Windows Subsystem for Linux is Out of Beta

Windows Subsystem for Linux is Out of Beta

Microsoft announced today that it has taken the Windows Subsystem for Linux out of beta: The version that ships with the Fall Creators Update will be a fully supported Windows 10 feature.

“This is great news for those who’ve held-back from employing the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) as a mainline toolset,” Microsoft’s Rich Turner writes. “You’ll now be able to leverage WSL as a day-to-day developer toolset, and become ever more productive when building, testing, deploying, and managing your apps and systems on Windows 10.”

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WSL is designed primarily for developers and IT admins who work in heterogeneous environments with both Windows and Linux. It provides access to Linux command line tools via a growing library of Linux environments, plus the ability share and access files on the host Windows system from Linux, invoke Windows executables from Linux, and invoke Linux executables from Windows.

As for changes, there aren’t any. At least beyond the fact that the WSL will no longer be identified as “Beta” when you install it via Windows Features.

Users can now file bugs on WSL via Microsoft’s various support mechanism, but Feedback Hub-based feedback for those in the Windows Insider program will continue to work as before.

 

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Conversation 15 comments

  • karlinhigh

    Premium Member
    28 July, 2017 - 10:18 pm

    <p>I can get a lot more excited about this one than I can for most other Windows 10 features.</p>

  • JacobTheDev

    Premium Member
    28 July, 2017 - 10:54 pm

    <p>This is awesome, can't wait! Couple things:</p><p><br></p><p>- I find the best way to communicate with the WSL team is on <a href="https://github.com/Microsoft/BashOnWindows&quot; target="_blank">their GitHub</a></p><p>- There are definitely changes from WSL beta to now; a number of bugs have been fixed and features have been implemented.</p><p><br></p><p>I use this every day for work and love it, easily my favorite new Windows feature in years</p>

  • Waethorn

    29 July, 2017 - 12:58 am

    <p>It's the Not-Linux Linux.</p>

  • david.thunderbird

    29 July, 2017 - 8:11 am

    <p>It does not pass the smell test, hopefully will be 100% Debian here by Fall.</p>

  • MacLiam

    Premium Member
    29 July, 2017 - 10:26 am

    <p>Not a developer, but glad to see Microsoft incorporating stuff like this that may help those who are.</p><p>With a backward glance to the WannaCry/WannaCrypt agony, shouldn't SMB 1.0 be completely disabled on the machine whose Features Window sits at the top of this article?</p>

    • Dan1986ist

      Premium Member
      29 July, 2017 - 7:09 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#155150"><em>In reply to MacLiam:</em></a></blockquote><p>Once Version 1709 goes to the Semi-Annual Release Channel, SMB 1.0 will be completely disabled by default. </p>

  • Waethorn

    29 July, 2017 - 2:26 pm

    <p>Someone please explain why they use Ubuntu LTS instead of the current version. Using the LTS version for development processes now "because of maturity" is a bit like someone still using Visual Studio 2010 SP1. And how many of those developers are the "modern" developers that Microsoft really wants to cater to? I just don't get it.</p>

  • skane2600

    29 July, 2017 - 2:58 pm

    <p>20 years of pro-Unix/Anti-MS propaganda in academia has finally paid off.</p>

    • Daniel D

      29 July, 2017 - 8:29 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#155229"><em>In reply to skane2600:</em></a></blockquote><p>I think the use of unmarked UN helicopters over Redmond by the global government was the tipping point for the anti MS dark net campaign. </p><p><br></p><p>Or it could be the world has changed as it is want to do.</p>

      • skane2600

        29 July, 2017 - 8:48 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#155302"><em>In reply to Daniel_D:</em></a></blockquote><p>I don't think there was ever a time when CS departments embraced MS products, so there's really no change involved.</p><p><br></p><p> I think Linux on Windows offers very little to Windows developers and is an unlikely to coax Linux developers way from a Linux system. </p><p><br></p><p>I think a newer generation of developers don't feel sufficiently "manly" if they don't embrace Linux even if, in fact, they don't really develop for it.</p><p><br></p><p>There's a parallel in the Mac world where developers don't feel sufficiently "cool" if they don't own a mac laptop with the Apple logo even if they run parallels or similar and do most of their work in Windows.</p><p><br></p><p>Bottom line: If you need Windows, run Windows, if Linux, run Linux, if MacOS Mac.</p>

        • Boris Zakharin

          31 July, 2017 - 2:00 pm

          <blockquote><a href="#155304"><em>In reply to skane2600:</em></a></blockquote><p>We had more Windows NT 4 labs than Sun (and later Linux) labs in our engineering school. We did our Computer Architecture lab work in a Windows 98 dual monitor lab. Many other classes' homework assignments could be done on any machine with the appropriate compiler/software/etc. Only in one course were we *required* to use OpenBSD and only because you couldn't teach kernel programming with MS products, could you?</p>

  • plm

    29 July, 2017 - 7:55 pm

    <p>Now if Microsoft would add the Windows Subsystem for Android (AKA Astoria Bridge) to Windows 10 Mobile, I'd take my old Lumia 950 back from my son and be content. </p><p><br></p><p>Before anyone rolls their eyes, we all have the right to love the one we love. After 2 months running Android, for me that's W10M. </p>

    • Waethorn

      31 July, 2017 - 1:33 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#155298"><em>In reply to plm:</em></a></blockquote><p>It's dead, Jim.</p>

  • normcf

    29 July, 2017 - 11:25 pm

    <p>Microsoft is pretty good at keeping their finger on the pulse and for them to be adding these kinds of functions it can only mean they have noticed developers moving away from windows. I doubt this will affect the migration much.</p>

  • alf

    31 July, 2017 - 1:09 pm

    <p>Will we need to uninstall the beta prior to installing the fall update?</p>

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