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Microsoft Open Source Tool Lets You 'Bring Your Own Linux' To Windows (microsoft.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the alternatives-to-overwriting dept.

Long-time Slashdot reader Billly Gates writes: Debian is now available in the Windows app store. It joins Ubuntu, Suse Leap, SuSe enterprise, and Kali Linux for those who cannot or do not want to bother with a virtual machine or a full install of the OS. However, it included stable 9.3. 9.4 is available from the repository if you run apt-get update and apt-get upgrade.
"Fedora is not yet available, although Microsoft has stated openly that it is working to make it so," reports Computer Weekly. And there's more: Microsoft has also provided an open source tool called Microsoft WSL/DistroLauncher for users who want to build their own Linux package where a particular distribution is either a) not available yet or b) is available, but the user wants to apply a greater degree of customisation to it than comes as standard.

4 of 135 comments (clear)

  1. Linux with added spyware by Alain+Williams · · Score: 4, Insightful

    sorry, I should have said 'Telemetry' !

    I wonder if this was at the behest of the NSA who were worried about spy-ware free Linux boxen; this lets the keep tabs on more people.

  2. Missing Linux Feature: Seamless OS Crossing by rea1l1 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'd really appreciate the ability to switch between OSes like I can virtual desktops. Modern hardware certainly supports this potential.

    I hope someone within the Linux community returns with a competing feature, enabling a seamless OS transition, founded upon Linux, an OS that doesn't invade your privacy, while eventually providing additional sand boxing & integration features around Windows, locking it into it's own little garden.

    Could an authentic Microsoft Windows installation be forced into becoming a mere compatibility layer built on top of Linux?

    The best of both worlds: Windows compatibility coupled with Linux security.

  3. Corporate IT is hostage to Windows by raymorris · · Score: 4, Insightful

    > Spending time & effort to find a way to run Linux distros inside Windows is like struggling to find a way to mount an Abrams tank on top of a Mini-Cooper.
    > What's the point outside of a few edge-cases where it may possibly be helpful/convenient?

    For the user, the point is that for 20 years Microsoft's strategy was to ensure vendor lock-in for corporate IT environments. A lot of companies therefore issue Windows desktops and won't provide Linux desktops. Microsoft did a pretty good job of making it difficult for large corporations to use anything but Windows because of all the inter-related proprietary stuff. An organization can easily run Windows or not run Windows, but if the company chose Windows it's been hard to add a few Linux desktops to the mix. Partially because everyone in corporate IT knows the Microsoft way of doing things, not cross-platform standards.

    I can be FAR more productive using Linux than Windows. Now, I can continue to use Linux, on the Windows desktop issued by corporate headquarters.

  4. Microsoft's revenue numbers disagree with you by raymorris · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here are some revenue numbers quoting directly from Microsoft's audited annual report:

    ---
              Office commercial products and cloud services revenue increased 10% (up 10% in constant currency) driven by Office 365 commercial revenue growth of 41% (up 41% in constant currency) ...
    Windows commercial products and cloud services revenue decreased 4% (down 5% in constant currency)
    ---

    Office 365 up 41%, Windows down 5â.... Those are the numbers.