster
Maintenance Requirements - OS updates, Kubernetes upgrades, security patches
Resource Overhead - Memory, CPU, and storage footprint
Learning Curve - Ease of adoption and operational complexity
Community Support - Documentation quality and ecosystem maturity
Security Posture - Attack surface and security-first design