Definition
runtime-rs is the Rust-based runtime implementation for kata-containers, made the default in Kata Containers 4.0 (July 2026), replacing the Go runtime as the primary path.
Key Points
- Memory safety, smaller footprint, lower startup latency vs Go runtime
- Go runtime deprecated; critical fixes during transition; removal not before Kata 5.0 (~18 months framing in community materials)
- Supports x86_64, aarch64, s390x (ppc64le may lag on runtime-rs builds)
- Built-in VMM option: Dragonball