Run Linux GUI Apps on Windows 10 with WSLg: Full Guide and Architecture
Microsoft's WSLg update lets Windows 10 users install and run Linux desktop environments, IDEs, audio‑enabled apps, and GPU‑accelerated software directly on the host, with automatic backend services and a clear architecture overview.
What is WSLg?
Microsoft announced a major update to the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) called WSLg, which enables running Linux graphical applications directly on Windows 10.
Supported Linux Distributions
WSLg works with several distributions, including Ubuntu, Debian GNU/Linux, Kali Linux Rolling, openSUSE Leap 42, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server v12, and Ubuntu LTS releases (16.04, 18.04, 20.04).
Ubuntu
Debian GNU/Linux
Kali Linux Rolling
openSUSE Leap 42
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server v12
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS
Running GUI IDEs and Editors
Beyond Visual Studio Code, WSLg allows users to launch other IDEs and editors such as gedit, JetBrains‑based editors, and gvim. The article shows examples of running gedit and gvim inside WSL to edit Linux files directly.
Audio and Microphone Support
WSLg provides out‑of‑the‑box audio playback and microphone input, enabling applications like Audacity to record and play sound within the Linux environment.
GPU Acceleration
GPU acceleration is supported; Microsoft demonstrated Gazebo 3D running at 60 fps under WSLg.
WSLg Architecture
When a Linux GUI application is launched, WSLg automatically starts a lightweight helper distribution that includes Wayland, an X server, PulseAudio, and other components needed for Linux graphics and audio to communicate with Windows. The helper stops when the WSL distribution is closed.
Enabling WSLg
If you already have WSL installed, run wsl --update on Windows 10 build 21364 or later to obtain WSLg.
Resources
GitHub repository: https://github.com/microsoft/wslg
Original blog post: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/the-initial-preview-of-gui-app-support-is-now-available-for-the-windows-subsystem-for-linux-2/
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