14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft announced at the Build developer conference last month that new Linux distros would be coming to the Windows Store, and today users participating in the Windows Insider program can download openSUSE Leap 42 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12.
Ubuntu and Fedora are also projected to launch in the Windows Store in the near future, but for the time being, it looks like Microsoft wants to run some tests with help from insiders and only then make all of them available to the production ring as well.
According to the Windows Store listing, both OpenSuSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server require Windows 10 build 16190 or later. The latest insider build available for insiders is 16226.
Also available on Windows 10 S
Microsoft will allow users to run one or more Linux distributions simultaneously once they all become available in the Windows Store, and the company says that it’s already working with more partners to bring distros to the Windows Store and the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).
In case you are wondering why is it so important for Microsoft to make Linux distributions available in the Windows Store, it’s because this way they are offered even to users whose devices are running Windows 10 S. This new Windows 10 SKU is limited to Windows Store apps, and this means that Win32 software can’t be installed, while other limitations restrict the use of some popular tools outside the Store.
With Linux distros in the Windows Store, Microsoft offers them in a secure way to all Windows 10 users, while also providing an easy-to-use download and installation method.
Linux on Windows 10 runs in a sandbox alongside Microsoft’s operating system, but you still get all the features of a full installation of the operating systems. This makes it possible for IT pros, but also for students with devices powered by Windows 10 S, to run Linux securely without having to give up on Microsoft’s operating system.