Windows Subsystem for Linux

Name: Windows Subsystem for Linux
Rating: 4.8 (4 reviews)

36 likes

The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a new Windows 10 feature that enables you to run native Linux command-line tools directly on Windows.

Windows Subsystem for Linux screenshot 1

Cost / License

Free
Open Source (MIT)

Application type

Compatibility Layer Tool

Origin

United States

Platforms

Windows

Alternatives

36likes

35alternatives

4articles

Properties

Lightweight
Privacy focused

Features

Linux on Windows
Command line interface
Compatibility Layer
Virtualization
No registration required
Ad-free

Comments and Reviews

Anton

★★★★★

Oct 14, 2026

WSL2 is "Linux in a box" that runs inside my Windows.

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Install from the command line

winget install -e --id Microsoft.WSL

Be careful what you paste into a terminal. Check what a command installs before running it.

What is Windows Subsystem for Linux?

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a feature of Windows that allows developers to run a Linux environment without the need for a separate virtual machine or dual booting. There are two versions of WSL: WSL 1 and WSL 2. WSL 1 was first released on August 2, 2016, and acts as a compatibility layer for running Linux binary executables (in ELF format) by implementing Linux system calls on the Windows kernel. It is available on Windows 10, Windows 10 LTSB/LTSC, Windows 11, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 2022.

In May 2019, WSL 2 was announced, introducing important changes such as a real Linux kernel, through a subset of Hyper-V features. WSL 2 differs from WSL 1 in that WSL 2 runs inside a managed virtual machine that implements the full Linux kernel. As a result, WSL 2 is compatible with more Linux binaries than WSL 1, as not all syscalls were implemented in WSL 1. Since June 2019, WSL 2 is available to Windows 10 customers through the Windows Insider program, including the Home edition. WSL is not available to all Windows 10 users by default. It can be installed either by joining the Windows Insider program or manual install.