Microsoft has turned the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) into an app that you can simply download and install from the Microsoft Store on Windows 11. A preview version of the app is available right now, allowing Windows 11 users to install the Windows Subsystem for Linux without having to go to Add/Remove Programs and select WSL as an optional inbox component for Windows.
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This separate app will now be served through the Store, meaning Microsoft can update WSL independently of Windows, allowing WSL users to “get the latest WSL updates and features faster and without having to modify their version of Windows.” While there are no new changes yet with this Store app release, it does mean future updates can appear without having to wait for a larger version or update of Windows.
Microsoft enabled Linux GUI apps in Windows 10 for developers last year, and features like these will be available in the Microsoft Store in the future. However, it appears that this Microsoft Store app for WSL will only work on Windows 11. Microsoft doesn’t mention Windows 10 in its post, implying that you’ll need to update to take advantage of the Microsoft Store app. However, it’s good news for Windows 11 users, especially those in enterprise environments where it often takes a little longer to get the latest versions of Windows.
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Microsoft will still support the inbox version of WSL, so you can run them side by side, and aims to eventually move Windows 11 users to the Microsoft Store version. “Our goals are to make WSL in the Microsoft Store the best way to install and use WSL, as you’ll be able to get the latest updates faster through that route, and in the long term we’d like to move WSL users to using the store version,” explains Craig Loewen, program manager for the Windows Developer Platform.
Source of information: theverge.com
