14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has recently announced that it open sources a Windows Subsystem for Linux sample for distribution maintainers, which basically opens the doors to more Linux distros to be published on the Microsoft Store and then installed on Windows 10.
Published on GitHub, the distro launcher repo has two major benefits for developers who rely on WSL. First, it allows distribution maintainers to package and submit their distro to the Microsoft Store just like any other Windows 10 app. The distro is packed into an appx, the same format used by Microsoft Store apps, and if approved, allows users to install it easier just like those available for download already.
And then, developers are allowed to create their very own custom Linux distributions and then sideload them on a Windows 10 machine.
“We know that many Linux distros rely entirely on open source software, so we would like to bring WSL closer to the OSS community. We hope open sourcing this project will help increase community engagement and bring more of your favorite distros to the Microsoft Store,” Microsoft says.
Linux distros in the Microsoft Store
WSL is a major step forward for Microsoft in its attempt to bring Windows and Linux closer together, and at this point, the Microsoft Store provides access to five different distributions, including Ubuntu, OpenSuSE, and SUSE Enterprise Linux. More recently, Kali Linux and Debian have also been published in the Microsoft Store.
Linux distributions submitted to the Microsoft Store first need to be approved by the software giant, and the company says that it’s necessary maintainers to contact the company by email.
On the other hand, custom distro packages do support sideloading, but they won’t be published on the Microsoft Store unless submitted as a distribution maintainer. Still, it allows organizations to easily deploy their own custom package within their networks of Windows 10 devices with developer mode enabled.