Linux is an open-source operating system kernel initially developed by Linus Torvalds. It serves as the foundation for numerous operating systems, collectively known as Linux distributions. Renowned for stability, security, and customization, Linux operates on a wide range of devices, from personal computers to servers and embedded systems. Its modular nature allows users to tailor the OS to their needs, replacing or modifying components as desired. Its collaborative development model encourages community contributions, fostering innovation and continuous improvement. Linux has become a cornerstone of modern computing, powering critical infrastructure, mobile devices, and user-friendly desktop environments worldwide.

LinuxKit is a lightweight, open-source toolkit that enables building and running secure, container-focused Linux systems. It empowers developers to create custom, minimal Linux distributions optimized for containerized applications. With its flexibility and simplicity, LinuxKit aids in constructing efficient, portable, and isolated environments for modern software deployment.

ICE OS is built using LinuxKit and contains only the system components and utilities required to run ICE Server. This implies that ICE OS is a Linux operating system, but not a standard Linux distribution like Ubuntu, CentOS or RedHat. Additionally, ICE OS is an "immutable" operating system like those used in physical appliances: It runs from a read-only file system and cannot be modified, patched, or updated by an administrator or malicious user.

ICE OS is distributed as an disk image (in .iso format) and is intended to run directly from this disk image. Unlike traditional operating systems, the disk image is not an operating system "installer." ICE OS is never copied from the disk image onto a writeable file system. Instead, the ICE OS disk image is intended to be installed physically or virtually as a DVD in the host system and paired with a read/write filesystem where ICE application data and system configuration will be written. Consult the server installation and administration product documentation for details.