Windows Subsystem for Linux 5.4

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) by Microsoft enables you to run a genuine Linux environment directly on Windows, without setting up a virtual machine or dual-booting. It integrates closely with Windows so you can use Linux command-line tools, package managers, and workflows alongside your existing Windows apps and files.

WSL offers two architectures:

• WSL 1: A lightweight compatibility layer with fast file access to the Windows filesystem.
• WSL 2: A modern implementation that uses a real Linux kernel for full system call compatibility, improved performance, and support for tools like Docker.

Key capabilities include:

• Easy installation and management via the wsl command and the Microsoft Store.
• Choice of popular distributions such as Ubuntu, Debian, Kali Linux, openSUSE, and Alpine.
• Seamless file and tool integration: access Windows files at /mnt/c, Linux files via \wsl$, and develop with editors like Visual Studio Code.
• Support for Linux GUI applications on Windows 11 through WSLg, allowing you to run graphical Linux apps alongside Windows programs.

WSL is ideal for web and cloud development, DevOps workflows, data science, education, and any scenario that benefits from Linux tooling on a Windows desktop. It is free, maintained by Microsoft, and generally requires Windows 11 or Windows 10 (version 2004 or later) with hardware virtualization enabled for WSL 2.

Windows Subsystem for Linux is developed by Microsoft and is used by 57 users of Software Informer. The most popular versions of this product among our users are: 2.1, 2.6, 4.1, 5.1 and 5.4. The names of program executable files are explorer.exe, Linux.exe, msedge_proxy.exe, wsl.exe and wslg.exe.