Microsoft launches Windows Subsystem for Linux on Store for Windows 11 PCs
Microsoft officially announced that the preview version of Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) has been used as an application and is available to Windows 11 PC users in the Microsoft Store. Microsoft said that by installing WSL through the Microsoft Store, you can get WSL updates and features faster like ordinary applications without needing to update the Windows version.
Microsoft introduced WSL as early as Windows 10, which was developed in cooperation with Canonical. The compatibility layer that can run native Linux binary executable files (ELF format) on Windows 10, and upgraded to WSL2 on Windows 10 build 2004 in 2020. However, there are still many imperfections in installation and use.
Traditionally, WSL has been installed on Windows as an optional component, meaning that turning on or off the function requires restarting the computer. In this optional component, the binary files that make up the WSL logic are part of the Windows image and are maintained and updated as part of Windows itself. This time the WSL preview version landed on the Microsoft Store, which can be said to be a huge improvement, transfer these binary files from part of the Windows image to part of the application installed in the Microsoft Store, decoupling WSL from the Windows version. Once WSL has new features, users can complete the update through the Microsoft Store, without the need to update Windows.
Microsoft’s goal is to make WSL in the Microsoft Store the best way to install and use WSL and at the same time users to get the latest and fastest way to update. However, Microsoft also said that it will not cancel the existing WSL support method, so those users who want to still use the existing method do not need to worry. If the user downloads and installs the WSL preview version through the Microsoft Store and encounters problems in use, Microsoft recommends that the user report the problem to the official to help improve the WSL preview version.
