Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) now supports running Linux GUI applications (X11 and Wayland) on Windows in a fully integrated desktop experience.
WSL 2 enables Linux GUI applications to feel native and natural to use on Windows.
- Launch Linux apps from the Windows Start menu
- Pin Linux apps to the Windows task bar
- Use alt-tab to switch between Linux and Windows apps
- Cut + Paste across Windows and Linux apps
You can now integrate both Windows and Linux applications into your workflow for a seamless desktop experience.
This is wild.
Thom Holwerda,
Sun microsystems of the 1990s says hi.
Alfman,
Everything old is new again. And yes, this was available in prior operating systems, including Windows itself: https://winworldpc.com/product/microsoft-os2-presen/for-nt-351 (Windows NT could natively run OS/2 applications, in addition to Windows, DOS, and yes, Unix, though not Linux).
And a similar thing is possible on the Mac, albeit with the third party “Crossover” software (Wine commercial version).
sukru,
Yes, you’re talking about foreign subsystems running on windows. However WSL2 runs a real linux kernel in a virtual machine rather than as a windows subsystem. Almost this exact configuration was achievable with 1990s tech using vmware and an x11 display server. I just find it humorous to hear “this is wild” over two decades later in 2023 🙂
I wish sun were still around instead of oracle, they were so far ahead of their time with so many technologies.
Or, in the 1990s, you could whip out an “Apple PC Compatibility Card” and run windows 95 natively inside your PPC mac.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6b4lYOI0GQ
You could also easily run Macinosh applications on an 68k amiga, but with colour and faster than the apple machine could.
> I just find it humorous to hear “this is wild” over two decades later in 2023
What’s wild isn’t that this was always “achievable”. Instead, it’s that Linux software is now THIS integrated, and by Microsoft themselves.
Microsoft supports running Linux software in Linux. Like, my mind is still reeling!
drcouzeli,
This is because of the major management change they had where the head of Windows department left, and the new CEO supported new ideas (like the Azure Cloud).
Azure, and the Dev department, pushed for open source, and multi-platform projects like vscode replacing their traditional offerings.
The Dev tools department had two choices: double down on Windows, and offer everything only on that platform.
Or, expand beyond Windows, and surpass it.
It seems like they have chosen wisely.
drcouzelis,
You may be right that Thom wasn’t referring to the technology, but the circumstances.
Microsoft’s change of direction may seem unnatural for them, but linux was winning on the services side and microsoft wanted a piece of the action and was at risk of becoming less relevant. So I do think it made the most business sense to change their attitude towards FOSS & linux. Behind closed doors, Microsoft probably wants to control this market, but it’s pretty clear that for now they don’t control it and they have to adapt accordingly.
IIRC, they’re using a rootless Weston+XWayland setup to achieve that.
They had Wayland for a while. Linux GUI was running well for over a year now (maybe more iy you count early preview releases).
It seems like they added desktop “install” integration as well.
That’s very good. Somelike like this for Windows apps on Linux is desperately needed. I mean, there’s Winapps (https://github.com/winapps-org/winapps) but it’s still far from being a one-click solution.
Are you kidding? Windows barely has a “one-click solution” to running apps – everything needs an installer, usually something generic, and badly configured, and then you can run it after it’s run. Proton is almost as easy on Linux for games. I do agree general Windows apps should be “just as easy” as proton. It’ll never be “one-click” – not with Windows programs.
There are attempts to make AppImage wrappers for bundling Windows apps with pre-configured wine within an single container. THAT would be one-click.
https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageKit/wiki/Bundling-Windows-applications
I’ve been using this feature for about 6 months now, and it’s very convenient, it’s probably my favourite Win feature now.
When I first set it up the process was took a lot of configuration to get things going and it wasn’t reliable. It does come with some overhead in regards to launching WSL, launching WSL will also become a bit more variable subject to system load, just not as crisp, so in that regard it’s not entirely an automatic choice. For this reason I hope WSL GUI support remains as install on demand as originally planned, and it is not installed by default, of course I get that I can chose a compact distro without X11 or Wayland support, but I tend to always go back to the same 2 or 3, Debian, Alma and Ubuntu and I like starting form a lean base. Creature of habit I suppose.
When you are launching Linux based servers and services and debugging client apps in VScode or other windows based IDEs the convenience of this WSL setup is king.