Microsoft has announced that Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL 2) distributions are now supported on Windows Server 2022 after installing this week’s Cumulative Update Previews.
To install Windows Server 2022 KB5014021 update, you need to go to Settings > Windows Update and manually “Check for updates”.
Windows won’t install it until you click the “Download Now” button because it’s an optional update. You can also manually download and install this cumulative update from the Microsoft Update Catalog.
The announcement was made by Craig Loewen, Windows Developer Platform Program Manager, on GitHub in response to a December 2020 WSL issue regarding WSL 2 breaking on Windows Server Preview.
“Hi folks, we’ve added support for WSL 2 distros on Windows Server 2022! This is available now by installing KB5014021,” Loewen said.
“Currently, this update is only available to Researchers, and next month it will be pushed by default. Going forward, WSL will be supported on both Windows Servers and Desktop SKUs Windows.”
WSL 2 distributions are now supported on Windows Server! This is currently available by installing a KB for seekers, and will be updated soon as part of a regular update.https://t.co/s3aF4cJNZ6
— Craig Loewen (@craigaloewen) May 25, 2022
Brief history of the WSL
Microsoft released WSL in 2018 as a compatibility layer that allows Windows 10 users to run ELF-formatted Linux binaries natively on their computers, using a PowerShell or Windows 10 command prompt.
WSL 2 was released in May 2019 as a major upgrade to the initial release, increasing file system performance, adding support for full system call compatibility, and using virtualization technology to run a kernel Linux in a lightweight virtual machine (VM).
Microsoft provides step-by-step guidance on installing and launching Linux GUI applications on your PC. Once installed, these Linux applications can be launched from the Start menu or a command prompt window.
WSL 2 also supports the use of GUI-based Linux applications since the introduction of WSLg (short for Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI) during the Windows 10 Insiders rollout in May 2021.
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