Installing Azure Arc on Unsupported Machines 

 

Azure Arc enables you to manage and govern your servers, Kubernetes clusters, and applications across on-premises, multi-cloud, and edge environments. However, sometimes you might encounter unsupported machines. This guide will help you bypass these limitations and install Azure Arc on unsupported operating systems. 

1: Identify the Closest Supported Operating System 
First, identify the closest supported operating system for your machine. For example, if your machine runs an unsupported version of Linux, find the closest supported version, such as Ubuntu 24.04 for ARM. 

2: Execute Commands on the Supported Machine 
On the closest supported machine, execute the following commands to gather information about the operating system: 

cat /etc/os-release 

uname -m 

uname -s 

In my case, the commands return the following: 

  • uname -m: aarch64 or x86_64 
  • uname -s: Linux 
  • The output from `cat /etc/os-release` might look like this: 

PRETTY_NAME=”Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS”
NAME=”Ubuntu”
VERSION_ID=”24.04″
VERSION=”24.04.1 LTS (Noble Numbat)”
VERSION_CODENAME=noble
ID=ubuntu
ID_LIKE=debian
HOME_URL=”https://www.ubuntu.com/”
SUPPORT_URL=”https://help.ubuntu.com/”
BUG_REPORT_URL=”https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/”
PRIVACY_POLICY_URL=”https://www.ubuntu.com/legal/terms-and-policies/privacy-policy”
UBUNTU_CODENAME=noble
LOGO=ubuntu-logo

 

 

3: Modify the Unsupported Operating System 

On your unsupported operating system, execute the following command to back up the original os-release file: 

cp /etc/os-release /etc/os-release.original 

Then, copy the content from the supported machine’s os-release file to the unsupported machine’s os-release file. 

4: Verify uname Commands 

Ensure that the `uname -m` and `uname -s` commands return the same values as on the supported machine. If they do not, you might need to create a shell script that overrides the original `uname` output. This topic will be covered in a different article. 

5: Execute the Script to Onboard the Machine 

Now, run the script to onboard your machine to Azure Arc. 

6: Revert the Changes 

After completing the onboarding process, revert the changes to the os-release file: 

rm /etc/os-release 

mv /etc/os-release.original /etc/os-release 

This ensures that your machine returns to its original state. 

By following these steps, you can successfully install Azure Arc on unsupported machines. Remember to always verify the outputs of the `uname` commands and revert any changes made to system files once the process is complete.