WSL Containers Now Build and Run Linux Workloads Natively on Windows

Microsoft has officially rolled out a public preview of WSL containers, a new feature within the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) that empowers developers to build and execute Linux containerized workloads directly on Windows. This development, initially showcased at Microsoft Build 2026, marks a pivotal shift by making the process of running Linux containers on Windows more integrated and efficient, potentially reducing the reliance on external containerization software for many use cases. The core of this new capability lies in two main components: a new Linux container command-line tool, `wslc.exe`, and an API that allows native Windows applications to incorporate Linux containers into their logic. The `wslc.exe` tool offers a familiar command format, ensuring that developers can leverage their existing muscle memory for container operations. This means tasks like starting a Linux desktop within a container, running CUDA scripts for GPU access verification, and managing build, debug, and test cycles can all be handled through this single binary. An alias, `container.exe`, also maps to `wslc.exe` for convenience. Underpinning these new functionalities are several lower-level improvements. A new default file system for WSL containers, `virtiofs`, significantly boosts Windows file access speeds, making operations twice as fast. Additionally, memory reclaim enhancements ensure that unused memory is efficiently returned to the Windows host on a consistent schedule, optimizing resource utilization. These foundational changes are currently exclusive to WSL containers but are slated for broader rollout across WSL in the future. The introduction of WSL containers aims to simplify the workflow for developers engaged in cloud-native application development, AI workloads, and establishing robust testing and deployment pipelines. While third-party container tools like Docker Desktop, Podman Desktop, and Rancher Desktop have long served this purpose on Windows, WSL containers offer a native, performant alternative. Microsoft anticipates general availability for this feature in the fall of 2026, promising a more streamlined and integrated container experience for the Windows developer ecosystem.