Enables Linux GUI application on Windows 10 for Microsoft developers

Microsoft is starting to allow Windows 10 testers to access Linux GUI apps. The first preview of support for GUI applications is available today for Windows Insiders, allowing developers to run GUI editors, devices, and applications to build and test Linux applications. After the company added the full Linux kernel to Windows 10 last year, it is a significant expansion to Microsoft’s Windows subsystem for Linux.

While it has already been possible to run Linux GUI apps within Windows using a third-party X server, official support from Microsoft means there is also GPU hardware acceleration so that apps and tools can run smoothly. Audio and microphone support is also included out of the box, so Linux devs can easily test or run video players and communications applications.


Linux GUI Apps running on Windows.
Picture: Microsoft

It is enabled for all Windows users to use X11 forwarding and without users to manually start the X server. Microsoft starts automatically Companion system distro

When you try to run the Linux GUI app, and it has a Wayland, X Server, Pulse Audio Server, and everything else to do this work inside Windows. Once you terminate an app and WSL, this particular distro expires. All these components combine to make it super easy to run regular Windows apps as well as Linux GUI apps.

Microsoft is also testing a new Echo mode for Windows Task Manager in this latest test build. This is an experimental feature that allows you to process resources inside the task manager. It is actually designed to rein in apps that suddenly start to take a lot of system resources, and can be useful if you want to temporarily retract an app.

New Echo Mode for Task Manager.
Picture: Microsoft

If you are interested in testing Linux GUI apps on Windows 10 or this new task manager feature, you will need to install the latest Windows Insider 21364 build From the Dev channel. Beware: These are designed as developer builds, not machines you depend on daily.

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