Microsoft adds built-in Linux container tools to WSL

Microsoft has added container tools to Windows Subsystem for Linux, or WSL, the feature that lets Windows run a Linux environment.

The tools reached general availability on September 29 and use a command called wslc.

With it, users can build and run Linux containers, check their logs and manage them from PowerShell.

WSL containers support standard OCI-compatible images, including those available from Docker Hub, and can connect containers to Windows folders and network ports.

This means users can run software such as a database in a container without installing it directly on Windows or setting up a separate Linux virtual machine.

Docker Desktop has been a common way to run Linux containers on Windows, but WSL's built-in tools offer another option without that separate application.

Support is also available through the Dev Containers CLI and Microsoft's Container Tools, and a community app provides graphical management.