Microsoft now supports WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) inside of the Windows 10 Creators Update, and you can soon find it via the Windows Update app (Crimson) in Windows 10 Insider Preview builds. According to Microsoft, the feature will arrive as part of the next Windows 10 update scheduled for later this year.
The Windows 10 Creators Update includes support for the Linux kernel so you can run Linux applications in the background. Since Windows is still dominant on the desktop (even if most customers buy a Mac), Windows 10 isn’t letting Linux run in full-blown environments — you can use Linux drivers only, and if you want full control of your device, you’ll still need to use Windows.
For now, the plan seems to be to support Linux drivers in a smaller way and perhaps eventually provide native Linux applications, or at least to bring Linux applications to Windows 10 to take advantage of the sandbox feature Windows 10 currently has
Microsoft Windows problem solved: Microsoft now supports WSL, and this has proven to be a win-win for all
Microsoft has a long and historic history of being a traditional and slow-moving corporation. This attitude is oftentimes blamed for Windows failure in the consumer market and perceived inferiority in the enterprise.
The fact of the matter is that Microsoft is the most profitable software vendor in the world, for good reason. Over time, a combination of industry-changing technologies like virtualization and commodity hardware led to the development of services such as Exchange.
In this era of the cloud, Microsoft’s success is built on these innovative products. That success in turn ensures that its end users are still able to log in to their Microsoft accounts regardless of their operating system of choice.
Microsoft has traditionally been synonymous with the Windows operating system, but as computing moves to the cloud, it’s time for the Windows brand to be judged only for its products, not for its brand loyalty to a dying operating system. If a Microsoft product doesn’t work on a Windows PC, then the product is considered inferior and a failure.
The recently announced Windows Insider program is a step in this direction. Instead of focusing on features, it focuses on the compatibility of Windows 8.1 with Windows 7.
By openly investing in the operation, Microsoft is allowing customers to keep their Windows 8.1 PC compatible with Windows 7, with the sole goal of helping users upgrade their Windows 7 PC to Windows 10, or create new opportunities by deploying a solution to manage and deploy Windows 10.
Now that Windows 10 is nearing a final version, Microsoft has opened the Windows Insider program to multiple computing platforms. The release notes for Build 14986 demonstrate that Microsoft is now open to taking on Linux and the open-source world for more of its services.
In fact, in January, Microsoft released its first Windows kernel update for Windows Server 2012 R2, with support for Microsoft’s latest server operating system. It’s a huge win for both Microsoft and its customers. If you are a Microsoft Windows user who may have to face an issue regarding Windows 10 Display Won’t Turn Off you should try this out.
Microsoft is increasingly focused on solutions that use multiple services from multiple vendors. This means that customers can choose a single solution that uses all of the products and services from the various manufacturers.
There’s no way to keep track of Microsoft’s actions against Linux, so Microsoft now supports WSL, and this has proven to be a win-win for all. Customers get access to the latest and greatest products and services on the market. Not only is Windows 10 now supported on multiple hardware platforms, but Linux is receiving additional support.
Microsoft now supports WSL. WSL is Microsoft’s userspace for the Windows OS. If your system is running Windows 10 with the standard version of Windows, it’s completely supported for multi-boot systems. While a full multi-boot support is not currently supported, you can boot into Linux or a Live CD, using either Linux or WSL.
Here’s how to install Windows 10 for Linux on a machine running Windows 10:
If you’re on a version of Windows 10 that is not 1607, you need to download and install a firmware update to download and install Windows 10 for Linux. Microsoft says to download and install this update using the Windows Update Catalog.
On another machine, you’ll install this firmware update, which is called “Windows 10 for Linux for Windows 10.“ The update will need to install, after which Microsoft says the Windows 10 for Linux setup process will begin.
