Microsoft Launches the Windows Subsystem for Linux on Windows Server

Microsoft has made the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) available for Windows Server insiders, a move that basically makes Linux virtual machines, which many WS customers were using, totally unnecessary because native Linux tools can now run alongside CMD and PowerShell.

First and foremost, it’s worth knowing that in order to try out WSL on Windows Server, you need to be running preview build 16237 or a newer release, so as long as you’re on the latest preview build, everything should work smoothly for you.

As it’s the case of WSL on Windows 10, Windows Server users will be allowed to run the common daemons and jobs, including sshd and MySQL, but on the other hand, persistent Linux services, daemons, and jobs are not supported as background tasks.

Not a Linux server

This means that while you can run Linux on a Windows Server install, you won’t be getting a Linux server.

“We want Windows, including Windows Server, to be a great place for develop...