Bringing Red Hat Enterprise Linux to Windows Subsystem for Linux

Posted by BinkReddit@reddit | linux | View on Reddit | 18 comments

Windows continues to try to stay relevant by incorporating more Linux...

https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/whats-new-in-the-windows-subsystem-for-linux-in-november-2024/

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lazycakes360@reddit

continues to try to stay relevant

They are relevant, for better or for worse. Every application in the world is made with windows in mind like it or not.

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nightblackdragon@reddit

>Every application in the world is made with windows in mind like it or not.

If that would be the case then they wouldn't bother with Linux subsystem.

Sure Windows is desktop market leader and one of the biggest players in the server area but desktop and server are not the only markets in the world. Even Microsoft own cloud primarily runs Linux. WSL is an attempt to keep Windows relevant in the areas where it's not relevant. This won't bother desktop user but Microsoft is not focused solely on desktops. They want to earn money from other markets as well.

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lazycakes360@reddit

Maybe not in the server area but I was specifically restricting the scope to the desktop only. Most desktop programs are built for windows first with linux as an afterthought, if it's even considered at all.

I still don't understand WSL. What is its purpose? If I want to run Linux programs, I'll just use Linux (or a VM.)

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asmiggs@reddit

I still don't understand WSL.

It allows developers to have the same experience and tooling across Mac, Linux and Windows, which really reduces the business case for developers to use a machine outside the corporate standard of Windows. What I don't understand is why the likes of Canonical and Red Hat participated in this from the start.

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CammKelly@reddit

Both make their money in Server, WSL support ensures developers are still targeting them.

Obviously it hurts desktop, but the numbers dont add up to be obstinate about it.

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DownvoteEvangelist@reddit

WSL is awesome, basically brings Linux shell to windows and does it much better than cugwin did...

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ThomasterXXL@reddit

WSL2 turns Linux into a Windows feature.

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DownvoteEvangelist@reddit

WSL1 was more badass though..

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TheWix@reddit

Because corporations don't want to manage Linux desktop environments across their business, especially ones that have been Microsoft for years. WSL lets you keep your Windows machines while developing in an environment that's more similar to your runtime. WSL makes a LOT of sense from a developer perspective.

WSL is great for Linux, because it exposed many of us to Linux in ways we wouldn't have been before.

I'll just use Linux (or a VM.)

WSL is a VM running Linux.

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ThomasterXXL@reddit

WSL2

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nightblackdragon@reddit

>I was specifically restricting the scope to the desktop only

WSL doesn't really bother typical Windows user.

>If I want to run Linux programs, I'll just use Linux

Microsoft wants you to use Windows instead.

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Ezmiller_2@reddit

Then why is WSL available for home users? Ouch.

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trying_begood@reddit

Because limiting WSL to Windows Pro makes them lose potential users. For certain activities, Windows Pro is overkill and expensive.

WSL is an optimized virtual machine that makes it easy for you to use certain technologies that are best on Linux, such as containers.

Developers can simply enable WSL instead of migrating to a Linux distro or using up a lot of resources on a virtual machine. If WSL were limited to Pro users, people could very well install Ubuntu or RHEL for these activities.

This doesn't mean that all Windows Home users will benefit from WSL however.

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Krieg@reddit

We use WSL for Linux development, building and testing under Windows, by developers during development phase. It is good to have a Linux command line AND your source code available in the local hard drive. Also, I am mostly a Linux person so I am more productive in the command line with all the Linux commands available. Also WSL integration with Eclipse is really helpful. WSL allows me as well to test things very fast in different distributions.

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BinkReddit@reddit (OP)

I still don't understand WSL. What is its purpose?

Your Linux programs are better integrated into the Windows UI and makes things a bit more transparent.

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The OED lists another usage of ‘app’ from 1985 – this time in the December issue of Info World. This time, we’re talking about Framework II, an office suite from Ashton-Tate, released in 1985.