Microsoft’s Windows Subsystem for Linux is now open-source
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Summary
Microsoft has made its Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) open source, allowing community members to contribute to the code.
Windows chief Pavan Davuluri said developers had consistently requested that Microsoft open source the feature, but it had taken time to isolate it from the main Windows code to allow it to be opened and built independently.
Developers will now be able to download and build WSL from source, and take part in bug fixes and the addition of new features.
WSL started life in 2016 as part of the Windows 10 anniversary update and has now reached its second major iteration, with Microsoft having separated it from the main Windows code in 2021.
The company now intends to use WSL’s open-source status to improve Linux service integration and boost performance.