June 12, 2017

Windows Subsystem for Linux Enables Command-Line Tools

Jim leads the Directions on Microsoft editorial team and has been writing about technology since the early 1990s. Most recently... more

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a feature of Windows 10 that provides a Linux command-line interface and allows most Linux command-line tools to run directly in Windows 10. WSL can make some tasks, such as Web application development and deployment, more convenient in situations where organizations maintain both Windows and Linux environments, by allowing developers and administrators to use Linux tools without a Linux virtual machine (VM) or dedicated Linux workstation. WSL is under active development, and its usefulness is currently limited in some situations.

WSL Provides Access to Linux Tools

Linux is often used in data centers, especially for Web applications and services, and is part of several Azure services. Many popular Linux development tools and languages are available for Windows; however, the Windows versions often lag behind the Linux releases. Consequently, developers or administrators might need access to Linux versions to effectively develop, deploy, and manage applications

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