Windows Subsystem for Linux
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Windows 10's built-in Linux kernel will be available to everyone soon
You won't have to be a tester to try Windows 10's new, built-in Linux kernel in the near future. Microsoft has confirmed that Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 will be widely available when Windows 10 version 2004 arrives. You'll have to install it manually for a "few months" until an update adds automatic installs and updates, but that's a small price to pay if you want Linux and Windows to coexist in peace and harmony. It'll be easier to set up, at least -- the kernel will now be delivered through Windows Update instead of forcing you to install an entire Windows image.
The latest Windows 10 Insider build gets new PowerToys
The latest Microsoft Windows 10 preview build (19013) for Insiders in the Fast Ring includes new kaomoji shortcuts, the latest version of PowerToys and a Linux update that will send unused power back to your Windows machine. There's also a key change for Samsung phones using the Your Phone app.
Microsoft's built-in Linux kernel for Windows 10 is ready for testing
Just as promised, Microsoft has delivered a built of Windows 10 to members of its Insiders beta program that includes Windows Subsystem for Linux 2. It was announced just last month at the Build event, and the tech included in Preview Build 18917 (20H1) should bring much faster I/O performance than the previous emulator showed. The company's Command Line blog has more details on how to make it all work, but for real-world benchmarks we'll have to wait for testers to update and interface with it using Linux distributions that are either sideloaded or installed from the Windows Store.
Windows 10 will get a built-in Linux kernel this summer
The suddenly-cozy relationship between Linux and Windows is taking another step forward, as Microsoft announced in a blog post that it's going to ship a full Linux kernel in Windows 10. It will arrive first with Insider preview builds by the end of June, underpinning the new Windows Subsystem for Linux 2. The first release will be based on version 4.19, the latest stable Linux release, and will keep up with each stable release going forward. According to Microsoft this isn't its first release of a Linux kernel -- that came last year on Azure Sphere -- but it is the first time on Windows. By making this switch as a "drop-in replacement" for the current emulator, it should speed up performance significantly, with faster bootup and more efficient use of memory. Users can interface with it either by installing a distribution from the Microsoft Store or sideloading. Also, the kernel itself will be open source, with instructions available to create your own, and Microsoft has pledged to contribute changes it makes open for others to use. All of this news also came after Microsoft earlier announced a new version of its Windows Terminal command line app.
