- Windows subsystem for Linux gets new wrapper feature after being teased last month
- CLI and API form the basis of the latest update, Intune management also added
- Other changes will be available for alternative container CLI tools
Microsoft released Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) containers in a public preview following its earlier announcement at Build 2026, as a way to create, run, and manage Linux containers directly on Windows.
When the feature update was first revealed, Microsoft described it as “an integrated way to build, run, and interact with Linux containers using familiar CLIs and APIs.”
The new container feature is now available in the latest preview, which can be downloaded from GitHub, and includes two major new features.
WSL Containers Now Available in Public Preview
As part of the update, Microsoft added an integrated container CLI and API to allow Windows applications to run Linux containers.
The company noted that the API is particularly useful for reusing existing Linux-specific code, such as running cloud applications locally, while the CLI tool uses a familiar format so users can “use [their] existing muscle memory when running Linux containers.”
Microsoft also added new administration settings to allow administrators to control whether people can use WSL distributions and containers through Intune.
In addition to the major container update, Senior Product Manager Craig Loewen also highlighted a number of other changes the company has made to WSL, including a new ‘virtiofs’ file system that makes access to Windows files 2x faster and a new ‘consomme’ default network mode to improve compatibility.
Loewen noted that the lower-level platform changes are also available in “other fantastic Linux container CLI tools” like Docker Desktop, Podman Desktop, and Rancher Desktop.
Microsoft has also published a support page covering how to install the API, which includes support for C, C++, and C#.
The company has not yet provided a timeline for general availability.
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