Microsoft has open-sourced its Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), a key tool for developers and power users since its initial release in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update in 2016. The announcement was made during the Build developer conference, and it marks the closure of the first-ever feature request issue reported on GitHub back in 2016.
WSL allows users to run a Linux command line and applications directly on Windows, improving its functionality significantly over the years through enhancements like GPU and audio support, better performance, and simplified installation. Microsoft’s Senior Software Engineer Pierre Boulay noted in a blog post that the evolution and success of WSL can largely be attributed to its community, and he expressed excitement over the potential for further contributions now that the code is open source.
However, not all components of WSL are open source yet. Two parts, specifically the lxcore.sys kernel driver for WSL 1 and the p9rdr.sys and p9np.dll files for filesystem access, remain closed. Microsoft hasn’t disclosed if or when these components might also be open-sourced, but they haven’t ruled it out either.
WSL stands out from traditional virtual machines by offering faster performance, lower resource usage, and seamless integration with Windows. This ease of use is enhanced by the fact that WSL is now acquired and updated via the Microsoft Store, streamlining the addition of new features and updates without necessitating complete Windows updates.
In terms of recent advancements, Microsoft has officially added support for Fedora as a WSL distribution, alongside Ubuntu, its default distribution. Arch Linux was also recently integrated as an officially supported option. These distributions benefit from changes Microsoft implemented last year, enhancing the process of creating new WSL distributions.
Users can install WSL and choose from various distributions available in the Microsoft Store or via command line with wsl --install. They can manage multiple distributions and easily switch between them by listing all supported versions with wsl --list --online.
For more information, visit the Windows Subsystem for Linux official blog.
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