The Microsoft Store version of 'Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)', which runs Linux applications on Windows, has finally reached the official version

The Microsoft Store version of Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), which allows you to run Linux applications on Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices, has reached version 1.0.0 and is now available to the general public as the official version.

The Windows Subsystem for Linux in the Microsoft Store is now generally available on Windows 10 and 11 - Windows Command Line

Release 1.0.0 · microsoft/WSL · GitHub
https://github.com/microsoft/WSL/releases/tag/1.0.0

This is MASSIVE. The Windows Subsystem for Linux in the Microsoft Store is now generally available on Windows 10 and 11! Windows 10 users can now run Linux GUI apps natively! https://t.co/U1uZBPl4mj

— Scott Hanselman (@shanselman) November 22, 2022

'Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)' is a subsystem that allows you to run Linux applications on Windows, and was released in 2018. After that, the upgraded version 'WSL2' was released in 2019, but the two versions, which have slightly different specifications, coexisted side by side.

Comparing WSL 1 and WSL 2 | Microsoft Learn
https://learn.microsoft.com/ja-jp/windows/wsl/compare-versions

According to program manager Craig Lowen, the one distributed by the Microsoft Store will be the default from now on. However, it seems that WSL bundled with the conventional OS will not disappear immediately.

WSL in the Store is now the default for WSL, and is available on both Windows 10 and Windows 11! This also means that Windows 10 can now run Linux GUI apps! Learn more about the details below: https://t.co/iMN0EyJsUE

— Craig Loewen (@craigaloewen) November 22, 2022

The main differences between the Microsoft Store version of WSL and the OS-bundled version mentioned by Craig are as follows:

- Opt-in support for systemd
- Windows 10 users can now use Linux GUI apps, which were previously only available to Windows 11 users
- When executing the 'wsl --install' command, the default is to install directly from the Microsoft Store, with the '--no-launch' option the distribution will not launch after installation, and with the '--web-download' option it will download from the GitHub release page instead of the Microsoft Store.
- Adding the '--vhd' option to the 'wsl --mount' command makes it easier to mount VHD files, and adding the '--name' option makes it easier to name the mount point.
- You can directly import and export VHD files using the '--vhd' option with 'wsl --import' and 'wsl --export'.
-Additional command 'wsl --import-in-place' to obtain an existing VHDX file and register it as a distribution
- Added command 'wsl --version' to easily display the version you are using
- The default behavior when 'wsl --update' is executed is to open the Microsoft Store page, and the '--web-download' option allows updates from the GitHub release page.
-Improved error display
- WSLg and the WSL kernel are packaged together, so there is no need to install any extra MSIs .