Microsoft releases a new tool to get more custom Linux distributions distros on Windows 10
Microsoft recently confirmed that it has open-sourced a Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) sample for Windows 10 targeted at Linux distribution to help them bring their distros to the Windows Store to run on Windows 10’s WSL.
Microsoft describes the tool as a “reference implementation for a Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) distribution installer application.”
This tool will enable Linux distribution maintainers to package and submit a Linux distribution as an appx that runs on WSL. It will also allow developers to create custom Linux distro packages for sideloading onto their dev machine running Windows 10. However, it should be noted that personally created custom packages cannot be distributed through the Microsoft Store unless submitted as a distribution maintainer and approved by Microsoft. For more information, click here.
“We know that many Linux distros rely entirely on open source software, so we would like to bring WSL closer to the OSS community. We hope open sourcing this project will help increase community engagement and bring more of your favorite distros to the Microsoft Store,” said Tara Raj of Microsoft’s WSL team in a blog post.
The WSL allows Windows 10 to run various GNU/Linux distros from the Windows Store, including Canonical, Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, and Fedora. Just last month, Microsoft also added Debian and Kali Linux distros to the Windows Store.
Microsoft has specifically published the Distro Launcher code that’s used with its WSL component of the Windows 10 kernel. The open source code is now available on GitHub as a sample for developers who are interested in building their own Linux distros for the WSL.
