Windows SUbsystem for Linux is now available on the Microsoft Store

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Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Key notes

For those of you that remember, over a year ago, Microsoft brought Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) to the Microsoft Store on Windows 11 in apreview state.

Windows Subsystem for Linux is a very useful capability that Microsoft added to Windows 10 in 2017, which enables developers to run GNU/Linux environments directly in Windows without requiring virtual machines (VMs) or dual-boot configurations.

You will be extra pleased to learn that today,Microsofthas made WSL generally available in theMicrosoft Storefor both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

WSL is no longer just a Preview on the Microsoft Store

That being said, with the release ofversion 1.0.0of WSL, Microsoft has ditched the previousPreviewtag it had for the software.

Furthermore, it has made this variant of WSL the default experience for people who run thewsl –installorwsl –updatecommands.

The tech giant also mentioned several advantages of installing the Store version of WSL., which include faster updates, better error printing, WSLg and WSL packed in a single package, and the ability to opt-in for systemd support, among other things.

Some of the other improvements introduced by backporting the Microsoft Store version of WSL to Windows 10 and making it the default experience on both OSes also include:

We should also inform you that there is a known issue in the Microsoft Store release though, which is that WSL may fail to start if you are running in asession 0session.

For the time being, this new experience of WSL is only available to seekers, but it will be rolled out automatically to everyone by mid-December 2022.

If you didn’t know, the seeker process involves checking for Windows updates and then installing KB5020030 if you’re on Windows 10, or KB5019157 if you’re on Windows 11.

Note that you can then run thewsl –install(new users) orwsl –update(existing users) commands to get the Microsoft Store version of WSL, or just manually install the latest release fromGitHub.

Please keep in mind that if you’re running a WSL 1 distro, you still need to manually install theWindows Subsystem for Linuxoptional component.

More importantly, the built-in Windows version of WSL will only receive critical bug fixes moving forward, new features will be exclusive to the Microsoft Store version.

And remember that you can download Windows Subsystem for Linux from theMicrosoft Store herewhenever you choose.

Have you tried out the new version of Windows Subsystem for Linux? Share your experience with us in the comments section below.

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Windows SUbsystem for Linux is now available on the Microsoft Store#

WSL is no longer just a Preview on the Microsoft Store#

With KB5043178 to Release Preview Channel, Microsoft advises Windows 11 users to plug in when the battery is low

Copilot in Outlook will generate personalized themes for you to customize the app

Microsoft will raise the price of its 365 Suite to include AI capabilities

Death Stranding Director’s Cut is now Xbox X|S at a huge discount

Outlook will let users create custom account icons so they can tell their accounts apart easier

Windows SUbsystem for Linux is now available on the Microsoft Store

WSL is no longer just a Preview on the Microsoft Store