An anonymous reader writes:
"Running Linux binaries natively on Windows... that sounds awesome indeed," writes Hannes Kuhnemund, the senior product manager for SUSE Linux Enterprise. He's written a blog post describing how to run openSUSE Leap 42.2 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2 on Windows 10, according to Fossbytes, which reports that currently users have two options -- openSUSE Leap 42.2 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2. Currently it's Ubuntu that's enabled by default in the Windows Subsystem for Linux, although there's already a project on GitHub that also lets you install Arch Linux. "It's quite unfortunate that Microsoft enabled the wrong Linux (that's my personal opinion) by default within the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)," writes Kuhnemund, "and it is time to change it to the real stuff.
Re:Why is that useful?
By swb
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2017-Jan-16 08:15
• Score: 4, Interesting
• Thread
You said it yourself -- "large organizations".
They're aiming for some kind of economies of scale in purchasing, application deployment and security that go way beyond the single-digit percentage of user base that developers represent.
They could just hand over the hardware and let the developers run their own machines, but this has all kinds of security implications and often bleed developer productivity in desktop maintenance overhead.
Running dev machines natively in Linux makes some sense, but may cut them off from other Windows-only applications they need to be part of the larger organization. as well as lack of visibility in enterprise management software. Running it in a VM has the same problems plus the added complexity of two environments.
I doubt Microsoft's solution is designed principally as a developer solution, either, but probably a long-term gambit to make it a more universal platform to retain users when the year of Linux on the Desktop rolls around. They must see some future in their crystal ball where enough Linux desktops exist that *not* being able to run some application is an existential risk to Windows.
sounds awesome but means nothing.
By nimbius
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2017-Jan-16 08:16
• Score: 3
• Thread
this functionality exists for multinationals governed by micromanagement and committee. companies that view changing their break room coffee with the same bureaucratic mentality as changing the mission statement. The ability to run Linux natively in Windows is the compromise insecure managers want to drive their "microsoft only" environment that crosses its T's and dots its I's of formal standards and compliance regulatory navel gazing. While it sounds wildly pointless to the average slashdotter, this "containerized" linux is exactly what the doctor ordered for companies that cant decide whether they want to enable emoji support in the office chat program without four or five rounds of meetings and an agenda signed by a director.
the only comfort you can take if your company does indeed decide to do this, is that while trading in your redhat licenses for whatever under-the-table credits Redmond is going to grease you with you can rest assured that thanks to high leadership turnover at your boat-without-a-sail megacompany youll eventually through the laws of statistical probability be gifted a manager that find Microsoft Linux on Windows to be just as insane as it sounds. the downside is that youll have to spend another year undoing this debacle.
Arrogance
By geeper
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2017-Jan-16 08:16
• Score: 3
• Thread
It's quite unfortunate that Microsoft enabled the wrong Linux (that's my personal opinion) by default within the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL),
Coming from someone who must use windows at work, it's fortunate that they (MS) are doing this at all. This arrogance and public disagreement within the community is uncalled for.
Re:Shudder.
By JanneM
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2017-Jan-16 08:31
• Score: 5, Insightful
• Thread
Sounds horrible to me. Why bother?
Not sure what MS' motivation is, but it's good news for a lot of scientific software developers. Small teams or single researchers rarely have enough time to even keep the main development going, never mind keeping up with multiple OS targets. With this everybody can simply focus on Linux, and tell Windows users to just run it under the Linux layer and stop asking about a native port.
Re: Real Stuff
By reanjr
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2017-Jan-16 09:48
• Score: 5, Insightful
• Thread
"Enterprise" is a marketing term. It has no technological meaning. The "real" Linux is the one with the capabilities you need. If you need RedHat, then it's because you have incompetent tech workers who need a support contract, not because you need "real" Linux.