A couple of Windows 10 releases back, Microsoft delivered the Windows Subsystem for Linux. The Windows Subsystem for Linux allows you to run Linux distros, like Ubuntu, Debian, Suse, and others, on Windows 10. Around the Microsoft Ignite 2018 timeframe, another distro was released to the Windows Store called WLinux. WLinux is a Linux environment for Windows 10 built on work by Microsoft Research and the Debian project. WLinux is a custom Linux distro built from Debian specifically for use on the WSL. While other distros are available for WSL, WLinux is the first optimized for use by users of WSL for WSL. It helps developer run Linux tooling on Windows and integrates into perfectly into Windows.
With the latest Windows 10 Insider builds, you can also run the Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL 2).
WLinux Setup
WLinux comes with a custom setup to prepare your environment in a straightforward and easy wizard. It lets you set up some predefined software and settings and configure integration into Windows.
WLinux WSL Docker Bridge to Windows
If you want to run Docker in the Windows Subsystem for Linux, you can bring the Docker Client to the Windows Docker Engine. This allows you to run Docker directly from WSL and PowerShell at the same time.
Microsoft Tooling
Of course, WLinux brings the usual Linux development tools and easy setup for Ruby, NodeJS, Go, Java, Python, editors like emacs and even different shells. You can also easily add Microsoft tooling by adding Azure CLI, PowerShell Core, and even Visual Studio Code.
Windows Explorer Integration and WSL Utilities (wslu)
It easily lets you set up Windows Explorer integration and brings wslu, a collection of utilities for WSL, preinstalled. Wslu brings the following features to the WSL
- wslusc This is a WSL shortcut creator to create a shortcut on your Windows 10 Desktop.
- wslsys This is a WSL system information printer to print out some basic system information.
- wslfetch This is a WSL Screenshot Information Tool to print information elegantly.
- wslupath This is a WSL Windows path Converter that can convert Windows path to other styles of path.
- wslview This is a fake WSL browser that can help you open link in default Windows browser.
If you want to know more about WLinux, check out the website Whitewater Foundry.
Or download WLinux from the Microsoft Store.
You can also contribute to the project on GitHub.
Tags: Azure CLI, Dev, Development Tools, Docker, Linux, Linux Tools, Microsoft, PowerShell, PowerShell Core, Windows, Windows 10, Windows Subsystem for Linux, WLinux, WSL Last modified: June 17, 2019
I find it both amusing and sad that this Linux distribution is NOT free. what
Why is a choice to pay for better development “Sad” ? I am sure you are very amused by MacOS or the BSDs .
I’m not sure that you are aware that Industry pay “all day long” for Embedded & Specialist / Customized Linux distributions .
The need for safe / efficient / off the shelf solutions will always be there – even if they are never even featured in DISTROWATCH .
The Linux Posix Microsoft Windows Subsystem Layer fee is for Research & development and maybe a bit more of consistent longevity – nothing in the License says you can not pay for that .
If it becomes successful and gets official Microsoft support , it might get a free version .
If it becomes successful someone else might do a free version that is “better” with less developer features .
Also Freely Distributed but fee paying for support is the norm in Enterprise .
Absolutely, and no one forces users to pay for WLinux, they can also use other free WSL distributions from the store, like Ubuntu :)
I have no problems with this being a paid version of WSL- it’s nice to have the extra options
I’m not sure there are enough features for me personally to fork out but that’s only my view.
I do like the extra explorer option, the path converter etc but it’s not quite enough for me. Unless there are other features to ensure smooth running as I don’t know about (and there could well be)
So I bought this only to find it doesn’t work with Docker Desktop. Switched to Ubuntu 18.04 and everything works.
Hi Bobby, are you speaking about the Docker Desktop in WSL2? Since WSL 2 is currently in preview, it might only support a couple of distros. https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2019/08/run-linux-containers-with-docker-desktop-and-wsl-2/