Microsoft has made it extremely easy to run Linux GUI apps inside Windows 10 operating system. The latest build of Windows 10 manages all necessary processes and resources for the near-native performance of Linux apps.
Microsoft is allowing Windows 10 users to easily access Linux GUI apps. The latest build of the operating system, available to Windows Insider participants, has all the functionalities pre-enabled for quick and seamless access.
Microsoft’s Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) now helps run Linux GUI apps:
The first preview of support for Linux GUI applications is available today to Windows Insiders. The latest build of Windows 10 allows developers to run GUI editors, tools, and applications to build and test Linux apps.
Microsoft is truly extending the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) to enable the near-native functionality of Linux apps. The company added WSL to Windows 10 last year and has been improving the same.
OMG. This is huge. GUI support in WSL2 is in preview! https://t.co/cH01oO4VuG
— Christina Warren (@film_girl) April 21, 2021
It was possible to run Linux GUI apps within Windows 10 previously. However, users needed a third-party X server.
Moreover, Windows users had to use X11 forwarding and manually start an X server. Moving ahead, Microsoft automatically starts a companion system distro when users attempt to run a Linux GUI app.
The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) team has done a fantastic job here. You don't have to manually spin up an X server and audio and microphone support works out of the box https://t.co/tBw5TrOpy2 pic.twitter.com/iktLq1TZbw
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) April 21, 2021
The revised WLS platform also contains a Wayland, X server, pulse audio server, and everything else needed to make Linux GUI apps work inside Windows.
Official support from Microsoft also means users gain access to GPU hardware acceleration. The company has also offered audio and microphone support by default.
Windows 10 can now run Linux GUI apps using Windows Subsystem for Linux – https://t.co/j6Bnm6ze4J pic.twitter.com/4dcX385DKx
— MSPoweruser (@mspoweruser) April 21, 2021
All this means Linux developers and users interested in running Linux apps can easily do so. Moreover, developers can quickly test or run video players and communications apps.
After users terminate an app and WSL, the special distro ends automatically. Needless to add, Microsoft has made it extremely easy to run Linux GUI apps alongside regular Windows apps.
Microsoft testing a new eco mode for the Windows Task Manager:
Microsoft has also included an interesting and powerful feature that is accessible within Task Manager. The feature, available in the latest Windows 10 OS build for Windows Insiders, is called Eco Mode.
The Eco Mode is an experimental feature that lets users throttle process resources inside Task Manager. Microsoft seems to have designed the feature to rein in apps that suddenly start taking up lots of system resources.
the latest Windows 10 build also includes a new "Eco Mode" feature for the Task Manager that lets you throttle apps that are misbehaving https://t.co/tBw5TrOpy2 pic.twitter.com/ZfEO0RFzhl
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) April 21, 2021
The Eco Mode is accessible as a Context Menu for listings of ‘Processes’ inside Task Manager. When users right-click an app process, they get the mode alongside other possible actions. The feature seems reminiscent of ‘Priority Access’ (to resources) that was present in Windows 7.
The latest Windows Insider build 21364 from the Dev Channel has these features. Windows Insider participants can download and test the same starting today.