Microsoft Corp. has added support for yet another Linux platform on its Azure cloud: Clear Linux, an open-source operating system tuned specifically for hardware running Intel Corp.’s processors.

Clear Linux is now available on the Azure Marketplace as a virtual machine, which is an operating system installed on software that acts like dedicated hardware. Intel launched the OS in 2015, pitching it as the best solution for running cloud and data center workloads on servers running its chips. The idea is that the OS enables those workloads to take full advantage of the advanced silicon features and other innovations Intel builds into its processors.

When it designed Clear Linux, Intel focused on making the OS “lean-and-fast.” Now, Intel and Microsoft are promising both a speedy performance and a streamlined DevOps software development experience when running Clear Linux on Azure, thanks to the OS’s stateless capabilities. One of the things Clear Linux does to achieve this is that it separates system defaults and distribution best practices from the user configuration, thereby simplifying deployment and maintenance, Microsoft Azure Open Source project manager Jose Miguel Parrella explained in a blog post. “This also pairs well with bundles, a powerful way of distributing software that allows for scenarios like this system update with new kernel and reboot in just a few seconds,” he added.

Clear Linux can be launched on Azure in a “bare-bones” configuration, which means users can build solutions with their preferred bundles, Parrella explained. The OS also comes with a Docker-based application container engine and a sample machine-learning image that’s pre-loaded with open-source tools.

Clear Linux is the latest in a long line of Linux distributions that Microsoft has embraced on its cloud platform. The company first saw the light in 2012 when it announced support for CentOS, OpenSUSE, Ubuntu and SUSE Linux Enterprise Serve on Azure. At the time, analysts said Microsoft made the move to fuel growth within the Azure ecosystem. The company then added further Linux flavors including CoreOS, Debian, Oracle Linux and Red Hat Enterprise Linux in 2014. Finally in November, Microsoft announced it was joining the Linux Foundation as a Platinum member, the highest available, officially cementing its love affair with Linux.