Introducing Azure Linux—now available in public preview

Deliver trusted solutions on a Linux platform built for Azure.

Impacted audience

Software development companies, global systems integrators (GSIs), systems integrators (SIs), indirect resellers.

Azure Linux is a Microsoft-built, cloud-optimized Linux distribution designed specifically for Azure—delivering a secure, consistent, and cost-efficient foundation across virtual machines (VMs), containers, and cloud-native workloads. Built with a hardened, secure-by-default architecture and a Microsoft-managed supply chain, Azure Linux helps partners reduce risk, simplify compliance, and deliver trusted solutions to customers.

With Azure Linux, partners can:

• Lower total cost of ownership by eliminating operating system (OS) licensing overhead while maintaining enterprise-grade support.
• Strengthen security by default with a hardened OS, secure supply chain, and predictable updates.
• Optimize performance for Azure with faster boot times, improved networking, and infrastructure-level tuning.
• Standardize environments across VMs, containers, and managed services to reduce operational complexity.
• Build and scale cloud-native and AI workloads on a lightweight, high-performance platform.
• Purpose-built for Azure, Azure Linux empowers partners to standardize on a single, enterprise-grade Linux platform, reducing fragmentation, increasing consistency, and accelerating deployment of modern applications across customer environment.

More Secure Boot certificate check capabilities are planned for future release.

Next steps

Now available in public preview, Azure Linux gives partners a powerful new way to streamline operations, drive efficiency, and unlock greater value from their Azure-based solutions. Register customers for public preview today.