It will be part of Windows Subsystem for Linux 2

May 7, 2019 08:29 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft announced at the Build developer conference this week that it’s working on a custom Linux kernel that would be integrated into Windows 10 as part of the Windows Subsystem for Linux 2, or WSL 2.

The Redmond-based software giant says its decision to ship a real Linux kernel with Windows comes as a result of all its efforts to improve the performance of WSL and make full system call compatibility possible.

“This isn’t the first time Microsoft has shipped a Linux kernel, as we have already shipped one in 2018 when we announced Azure Sphere. However, this will be the first time a Linux kernel is shipped with Windows, which is a true testament to how much Microsoft loves Linux!” Microsoft explains.

The WSL team will use the latest stable branch to create the custom kernel, and the original build will be based on version 4.19. The kernel will be serviced through Windows updates, and this makes the whole process automatic, as devs don’t have to do any management work.

Kernel code available on GitHub

The kernel will be open source and published on GitHub, and Microsoft says it’ll work with developers, who can bring their own contributions for further improvements.

As for security, Microsoft says it’s paying particular attention to this area as well.

“The kernel will stay up to date with the newest features and fixes in the latest stable branch of Linux. To ensure the provenance of our sources we mirror repositories locally. We continually monitor Linux security mailing lists and partner with several CVE database companies to help ensure that our kernel has the most recent fixes and mitigations,” it says.

The new kernel will be integrated into the Windows Subsystem for Linux 2, which will go live for insiders next month as part of the Insider program.