Microsoft has announced the general availability of its Windows Subsystem for Linux on its online application store for Windows 10 and 11. Hundreds of bugs have been fixed and file system performance improved.
The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is coming out of beta mode and is now available on Microsoft’s online store in general availability. “We’re also making the Store version of WSL the default for new users who run wsl –install and easily upgradeable by running wsl –update for existing users,” the Redmond firm explained in a blog post. Compatible operating systems for WSL are Windows 10 and 11. “Using the Store version of WSL allows you to get updates to WSL much faster than when it was a Windows component “, further specifies the editor.
This version of WSL fixes hundreds of bugs and improvements including the possibility of accessing systemd support, or the fact that wsl –install now includes direct installation from the Microsoft Store by default, the possibility of not launching the distro right after installation with –option no-launch or download it only from the GitHub releases page via –option web-download. “wsl.exe –install will now automatically implement the Store version of WSL and will no longer enable the optional “Windows Subsystem for Linux” component, nor install the WSL kernel or WSLg MSI packages as they are no longer required. This is because the optional virtual machine component of the platform will always be enabled, and by default Ubuntu will always be installed,” the vendor further clarifies.
In April 2021, a community beta of Ubuntu for Windows Subsystem Linux on the Windows Store had already been pushed. To help users who encounter technical problems, Microsoft offers to inform them in a dedicated Github directory and to access specific online help and tutorials.