Microsoft has released a tool on Monday to help Linux aficionados in porting their favorite Linux distro to run on the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), a Windows 10 component that sideloads Linux distros on modern Windows 10 PCs.
Microsoft has already released official images for Ubuntu, SUSE, Kali Linux, and Debian, all of which are available via the official Windows Store.
But despite Microsoft's best efforts, the OS maker would never have enough time and resources to port all Linux distros to run on its WSL implementation. There are just too many Linux distros out there, most of which are niche distros created for specific purposes only.
WSL DistroLauncher Sample project available on GitHub
As such, Microsoft has decided to open source a project named "WSL DistroLauncher Sample" that contains a reference implementation of how Linux OS projects (or mundane Linux users alike) could port their favorite Linux distro to run inside the Windows 10 WSL component.
The end result of using WSL DistroLauncher Sample is a UWP application that sideloads the desired Linux distro via Windows 10's WSL component.
All the necessary instructions needed to use Microsoft's new tool are included in the WSL DistroLauncher's GitHub project README file.
Microsoft hopes for more Linux distros on the Windows Store
The project, open-sourced on GitHub, is for Linux distro teams, but also for lone developers.
Linux distro teams can create an official WSL package that they can distribute via the Windows Store, while developers can sideload custom Linux distros on their personal or work machines.
To avoid rogue or malicious users from creating and uploading a Linux distro they don't own on the Windows Store, Microsoft said it would only accept Windows Store submissions for Linux-flavored WSL images from each distro's official development teams only.
Break down IAM silos like Bitpanda, KnowBe4, and PathAI
Broken IAM isn't just an IT problem - the impact ripples across your whole business.
This practical guide covers why traditional IAM practices fail to keep up with modern demands, examples of what "good" IAM looks like, and a simple checklist for building a scalable strategy.
Comments
NickAu - 7 years ago
True Linux aficionados wont touch this with a barge pole, we left Windows and its BS years ago and will never return.
Sorry MS I just don't trust you or your product.
zingo156 - 7 years ago
I agree entirely. It is nice to see some support this way though.
In regard to the article, I go exactly the opposite route, if I have to run windows, it will be in a virtual box on a machine running Linux. My only windows machine is a gaming rig, which will be moved over to steamos at some point.
Windows has its use, unfortunately rather than getting better and faster, it seems to get clunkier and less reliable, more bugs, etc.
Joe C - 7 years ago
I agree. I think that M$ want to share the love for Linux but I do not see the Linux community willing to share anything with Windows 10
DarSul - 7 years ago
How much easier could the Linux community make it easier to share.... It's open source. The main issue though is Linux is based on Unix and Windows DOS.
NickAu - 7 years ago
By share the love you mean make a quick buck?
Lawrence Abrams - 7 years ago
I actually love this. I understand that many of you left Windows behind years ago, but for those of us who still use it, the ability to easily run these distros is terrific.
nickwinlund - 7 years ago
The built-in Ubuntu shell on WSL is actually pretty nice (not mentioned in the article) but why not use VirtualBox or some other VM for everything else non-Windows on Windows? Oracle VirtualBox supports all flavors of Linux, FreeBSD, etc. and is easy to use and very efficient.
Lawrence Abrams - 7 years ago
Love virtualbox and use it all day, but a dedicated guest running a linux distro would probably use up more resources than WSL. Gonna test that to confirm.
Also, if you need to launch some daemons or utilize certain functionality of a linux distro, its just easier to use WSL imho.
Granted there are some issues still, like no graphical support, but hopefully that will change in the future and you can always setup a Windows X server.
MountainComputers - 7 years ago
I love virtual box too.. have about 10 linux distros on it. Its a nice move considering all the azure cloud stuff versus AWS stuff... being an ex-microsoft management systems engineer and then some.... leaving the company some 21 years ago.. i can appreciate all they do and then some..
NickAu - 7 years ago
Nothing more needs to be said
https://imgur.com/ccmdfMG
SuperSapien64 - 7 years ago
Well said.
pcpunk - 7 years ago
If you have to run WindowsX but still want to run or try Linux, sounds like a great tool. The question is, why would MS do this? Just the thought of this worries me LOL. I'd rather not see MS and Open Source in bed together. That's like a politician marrying a Greenpeace Volunteer.
DarSul - 7 years ago
This makes absolutely NO sense. I would still have to purchase all the junk associated with windows and have all the bloat in order to run Linux. Can you say NO WAY!? It might be more successful is MS made a linux app so that you could run MS applications on Linux... just a thought
Lawrence Abrams - 7 years ago
If you can't beat them, absorb them.
SuperSapien64 - 7 years ago
Which is so like M$.
pcpunk - 7 years ago
I wonder if this runs like a VM, and therefore be secure. I wonder if I can use this to boot customers unknown drives. I'm always having problems booting damaged drives, they break my system sometimes, and that's never good. Sometimes I forget and boot from my main pc, and then end up with more work...arrrrgggg. Then have to boot from a spare pc, that that is more work also. Would be nice to use this tool if it would indeed be good for this.