Compatibility layer for running Linux binary executables natively on Windows
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Windows Subsystem for Linux
Bash running on Windows 10
Other names
WSL
Developer(s)
Microsoft
Initial release
August 2, 2016; 7 years ago (2016-08-02)
Stable release
WSL 2 2.1.5
/ March 12, 2024; 16 days ago (2024-03-12)[1]
Preview release
WSL 2 2.1.3
/ February 20, 2024; 37 days ago (2024-02-20)[2]
Repository
github.com/microsoft/WSL2-Linux-Kernel
Operating system
Windows 10, Windows 10 LTSB/LTSC, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows 11, Windows Server 2022
Predecessor
Windows Services for UNIX
Type
Compatibility layer, Virtualization
License
Subsystem: Proprietary commercial software; Linux kernel: GNU GPLv2 (only) with some code under compatible GPL variants or under permissive licenses like BSD, MIT
Website
learn.microsoft.com/windows/wsl/about
Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a feature of Windows that allows developers to run a Linux environment without the need for a separate virtual machine or dual booting. There are two versions of WSL: WSL 1 and WSL 2. WSL 1 was first released on August 2, 2016, and acts as a compatibility layer for running Linux binary executables (in ELF format) by implementing Linux system calls on the Windows kernel.[3] It is available on Windows 10, Windows 10 LTSB/LTSC, Windows 11,[4] Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 2022.
In May 2019, WSL 2 was announced,[5] introducing important changes such as a real Linux kernel,[6] through a subset of Hyper-V features. WSL 2 differs from WSL 1 in that WSL 2 runs inside a managed virtual machine that implements the full Linux kernel. As a result, WSL 2 is compatible with more Linux binaries than WSL 1, as not all syscalls were implemented in WSL 1. Since June 2019, WSL 2 is available to Windows 10 customers through the Windows Insider program, including the Home edition.[7] WSL is not available to all Windows 10 users by default. It can be installed either by joining the Windows Insider program or manually via Microsoft Store or Winget.[8]
^"Release 2.1.5 · microsoft/WSL". GitHub. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
^"Release 2.1.3 · microsoft/WSL". GitHub. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
^Leeks, Stuart (2020). Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL 2) Tips, Tricks, and Techniques: Maximise Productivity of Your Windows 10 Development Machine with Custom Workflows and Configurations. Birmingham: Packt Publishing. pp. 18–19. ISBN 978-1-80056-352-0. OCLC 1202451000.
^June 2021, Darren Allan 23 (23 June 2021). "Windows 11 could seamlessly run graphical Linux apps". TechRadar. Retrieved 29 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Craig Loewen (6 May 2019). "Announcing WSL 2". Windows Command Line Tools For Developers.
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