Microsoft is preparing a major update for WSL 2, the second version of Windows Subsystem for Linux for which they are announced improvements in all sections and specifically in its ease of use.

Although most Linux users believe that the only way to experience a free system is to install a full distribution (or dual-boot mode) that takes up its own partition and file system, we have to give Microsoft credit for the options it has created. given with this WSL 2 at the time run a Linux distribution and/or applications. Of course, Microsoft’s goal is not altruistic and simply prefers that if a user needs/wants something from Linux, they do it within Windows.

News in WSL 2

This subsystem is not aimed at most consumers, but at developers, professionals or advanced users. This is why it originally only worked from the Windows command line, and for example resource allocations such as the number of CPU cores, the amount of memory allocated, and the size and location of the swap file must be defined earlier in the .wslconfig file.

To make the task easier, Microsoft is working on a GUI graphical interface where these parameters can be managed. Users who want to continue to use the text method will still be able to do so, but apparently visual management is always easier to configure settings.

This won’t be the only new feature for WSL 2, and Microsoft cites others such as:

• Enable DNS tunneling by default to improve network support.
• Automatic recovery of memory saved by WSL in Windows.
• Support for managing virtual machines of WSL/Linux distributions from the Windows Dev Home application.
• Security improvements, including support for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint WSL 2.
• Automatic disk recovery.
• A new network mode with features such as IPv6 support.

from them freeing memory is especially important, especially on machines with a limited amount of RAM. In memory-intensive situations (such as using Docker), it was possible for WSL 2 to exhaust all of the system’s physical memory, leading to problems. Automatic release is a welcome feature.

Don’t forget that in Windows 11, Microsoft is also working on a GUI for managing Linux distributions. The company shared screenshots showing what this GUI could look like. Microsoft hopes that by creating a GUI for WSL, users will be able to gain an overview of all installed distributions and access or manage them more easily than via the command line.

You can check out what’s new for WSL 2 on Microsoft’s blog. And if you want to try it out, we recommend this installation guide.