- Windows Subsystem for Linux gets new container feature after being teased last month
- The CLI and API form the basis of the latest update, Intune management also added
- Other changes are being made available to alternative container CLI tools
Following its previous announcement at Build 2026, Microsoft has released Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) containers in public preview as a way to create, run and manage Linux containers directly on Windows.
When the feature update was first revealed, Microsoft described it as “a native way to create, run and interact with Linux containers using familiar CLI & API.”
The new container feature is now available in the latest pre-release version, which can be downloaded from GitHub, and includes two new core features.
WSL containers are now available in public preview
As part of the update, Microsoft has added a native container CLI and an API to let Windows applications 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 management options to let administrators control whether people can use WSL distros and containers via Intune.
In addition to the overall container update, Principal 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 Windows file access 2x faster and a new ‘consomme’ default network mode to improve compatibility.
Loewen noted that the lower-level platform changes are also being made available across “other great 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 yet to provide a timeline for general availability.
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