Windows 10 will soon let you run Linux GUI apps with ease

Microsoft has just put out a preview of a new Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) feature that enables users to run graphical Linux apps seamlessly on Windows 10 desktop.

First previewed at Microsoft’s annual BUILD conference in 2020, Windows has dubbed the highly anticipated feature "WSLg", and it is available with Windows 10 Insider Preview build 21364.

Microsoft has been constantly working to improve WSL since its initial introduction in 2016. Last year, the software giant introduced an improved version called WSL 2, which has a real open source Linux kernel at its heart.

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GUI workloads

In a blog post, Craig Loewen, a Program Manager at Microsoft working on WSL, demonstrates various use cases for WSLg, primarily for developers and testers.

Loewen mentions that when a graphical app is launched using WSLg, it will automatically start a Linux distro in the background, together with all the components required to enable the Linux GUI app to communicate with the Windows desktop.

Interestingly, WSLg also supports audio and microphone devices, which means the graphical Linux apps will also be able to record and play audio. 

Furthermore, the new feature also includes the ability to make use of 3D acceleration within applications. 

WSLg is surely one of its biggest feature updates yet, and the subsystem’s new ability to support graphical user interfaces (GUI) will eventually make it an attractive option to a whole lot of users beyond just developers.

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