Windows 10 Spring Update Improves Linux On WSL With Unix Sockets and More (anandtech.com)

Billly Gates writes: Windows 10 build 1803 has come out this month, but with some problems. AnandTech has a deep-dive with the review examing many new features including the much better support for Linux. WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) now has native Curt and Tar from the command prompt as well as a utility to convert Unix to Windows pathnames called WSLpath.exe which is documented here. In addition it was mentioned on Slashdot in the past about OpenSSH being ported natively to Win32 in certain early builds. It now seems the reason was for Linux interoperability with this Spring Update 2. Unix sockets mean you can run Kali Linux on Windows 10 for penetration testing or run an Apache server in the background with full Linux networking support. Deemons now run in the background even with the command prompt closed. [...]

Comments

Re: Running it from another drive?

[phantomfive]

Be patient. Eventually the Linux subsystem will be all that's left of Windows. Maybe a legacy support module on the side.

No need.

[DrYak]

Linux and all GPL software should move to GPL4, which should be identical to GPL2 with an added clause stating that Microsoft and Microsoft employees may not use any of it.

No need, and it would go against the GPL spirit.

The fundamental idea of GPL is that you should be able to do whatever you want with GPLed code, as long as you make sure that anyone you forward the code can still enjoy the same "whatever you want" freedom that your received. (that last part being the key difference with BSD-like persmissive license).

Restricting an imaginary GPLv4 against microsoft would go against the "to whatever you want" part. (And wouldn't be of any use, Microsoft would simply spin off a separate company to handle such GPLv4 code).

Also, by making mandatory to keep the same freedom to the next in line, GPL is pretty robust against EEE : you can't leverage extensions much if you have to publish them due to GPL, and you can't extinguish something that's freely available.
There's a reason why the older microsoft guard were shitting their pants and calling GPL "cancer" : RMS had designed something that incidentally happens to be completely EEE-proof.

The modifications of further GPL version were just about patching circumventions that some companies have found around the "keep the same freedom to the next in line" part.

GPLv1 made it mandatory to make source available together with the software.
Companies: "here's the code, but you can't legally do anything with it, because it's patent covered and you're violating our IP"
GPLv2 made it mandatory to grant access to the patents, without royalties.
Companies (e.g. TiVo): "here's the code, but in practice you can't really modify it because uploading your mods requires our secret cryptographic key"
GPLv3 made mandatory to provide a way (e.g.: key provided, unlockable bootloader, etc.) to actually be able to use modification in practice.

Currently there's no apparent need for a GPLv4 : no company has invented a way to give you the code, the patents license and the cryptographic keys, but still prevent you from actually modifying the code.