Exploring WSL2

Abstract

In this chapter, we are going to learn about Windows Subsystem for Linux version 2, the new features it brings to the table, and the difference between versions 1 and 2. We will also learn how to install WSL2 on our machine and enable Linux distributions to use WSL2. Finally, we will understand its architecture and functionalities. The whole idea behind this chapter is to give readers a brief overview of the architectural changes in WSL2 and then build the remaining chapters on this knowledge, which will make it easier for readers to understand the purpose behind this new version of WSL. Let's get started. New Features in WSL2 WSL2 is the latest and greatest release of the Windows Subsystem for Linux. This new version was built, keeping in mind the two main objectives and most frequent community requests: 1. Better file IO performance-Increase in IO performance means faster reads and writes to a file, and the speed totally depends on how intensive a file access operation is. Tasks such as "git clone," "npm install," "apt update," or "apt upgrade" may see 2-3 times faster operation, whereas tasks like unpacking a zipped tarball file on WSL2 may see 20 times faster performance as compared to WSL1.