Microsoft Previews Linux Containers That Run In Windows
7 93Microsoft has released a public preview of Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) containers, adding a built-in command-line tool and API for running Linux containers directly inside Windows applications without third-party software. The update also introduces faster file access, improved networking and memory management, plus integration with Defender, Intune, and VS Code. The Register reports: WSL has always been a handy way to run Linux workloads from Windows, and is particularly convenient for Linux developers who must comply with corporate edicts to use a Windows device. The CLI for end-to-end container workflows furthers this. Microsoft stated, "WSL containers make it easier for developers and organizations to build, test, and run containerized workloads while benefiting from the security, manageability, and integration of the Windows platform."
Alternatively, you could run your preferred Linux distribution natively, but that might not be an option, particularly if an organization is keen on the "security, manageability, and integration of the Windows platform." And this is an important point. WSL's existing Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE) has been updated (in private preview) to be aware of Linux container events, and there are settings in Intune for managing WSL containers. Support is also in a pre-release version of VS Code, where the Docker path in the dev container settings can be changed to wslc.
There is also a new default file system for WSL container that Microsoft claims makes Windows file access twice the speed. So, going from terribly slow to just slow? We'll wait until general availability is reached before passing judgment. There's a new default networking mode to improve compatibility and better memory reclaim techniques. However, none of these tweaks will be enabled by default in WSL. Microsoft wrote, "Since these changes touch mission critical paths like file system access and network, for now they are enabled just in WSL container."
7 comments
Other way around (Score: 5, Interesting)
by TWX ( 665546 ) on Tuesday June 30, 2026 @02:06PM (#66217038)
I would really prefer the other way around, invoking Windows containers for the few Windows apps that I am stuck running.
Ain't nothing like the real thing baby. (Score: 5, Insightful)
by hwstar ( 35834 ) on Tuesday June 30, 2026 @02:09PM (#66217048)
Running Linux in a Windows container is dumb.
Run Linux natively or run Windows in a sandboxed Linux container.
Windows is not to be trusted.
I sense a disturbance in the Microsoft force.
Could it be fear of Linux on Microsoft's part?
Microsoft has a lot to lose if Linux becomes more widespread, but it is loss of control of the user experience that they fear the most.
Re: Ain't nothing like the real thing baby. (Score: 5, Interesting)
by robot5x ( 1035276 ) on Tuesday June 30, 2026 @03:12PM (#66217186)
Microsoft hasn't "embraced" anything, they just realized there's higher quality software they can use for free because of the hard work of others.
Why would anybody sane do this? (Score: 5, Insightful)
by gweihir ( 88907 ) on Tuesday June 30, 2026 @02:44PM (#66217120)
Containers already need almost full system administration, even is many people are in denial about that. Running Linux containers on underperforming, unstable, insecure Windows is about the peak of stupidity.
WIndows is useless (Score: 5, Interesting)
by Murdoch5 ( 1563847 ) on Tuesday June 30, 2026 @02:52PM (#66217140)
If Microsoft has to keep building Linux functionality onto Windows, just convert Windows into a user land for Linux. There is no reason to use Windows, in the very rare event Wine can't run an application, and there is no superior replacement, such as LibreOffice, throw Windows into a VM, and run it that way. It's astonishing the length Microsoft will go to, to keep a dead horse alive, but now they're just replacing it with car parts, and trying to drive it on the freeway. Windows has failed, the experiment is over, Windows is a joke, and no professional would be caught using it, if they want to be taken seriously.
Re:WIndows is useless (Score: 5, Interesting)
by Murdoch5 ( 1563847 ) on Tuesday June 30, 2026 @03:10PM (#66217184)
The problem is government. OK, nobody takes government IT seriously and for good reason, but they still need to interface with the government constantly. Since every fucking governmental entity in the USA is based on Windows and IBM, we're all forced to be able to interoperate with those. Microsoft has deliberately made their Office suite non-interoperable with false standards that require epic effort to duplicate to a working extent.
This is absolutely true, and it drives me nuts! There is no reason to use broken, locked in file formats. Just before xmas, I emailed a government client a ODT file, and holy crap.... that literally triggered a security review meeting. "Why did you do this????" what? I use LibreOffice, that's why, it wasn't an attack, and I can't open MS Office on my computer, even in the browser, it's broken due to privacy extensions.
I've worked with senior IT in the US and Canadian government, the number of times I've seen them boot up Windows, then remote to a Linux or Unix box, make me laugh. Luckily, with the push from the EU, this might start changing.
Re:WIndows is useless (Score: 5, Interesting)
by Murdoch5 ( 1563847 ) on Tuesday June 30, 2026 @03:12PM (#66217188)
There's a known bug where Windows update can corrupt your UEFI. This can happen even if you block UEFI updates from Windows. The fix? You need a chip programmer to write the UEFI back onto it. Along with that bug, it can silently activate BitLocker, and not back the key up, bricking the system. This has happened at our company, multiple times, and do you think Microsoft ever rushed in to help? Not once!