Microsoft announces the general availability of WSL2 for Windows 10 version 2004

[Karlston]

Microsoft announces the general availability of WSL2 for Windows 10 version 2004

Microsoft will be releasing their next major update in spring of 2020. The new update is dubbed as Windows 10 20H1 or Windows 10 version 2004 but Microsoft will most likely give it an official name closer to the rollout. The company recently published the ISO files of the 2004 update on Windows Insider website so we expect Microsoft to announce the update rollout dates soon.

 

Today, Microsoft has announced the general availability of WSL2 for Windows 10 version 2004. Craig Loewen, program manager for WSL at Microsoft, wrote a blog post confirming the availability of WSL2 for Windows 10 users. While the feature will be rolling out with version 2004 if you’re on Windows Insider build 19041.153, you can run any of the following commands to enable WSL2 on your system:

• wsl (If a WSL2 distro is your default distro)

• wsl --set-version <Distro> 2, – wsl --set-default-version 2

• wsl --import and wsl --export targeting WSL2

 

Moreover, Microsoft will be adding WSL to Windows Updates so the company could push out the latest kernel version independently of consuming an update to your Windows image. Although, for the first few months after the release, users will need to manually check for updates to get the latest kernel. Microsoft will be releasing an update in a few months which will add automatic install and servicing capabilities.

 

Windows 10 version 2004 will be a big update for Windows 10 users. Microsoft has planned several features and improvements for the users and you can check out our round-up article to know more about Windows 10 version 2004 update.

 

 

Source: Microsoft announces the general availability of WSL2 for Windows 10 version 2004  (MSPoweruser)

[duddy]

Windows 10's built-in Linux kernel will be available to everyone soon

 

 

You won't have to be a tester to try Windows 10's new, built-in Linux kernel in the near future. Microsoft has confirmed that Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 will be widely available when Windows 10 version 2004 arrives. You'll have to install it manually for a "few months" until an update adds automatic installs and updates, but that's a small price to pay if you want Linux and Windows to coexist in peace and harmony. It'll be easier to set up, at least -- the kernel will now be delivered through Windows Update instead of forcing you to install an entire Windows image.

 

WSL2's focus isn't so much on basic functionality (there's been an emulator for a while) as it is performance. It should load and run faster, with reduced memory consumption to free up your RAM for other tasks. This prioritization isn't completely surprising. Now that Microsoft is less dependent on Windows sales and more on services like Azure, it benefits when it treats Linux like a first-class citizen. Still, it's clear Microsoft has come a long, long way from the days when it was waging war on Linux and otherwise trying to hold on to its monopoly in computing.

 

Source

[Karlston]

Similar topics merged.

[steven36]

So now the cancer has spread  and infected  Cortana and the rest of windows 10  now  that you can install the Linux kernel as  a windows update for WSL2.