Windows Subsystem for Linux

Windows Subsystem for Linux
A component of Microsoft Windows

Bash running on Windows 10
Details
Type Compatibility layer
Included with Windows 10 Anniversary Update
Replaces Windows Services for UNIX

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a compatibility layer for running Linux binary executables (in ELF format) natively on Windows 10. Microsoft and Canonical partnered together to enable a genuine Ubuntu 14.04 "Trusty Tahr" image[1] to be downloaded and extracted to the user's local machine, and for the tools and utilities contained within that image to run natively on top of the WSL.[2][3][4] WSL provides a Linux-compatible kernel interface developed by Microsoft (containing no Linux kernel code), with user-mode binaries from Ubuntu running on top of it[5] – a Bash shell and command language, with native Linux command-line tools (sed, awk, etc.) and programming language interpreters (Ruby, Python, etc.).[6]

This subsystem cannot run all Linux software such as those for a graphical user interface (GUI) or those in need of unimplemented Linux kernel services.[7] It is, however, possible to mitigate this by running graphical X Window System applications with an external X server such as VcXsrv or Xming.[8] WSL uses fewer resources than a full virtualized machine, the most direct way to run Linux software on a Windows computer, while also allowing users to use Windows apps and Linux tools on the same set of files.[6]

Windows Subsystem for Linux is only available on 64-bit editions of Windows 10[6] and can be activated on Windows 10 Anniversary Update and later. The subsystem originated in the unreleased Project Astoria, which enabled some Android applications to run on Windows 10 Mobile.[7] It was first made available in Windows 10 Insider Preview build 14316.[9]

Microsoft envisages WSL as "primarily a tool for developers -- especially web developers and those who work on or with open source projects."[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Ubuntu 16.04 is slow in bash but ubuntu 14.04 was faster
  2. ↑ Harsh, Mike (30 March 2016). "Run Bash on Ubuntu on Windows". Building Apps for Windows. Microsoft.
  3. ↑ Finley, Klint (30 March 2016). "Why Microsoft Making Linux Apps Run on Windows Isn't Crazy". Wired. Condé Nast.
  4. ↑ Kirkland, Dustin (30 March 2016). "Ubuntu on Windows – The Ubuntu Userspace for Windows Developers". Ubuntu Insights. Canonical.
  5. ↑ Hammons, Jack (9 April 2016). "Bash on Ubuntu on Windows". MSDN. Microsoft.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Frequently Asked Questions for WSL". Microsoft. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
  7. 1 2 Bright, Peter (6 April 2016). "Why Microsoft needed to make Windows run Linux software". Ars Technica. Condé Nast.
  8. ↑ Aleksandersen, Daniel (7 April 2016). "Running Linux desktop apps on the Windows Subsystem for Linux". Slight Future.
  9. ↑ Aul, Gabe (6 April 2016). "Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14316". Windows Experience Blog. Microsoft.

External links

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