this post was submitted on 19 May 2025
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Today we’re very excited to announce the open-source release of the Windows Subsystem for Linux. This is the result of a multiyear effort to prepare for this, and a great closure to the first ever issue raised on the Microsoft/WSL repo:

https://github.com/microsoft/WSL

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[–] Ascend910@lemmy.ml 10 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Is this something to do with the three Es?

[–] FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au 1 points 21 hours ago

The 90s called, they want their joke back.

[–] yarr@feddit.nl 27 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Great! With this source code out, I can finally complete the port to Linux. I call it WSL24L, aka "Windows Subsystem For Linux 2, For Linux"

[–] tfm 15 points 1 day ago
[–] steeznson@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Do you name every FOSS project? This is uncannily close to what an actual open source project would be called, including the logic behind it.

[–] 0ops@lemm.ee 5 points 3 hours ago

Nah, needs more recursion. The 'W' in "WSL" stands for "WSL"

[–] JuryNow@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago

Making WSL open source could actually lead to some useful contributions and better transparency overall ; and good for Linux tools?

[–] Gumus@lemmy.world 92 points 1 day ago (6 children)

I know there's a lot of hate for Microsoft on Lemmy, but WSL is one of the best parts of Windows. It's really powerful and well integrated to Windows. Since I still can't leave for pure Linux install, I'm glad for WSL.

[–] Perish@lemm.ee 143 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Funny that the Linux is best part of Windows lmao

[–] Hellmo_Luciferrari@lemm.ee 17 points 1 day ago

Microsoft hate is justified.

[–] lepinkainen@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago (4 children)

WSL made windows tolerable in the time I had to use a windows machine for work.

macOS is still the better choice for corp approved work, integrates decently with IT systems and is a “real” unix system underneath.

Linux on a corporate desktop is mostly about how well you know the IT guys and do they trust you. And of course the software stack.

[–] cmhe@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Linux on a corporate desktop is mostly about how well you know the IT guys and do they trust you. And of course the software stack.

I would say it depends more on the commitment of the IT admins to support and manage a fleet of Linux workstations. There are Linux "Active Directory" servers, configuration provisioning tools, ways to centrally and automatically rollout updates, etc. It really depends on if the IT guys invest the same amount of effort to support them or not.

[–] lepinkainen@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (2 children)

2000 people, 3k+ devices and one dude wants a Linux laptop.

Not happening 😀

But it did work in a smaller company of around 30 people, mostly because the IT guy was a Linux user too

[–] interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml 1 points 16 hours ago

Easy fix, install proxmox and run corpo-os in that as well as a proper desktop os. Just need to max out the ram on the shitbox thet give you and now you can switch almost seemlessly

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[–] boaratio@lemmy.world 231 points 1 day ago (4 children)

I still will never understand why it's not called Linux Subsystem for Windows.

[–] Arthur@literature.cafe 136 points 1 day ago (3 children)

There's a trademark for Linux so Microsoft can't name a product starting with Linux.

https://xcancel.com/richturn_ms/status/1245481405947076610

[–] boaratio@lemmy.world 108 points 1 day ago (10 children)

So they can use Linux in the name, just not at the beginning? We're so stupid. Can they do Windows Subsystem for Coke? Or Windows Subsystem for McDonald's? Or Windows Subsystem for MacOs?

Good gravy.

[–] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 53 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think trademark law has a strange history in the US

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[–] tuxiqae@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 1 day ago

Still doesnt explain why it wasn't called Windows Linux Subsystem (WLS)

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[–] SorteKanin@feddit.dk 32 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think it is because Windows has many subsystems, it's just that you don't hear about most of them aside from WSL.

So it is referring to the particular Windows Subsystem (of which there are many) that can run or emulate Linux.

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[–] simple@lemm.ee 44 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I got hung up on this before too but it's apparently "Windows Subsystem for (using) Linux"

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[–] Melvin_Ferd@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

sudo apt-get assorted -lettuce -cheese -onion

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[–] stebator@lemmy.world 25 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

This is for WSL2, not for WSL1. WSL2 is just a VM, not a big deal it it's open-sourced. WSL1 is superior to WSL2 in every way. BTW, WSL2 is not a continuation of WSL1, they are being developed in parallel. I still try to use WSL1 whenever possible. For Linux specific features, like systemd dependancy and mounting file systems, I'd use full-featured VM instead of WSL2.

