Microsoft's improved Windows 11 is 1 step closer to Linux
What's the story
Microsoft is enhancing its Windows operating system with a host of developer-friendly features and improved integration with Linux. The tech giant announced the changes at its Build developer conference, emphasizing its commitment to making Windows a trusted platform for development. The new updates include Linux-like command line utilities, an enhanced setup experience, and a built-in way to create and interact with Linux containers on Windows.
Utilities
New apps and tools for developers
The new developer-optimized experience for Windows 11 also includes a range of handy tools and apps. These are aimed at making the life of a developer easier by providing them with everything they need in one place. The updates include a new experimental Intelligent Terminal, which is designed to provide context to your favorite agents via ACP (Agent Communication Protocol).
Enhancements
Coreutils brings Linux-like command line utilities to Windows
Microsoft has also brought Coreutils for Windows, a set of Linux-like command-line utilities that run natively on the OS. The tools have been developed from the uutils open-source project, a cross-platform reimplementation of the GNU coreutils in Rust. This means that developers can use their existing commands and workflows across different platforms like Linux, macOS, WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), containers or cloud environments within their Windows environment.
Container integration
WSL containers integrate Windows Subsystem for Linux into the OS
Along with Coreutils, Microsoft is also integrating its Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) into Windows with a new feature called WSL containers. As the name suggests, it provides a built-in way to create, run and interact with Linux containers on Windows. The tech giant has developed both a command-line interface and API for these WSL containers, allowing developers to run them inside native Windows apps.
Terminal upgrade
A look at the new Intelligent Terminal
Finally, Microsoft is working on a new experimental tool called Intelligent Terminal for developers. It builds on the existing Windows Terminal experience and offers features like tabs, profiles, themes, settings, shells along with native agent CLI integration in the agent pane. The goal of this tool is to let you stay in the terminal and query, debug or complete any task at hand.