# aws/eks-distro

Amazon EKS Distro (EKS-D) is a Kubernetes distribution based on and used by Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) to create reliable and secure Kubernetes clusters.

Repository: https://github.com/aws/eks-distro
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/eks-distro
Homepage: https://distro.eks.amazonaws.com/
Language: Shell
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Topics: aws, kubernetes, eks
Last push: 2026-08-24T21:29:52+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 94/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:39:23.370411+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 83, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2115, "days_push": 9, "days_rel": 37, "gap_med": 0, "n_releases_24m": 264}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1457, forks 198 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:47.041397+00:00)

## What it is
Amazon EKS Distro (EKS-D) is a Kubernetes distribution containing the same upstream Kubernetes binaries, etcd, and networking/storage components used by Amazon EKS, published as reproducible builds and container images. It lets you run EKS-compatible clusters on-premises or in any cloud, with extended security patching beyond upstream community support.

## Use cases
- run an EKS-compatible Kubernetes cluster on-premises or bare metal
- install Kubernetes with the same versions and components as Amazon EKS
- get extended security patching for older Kubernetes versions
- build Kubernetes components from source with AWS-tested configurations
- bootstrap clusters with kubeadm, kOps, or EKS Anywhere
- keep hybrid cloud and AWS EKS environments on identical Kubernetes versions

## When to choose
- you want EKS parity outside of AWS-managed EKS
- you need extended security patch support for Kubernetes versions past community EOL
- you use EKS Anywhere or a partner installer and need the underlying distro
- you want reproducible, source-buildable Kubernetes components from a single vendor

## When to avoid
- you want a fully managed control plane (use Amazon EKS instead)
- you need a distro with heavy customization or opinionated add-ons beyond upstream Kubernetes
- you require building from source yourself, since build infrastructure is no longer maintained
- you want a lightweight edge or single-node Kubernetes (consider k3s or MicroK8s)

## Facets
- artifact type: infra-config
- maturity: maintenance
- function: container-orchestration, deployment, security, developer-tools
- domain: cloud-computing, self-hosted, microservices
- platform: self-hosted, cloud
- tags: kubernetes-distribution, eks, aws, kubernetes, cluster-bootstrap, kubeadm, kops, eks-anywhere, extended-security-patching, containers, devops, linux, docker

## Member repositories
- aws/eks-distro (main) score 94

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:47.041397+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:35:32.582306+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/aws/eks-distro (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:47.041397+00:00, sha cd1b818312ae)
  - homepage: https://distro.eks.amazonaws.com/ (fetched 2026-08-29T11:44:35.787943+00:00, sha b587f2f4e829)
  - site_page: https://distro.eks.amazonaws.com/users/install/partners (fetched 2026-08-29T11:44:35.797485+00:00, sha 2f21b15ab9fe)
  - site_page: https://distro.eks.amazonaws.com/users/install/kubeadm-onsite (fetched 2026-08-29T11:44:35.799396+00:00, sha fea62cae4646)
  - site_page: https://distro.eks.amazonaws.com/users/install/kubeadm (fetched 2026-08-29T11:44:35.801123+00:00, sha 3745f7e38b4c)
  - site_page: https://distro.eks.amazonaws.com/users/install/kops (fetched 2026-08-29T11:44:35.802790+00:00, sha 9f78118b15fe)
  - site_page: https://distro.eks.amazonaws.com/users/install/kubeinit (fetched 2026-08-29T11:44:35.804254+00:00, sha e830ac125f6b)
  - site_page: https://distro.eks.amazonaws.com/community/faq (fetched 2026-08-29T11:44:35.805829+00:00, sha 4e5b8dd428e7)
  - site_page: https://distro.eks.amazonaws.com/releases/1-36/7 (fetched 2026-08-29T11:44:35.807259+00:00, sha 25867fa6c458)
  - site_page: https://distro.eks.amazonaws.com/releases/1-36/6 (fetched 2026-08-29T11:44:35.808720+00:00, sha d5fd2ba6d14a)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.