Run Linux GUI Apps on Windows: Install and Explore WSLg

How to Install WSLg

First join the Windows Insider Program and select the Dev channel, then upgrade Windows to the latest preview build.

If WSL is already installed, run wsl --update; otherwise run wsl --install to get the latest version with WSLg.

After the download, restart the computer; the installation completes automatically and the Linux GUI applications appear in the Windows Start menu.

WSLg Architecture Overview

WSLg provides both X11 and Wayland display protocols and can be accessed through Microsoft’s built‑in Remote Desktop.

It is based on the Wayland compositor Weston , which hosts an XWayland server for X11 apps. The RDP backend is heavily extended, supporting RDP‑RAIL for single‑window display and VAIL for shared‑memory transport.

Audio is handled by a small plugin that forwards PulseAudio streams through the RDP channel, enabling input and output on the host.

Additional components include a background service that starts and pauses the Weston core, manages RDP connections, and restarts on failure, as well as an application‑management plugin for installing and uninstalling Linux apps.

Additional Features

Microsoft has integrated the DirectML machine‑learning API into WSL, allowing developers to train neural networks directly inside the Linux subsystem without a separate Linux installation.

Conclusion

The WSLg team plans to continue improving the project, and rumors suggest an Android subsystem is in development, positioning WSL as a versatile container for many operating‑system workloads.