Fedora 42 is now provided alongside Ubuntu, Debian, and different fashionable distros within the Home windows Subsystem for Linux. It is a neat addition for builders who need to create or audit cross-platform apps with out twin booting, in addition to professionals who have to entry each Home windows and Linux on a single machine.

The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) helps you to virtualize Linux distributions inside the Home windows desktop surroundings. It is a near-native answer—zero emulation right here, people—and it does not lavatory down your system with a resource-hungry virtualized graphical desktop surroundings. Linux distros in WSL additionally acquire automated entry to your community connection and Home windows information, and though WSL facilities across the command line, it helps GUI apps.

Technically talking, you may spin a WSL picture for any distro you want (as long as it is appropriate together with your PC structure). However officially-supported photos are much more simpler to take care of.

Microsoft simplified the WSL imaging process by implementing an improved tar-based structure late final yr. Evidently, this transformation inspired the builders on the Fedora Undertaking to hop on board. Their first WSL picture is nearly fully-featured, although it accommodates some flaws that must be addressed in future releases—graphical functions cannot use {hardware} acceleration, for instance, Flatpak is not bundled with the picture (however could be put in with a easy sudo dnf set up flatpak). Arch Linux additionally joined the WSL household this month, citing Microsoft’s improved imaging course of, so we must always anticipate extra distros to comply with go well with within the coming months.

To put in Fedora 42 in WSL, run wsl –install and wsl –-install FedoraLinux-42 within the Home windows Terminal. As soon as that is executed, use wsl –d FedoraLinux-42 to fireplace up the Linux surroundings. After you provide you with a username, you may enter Fedora within the “wheel” person group with elevated privileges. Your account is not going to have a password, so make sure you set one up later if needed.

You also needs to learn the Fedora 42 documentation earlier than leaping into WSL, although most will not. Those that have by no means examined WSL ought to begin with no matter distro they’re most snug with, although longstanding choices like Ubuntu, Debian, and OpenSUSE will supply essentially the most polished expertise, as they have been a part of the WSL household for a very long time. If you happen to’re a complete Linux beginner who’s eager about switching over from Home windows, I counsel that you just twin boot or fireplace up a VM with a full desktop surroundings, as WSL is primarily designed for the command line.

I am going to take this second to fess up—Fedora Linux was truly added to the WSL distribution record about three weeks ago, and the trouble to create a devoted Fedora WSL picture dates again to December 2024. Microsoft merely held off on making an announcement, so the distro’s inclusion in WSL went beneath the radar.

Supply: Microsoft by way of XDA Developers