May 14, 2019 at 16:36

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) version 2: how will it be? (FAQ)

Original author: Craig Loewen
  • Transfer

Under the cut is a translation of the published FAQ on the details of the future WSL second version (by Craig Loewen ).





Issues raised:


Does WSL 2 Use Hyper-V? Will WSL 2 be available on Windows 10 Home?


WSL 2 will be available in all editions of Windows where WSL 1 is currently available (including Windows 10 Home).


The second version of WSL uses Hyper-V architecture to provide virtualization. This architecture will be available in an optional component, which is a subset of the features of Hyper-V. This additional component will be available in all editions of the OS. Closer to the WSL 2 release, we’ll talk more about this new component.



What will happen to WSL 1? Will she be abandoned?


We do not currently plan to give up WSL 1. You can run the WSL 1 and WSL 2 distributions side by side on the same machine. Adding WSL 2 as a new architecture helps the WSL team extend the amazing capabilities of running Linux on Windows.



Will it be possible to simultaneously launch WSL 2 and other third-party virtualization tools (such as VMWare or Virtual Box)?


Some third-party applications may not work when using Hyper-V, which means that they will not be able to work when WSL 2 is enabled. Unfortunately, these include VMWare and Virtual Box.


We are exploring ways to solve this problem. For example, we provide an API suite called Hypervisor Platform that can be used by third-party virtualization providers to ensure their software is compatible with Hyper-V. This allows applications to use the Hyper-V architecture to emulate, for example: Google Android emulator is now compatible with Hyper-V .


Translator's Note


Oracle VirtualBox already has an experimental ability to use Hyper-V to virtualize its machines:


No configuration is required. Oracle VM VirtualBox detects Hyper-V automatically and uses Hyper-V as the virtualization engine for the host system. The CPU icon in the VM window status bar indicates that Hyper-V is being used.

But this leads to a noticeable degradation of performance:


When using this feature, you might experience significant Oracle VM VirtualBox performance degradation on some host systems.

From my personal experience of sharing Hyper-V and VirtualBox, I can note that VirtualBox with each release improves support for their virtual machines under Hyper-V. But so far, the speed of work does not allow to fully switch to a similar symbiosis for everyday tasks that are not even demanding on performance. Banal redrawing of windows inside a virtual machine occurs with a visible delay. I sincerely hope that the situation improves by the time of the release of WSL 2.



Will it be possible to access the GPU from WSL 2? What are your plans for expanding hardware support?


In initial releases of WSL 2, hardware access support will be limited. For example, you cannot access the GPU, serial port, and USB. However, adding device support is a high priority in our plans, as it opens up many opportunities for developers who want to interact with these devices. At the same time, you can always use WSL 1, which provides access to both the serial port and USB. Please follow the news on this blog and Twitter for WSL team members to keep abreast of the latest features that will appear in insider builds and let us know which devices you want to interact with!



Can WSL 2 use network applications?


Yes, in the general case, network applications will work faster and better, because we provide full compatibility of system calls. However, the new architecture uses virtualized network components. This means that in the initial pre-builds, WSL 2 will behave like a virtual machine, for example, WSL 2 will have its own IP address (not the same as the host). We strive to ensure that the experience of using WSL 2 is similar to WSL 1, which includes improved support for the network subsystem. We plan to quickly add the ability to communicate between all network applications from Linux or Windows using localhost. We will be publishing more detailed information about our network subsystem and improvements as we approach the WSL 2 release.



If you have additional questions about WSL or just want to contact the WSL team, you can find us on Twitter:


Tags:

Also popular now: