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Today we’re very excited to announce the open-source release of the Windows Subsystem for Linux. This is the result of a multiyear effort to prepare for this, and a great closure to the first ever issue raised on the Microsoft/WSL repo:

https://github.com/microsoft/WSL

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[-] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I don't understand this.

Does this mean Windows programs and exe files will now run natively on linux?

Edit: unclear why someone asking a question gets a 50/50 downvote to upvote response....

"OOOOHHHH!!!!! THIS GUY DOESN'T KNOW ALL THE THINGS I KNOW!!!! BOOOOO!!!!!"

[-] Jrockwar@feddit.uk 7 points 2 months ago

In my view it's a Linux subsystem for Windows.

Why the name is the other way around, I'll never understand.

[-] 3abas@lemm.ee 9 points 2 months ago

The original WSL doesn't use the Linux kernel at all, it's a Windows Subsystem for compatibility with Linux. WSL2 actually visualizes a complete Linux kernel, but the name stuck.

[-] Aux@feddit.uk -1 points 2 months ago

The original WSL DOES use the Linux kernel. Which runs as a native NT process (there's a huge difference between NT and Win32 processes). But porting a Linux kernel into the NT binary is a maintenance nightmare, it's much easier to run the original in a slim VM.

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this post was submitted on 19 May 2025
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