Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18980 Brings WSL Improvements

Microsoft has released a new Windows 10 (20H1) build to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring.

“Today we’re releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18980 (20H1) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring,” the Microsoft announcement notes.

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New features include:

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) improvements. WLS is finally coming to ARM-based PCs. In addition, you can now set your distribution’s default user using the wsl.conf configuration files in /etc, and this release contains multiple bug fixes, including a long-standing issue for legacy Windows symlinks.

Cortana improvements. Starting with this build, all users will see the Cortana icon in the taskbar and can access the new Cortana app. In the future, users will be able to Cortana if they speak a supported language, regardless of their OS display language. Today, Cortana only supports U.S. English but Microsoft claims that turning Cortana into a standalone app will help it add languages in the future. “We expect to support the same set of regions and languages we currently support in retail by 20H1 launch,” Microsoft says, without explaining what those regions and languages are. So I’ll do it: Today, Cortana supports Australia: English, Brazil: Portuguese, Canada: English/French, China: Chinese (Simplified), France: French, Germany: German, India: English, Italy: Italian, Japan: Japanese, Mexico: Spanish, Spain: Spanish, United Kingdom: English, and United States: English.

Optional Features settings improvements. The A/B testing is over so now all Insiders can test the new Optional Features section in Settings.

 

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Conversation 9 comments

  • branpurn

    11 September, 2019 - 1:41 pm

    <p>"Windows Subsystem for Linux 2" may as well be called "Windows Virtualization of Linux," and it's a real shame that most development seems to be focused on WSL2 instead of WSL1, which was, you know, an actual subsystem and not&nbsp;yet another virtual machine. </p>

  • will

    Premium Member
    11 September, 2019 - 1:59 pm

    <p>They need to stop this A/B testing process IMO. This is what the rings are for, testing, unless it is something deployment related it should just go to everyone. Maybe give people in the fast ring an option of being a part of optional testing knowing it could affect the system or go away…just not another ring.</p>

  • Dan1986ist

    Premium Member
    11 September, 2019 - 2:43 pm

    <p>Anyone else getting this 20H1 build from the vb_release branch instead of the rs_prerelease branch which the previously 20H1 builds came from? </p>

    • navarac

      11 September, 2019 - 3:16 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#464216">In reply to Dan1986ist:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yes, and the build sub # is 1 and not 1000 etc., i.e.18980.1</p>

    • navarac

      11 September, 2019 - 3:48 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#464216">In reply to Dan1986ist:</a></em></blockquote><p>vb branch? Verbranium is code for 20h1.</p>

      • Paul Thurrott

        Premium Member
        12 September, 2019 - 8:21 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#464268">In reply to navarac:</a></em></blockquote><p>True.</p><p><br></p><p>Though most people probably think "Visual Basic" when they see that.</p>

  • dontbeevil

    11 September, 2019 - 4:03 pm

    <p>Nice to see Cortana Uwp can receive updates fron the Store </p>

  • Rob_Wade

    11 September, 2019 - 5:31 pm

    <p>So, maybe I'm missing something about Cortana being a "separate app". I find no Cortana app (like we used to have). Also, I'm not seeing the ability to move/resize the Cortana window when I invoke it. Is there a trick to this?</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      12 September, 2019 - 8:20 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#464434">In reply to Rob_Wade:</a></em></blockquote><p>They could be A/B testing this, actually.</p>

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