« Previous 1 2 3 4
WSL puts Linux on Windows desktops
Sublease
No Support for Daemons
WSL reaches its limits if you need to run a daemon because it lacks a full-fledged launch environment such as Systemd. Commands like reboot, shutdown, and systemctl do not work, and it is therefore not possible to install server services for automatic startup. Even hardware-related commands such as the dd image-building tool do not work. A physical Linux system or one installed in a VM is still the better choice for these sorts of tasks.
Conclusions
Depending on the application, WSL is a practical alternative to full-blown Linux VMs. Compared with the VMs isolated in Hyper-V or similar hypervisors, the WSL advantage is direct interaction with files and folders under Windows. With the tools presented here, even graphical Linux applications under Windows are no longer a problem. Moreover, Microsoft is continually expanding the range of functions [8].
The roadmap for the future version 2 of WSL includes support for Docker containers, as well as migration of the architecture from an emulated to a modified Linux kernel – and the kernel will be completely open source [9].
Infos
- Executing Linux ELF64 binaries: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/wsl/2016/04/22/windows-subsystem-for-linux-overview/
- Pico processes: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/wsl/2016/05/23/pico-process-overview/
- Background processes in WSL: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/background-task-support-in-wsl/
- Windows and Ubuntu interoperability: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/wsl/2016/10/19/windows-and-ubuntu-interoperability/
- Filesystem support: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/wsl/2016/06/15/wsl-file-system-support/
- Interoperability between Windows and Linux: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/interop
- X server X410: https://token2shell.com/x410/
- Extended functionality in WSL: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/release-notes
- Open source approach of WSL: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/release-notes
« Previous 1 2 3 4
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy ADMIN Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Related content
-
Linux apps on Windows 10 and Chrome OS
Microsoft and Google have upgraded their in-house operating systems, Windows 10 and Chrome OS, with subsystems to run Linux. We look into their highly different approaches. -
Attackers, defenders, and Windows Subsystem for Linux
Several tactics, techniques, and procedures circulating among cybercriminals exploit Windows Subsystem for Linux as a gateway. We look at how WSL can be misused and some appropriate protections. -
Windows Subsystem for Linux and Android in Windows 11
The Windows subsystem for Linux runs graphical applications on Windows 11 out of the box, and Windows Subsystem for Android, out in preview at press time, shows that Windows can be a platform for Android apps. We look at the state of the art and help you get started. -
New features in Windows Terminal Preview
Windows Terminal Preview comes with interesting new features, such as state-preserving quick windows access via shortcuts and configuration of almost all settings in a GUI, which is reason enough to take a look at the preview. - SSH Comes to Windows PowerShell