Windows Subsystem for Linux
| Windows Subsystem for Linux | |
|---|---|
Bash running on Windows 10 | |
| Other names | WSL |
| Developer(s) | Microsoft |
| Initial release | 2 August 2016 |
| Stable release | 2.5.10
/ August 6, 2025[1] |
| Preview release | 2.6.0
/ June 20, 2025[2] |
| Repository | github |
| Operating system | Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 10 LTSB/LTSC, Windows Server 2025, Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016 |
| Predecessor | Windows Services for UNIX |
| Type | Compatibility layer, virtualization |
| License | Subsystem: MIT License; Linux kernel: GNU GPLv2 (only) with some code under compatible GPL variants or under permissive licenses like BSD, MIT |
| Website | learn |
Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a component of Microsoft Windows that allows the use of a Linux environment from within Windows, foregoing the overhead of a virtual machine and being an alternative to dual booting. The WSL command-line interface tool is installed by default in Windows 11, but a distribution must be downloaded and installed through it before use.[3] In Windows 10, WSL can be installed either by joining the Windows Insider program or manually via Microsoft Store or Winget.[4]
The original version, WSL 1, differs significantly from the second major version, WSL 2. WSL 1 (released August 2, 2016), acted as a compatibility layer for running Linux binary executables (in ELF format) by implementing Linux system calls in the Windows kernel.[5] WSL 2 (announced May 2019[6]), introduced a real Linux kernel – a managed virtual machine (via Hyper-V) that implements the full Linux kernel. As a result, WSL 2 is compatible with more Linux binaries as not all system calls were implemented in WSL 1.[7]
Microsoft offers WSL for a variety of reasons. Microsoft envisions WSL as "a tool for developers – especially web developers and those who work on or with open source projects".[8] Microsoft also claims that "WSL requires fewer resources (CPU, memory, and storage) than a full virtual machine" (a common alternative for using Linux in Windows), while also allowing the use of both Windows and Linux tools on the same set of files.[8]
The majority of WSL was released as open source software on May 19, 2025, although certain filesystem functions still rely on a proprietary library that is not open source at this time.
- ^ "Release 2.5.10 · microsoft/WSL". GitHub. 6 August 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
- ^ "Release 2.6.0 · microsoft/WSL". GitHub. 20 June 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
- ^ "How to install Linux on Windows with WSL". Microsoft. 19 November 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
- ^ pokhrel, bishal (27 December 2023). "Install WSL on Windows 10 or 11". Droid Crafts.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Craig Loewen (6 May 2019). "Announcing WSL 2". Windows Command Line Tools For Developers.
- ^ mscraigloewen (19 November 2024). "About WSL 2". docs.microsoft.com.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
ms-faqwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).