You can find even more simplicity in Talos Linux[1]. Drop an ISO onto a USB, run a handful of commands[2] to generate and apply a configuration, and you've got a cluster up and running.

[1] https://www.talos.dev/

[2] https://docs.siderolabs.com/talos/v1.12/getting-started/gett...

That's just making it easier, not simpler. I think the parent means, really a drop-in but simpler k8s

Sure, but I was mostly concerning myself with the comment I replied to, having used K3s often enough myself.

What about k0s? Also single binary.

https://k0sproject.io/

And microk8s from Canonical.