Microsoft has launched Home windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) 2.0.0 with a set of latest opt-in experimental options, together with a brand new community mode and automatic reminiscence and disk dimension cleanup.
To start out with, the newly added “Computerized reminiscence reclaim” characteristic dynamically reduces the reminiscence footprint of the WSL digital machine (VM) whereas being utilized by reclaiming cached reminiscence.
One other notable addition on this model is the “Sparse VHD” characteristic, which, as beforehand described, mechanically shrinks the scale of the WSL digital laborious disk (VHD).
Moreover, this WSL replace introduces “mirrored mode networking,” a brand new networking mode that not solely brings new capabilities but additionally enhances community compatibility.
Among the many advantages of enabling mirrored networking in WSL are IPv6 and multicast help, improved networking compatibility for VPNs, and the power to hook up with the WSL VM from the native space community (LAN) and to Home windows servers from throughout the Linux VM.
Microsoft’s WSL Program Supervisor, Craig Loewen, mentioned on Monday that WSL 2.0.0 additionally incorporates “DNS Tunneling,” a characteristic that modifications the strategy WSL makes use of to resolve DNS requests to reinforce community compatibility.
“This enables us to resolve the DNS identify request with out sending a networking packet, which is able to help you get higher web connectivity even in case you have a VPN, particular firewall setup, or different networking configurations,” Loewen mentioned.
“This characteristic ought to enhance community compatibility, making it much less possible so that you can don’t have any community connection within WSL.”
WSL now additionally has a Hyper-V Firewall characteristic which is able to apply Home windows firewall guidelines and supply superior firewall administration choices for the WSL VM. Moreover, the newly launched “autoProxy” characteristic ensures that WSL seamlessly makes use of proxy data from Home windows, additional enhancing community compatibility.
A few of these experimental options (e.g., mirrored community mode, DNS tunneling, and Hyper-V Firewall) are solely rolling out to Home windows Insiders within the Launch Preview Channel operating Home windows 11 22H2 who’ve put in Home windows 11 Construct 22621.2359 (KB5030310).
A full record of all new options and bug fixes rolling out with WSL 2.0.0 is accessible on the undertaking’s GitHub web page.
As we speak’s launch comes after Microsoft introduced in November that WSL is usually accessible for Home windows 10 and 11 prospects by way of the Microsoft Retailer.
Microsoft launched WSL in March 2018 as a compatibility layer designed to allow customers to run Linux binaries natively on their Home windows computer systems by way of PowerShell or a Home windows 10 command immediate.
In Could 2019, Redmond launched WSL 2, a vital improve that delivered notable enhancements in file system efficiency and prolonged help for full system name compatibility.
WSL 2 achieves this by incorporating a Linux kernel inside a light-weight digital machine (VM).
Furthermore, WSL 2 additionally launched help for Linux purposes with graphical consumer interfaces (GUIs), a characteristic often called WSLg, brief for Home windows Subsystem for Linux GUI. WSLg began rolling out Home windows 10 Insiders in Could 2021.