[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I thought WSL2 had a few specific advantages over WSL1, something about disk writes and/or Docker? But yeah, WSL1 was such a cool concept. My understanding is they implemented all the syscalls and API in it so it's basically native.

I tried to use them, as I do most tools like that. On Windows I have always stuck with the MSYS environment that Git for Windows gives you. It's easy enough to work with and has most everything I care about. Plus it's easy to set up. With wsl it's more like a separate thing, it wasn't as easy to run in place. A lot of times I still used batch or powershell scripts so it wasn't totally bash. Like Docker is easier to use from not bash in Windows because the syntax is so wonky.

But now I don't use Windows at all.

[–] baduhai@sopuli.xyz 2 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

I've recently started using windows again for work, after not touching it for like 15 years, msys2 makes it tolerable.

I'm a devops engineer, and my company won't allow me to use WSL. Go figure.

[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

MSYS2 is odd, I could never figure out how to set it up a sort from the one with Git. When I was more of a power user I used Cygwin. Babun is cool but unmaintained last I remember, and is just Cygwin with some enhancements.

As much shit as MS gets (and rightfully so) around 2019 they began turning their reputation around for dev stuff. They've lost all that good will though.

[–] baduhai@sopuli.xyz 1 points 4 hours ago

I could never figure out how to set it up a sort from the one with Git.

That's because the one provided with git is a nerfed version of msys2. If you install msys2 as a standalone thing from their website, you get everything you need for a functional CLI on windows. Most importantly, you get a real package manager and decently populated repositories.

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

but.. you need to run it on microsoft, which isn't open source....

[–] codexarcanum@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Only right now. I'm sure someone will have it running on Wine or Proton by next week. Steamdeck subsystem for proton for Windows subsystem for linux

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

brb running vim on windows subsystem for linux on proton on wine on linux.

[–] hakunawazo@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

Just to confuse any computer virus.

[–] EON_GuG@lemm.ee 99 points 2 days ago (38 children)

Don't you think this is another Embrace, Extend, and Extinguish strategy from Microsoft?

[–] bishoponarope@lemmy.world 82 points 2 days ago (1 children)

That's exactly what it is. Any time now you'll see "the best way to run Linux: on windows" or similar.

[–] simple@lemm.ee 56 points 1 day ago (6 children)

Does Lemmy even know what EEE means anymore or are we regurgitating words we heard from some article now?

What's it going to embrace and extend? WSL has existed for ages and is just a way to run Linux in a convenient container on top of Windows. That's it. It's not an attempt to "extenguish" Linux, literally just make the development experience on Windows less painful so people don't switch to another OS. This has nothing to do with EEE.

Open sourcing it with a permissive license can only be a good thing, and again they're doing it to be more appealing to devs and maybe get free bug fixes from the open source community. It isn't some grand conspiracy. But of course this community will react to news of "proprietary blob is now open source" with pessimism.

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[–] nao@sh.itjust.works 49 points 1 day ago (4 children)

I think it's an attempt to keep people on their platform who need easy access to a unix-like shell. Linux has it and so does mac os. Windows didn't until they introduced wsl.

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[–] Kazel@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 1 day ago (2 children)

fuck microsoft and windows so hard. had to reinstall that shitshow on my mothers computer because a driver update fucked the whole networkstack... they throw error codes and what not but give no help whatsoever. the conclusion of everyone for every problem is to reinstall windows.... shitshow of an os, keep your dirty hands of linux!! can't wait to nuke it and install linux there and have no windows machine left

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[–] mvirts@lemmy.world 23 points 1 day ago (5 children)

I am legit excited to install WINE Subsystem for Linux

Or how about KDE on ReactOS on WSL?

The possibilities are endless

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[–] RaptorBenn@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Pretend I'm an idiot (should be easy), and tell me what this all is up in here.

[–] Wolf314159@startrek.website 16 points 1 day ago

Classic Microsoft Business Strategy

  • ~~Embrace~~
  • Extend
  • Extinguish
[–] JustARaccoon@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Means that now anyone can fork the project and make changes or iterate on it without needing to wait for Microsoft to fix things.

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