6 ms·

Ubuntu is now available on the Windows Store

goeric 9y ago
Could have been an Onion article just a few years ago :).
wasd 9y ago
Does this change anything for people using Bash on Ubuntu on Windows? It seems like they just added the ability to change distros and install through Windows Store (but otherwise no changes), right?
- ZenoArrow 9y ago
  There are some decent improvements heading to WSL soon (as part of the Windows 10 Creators Update). I'm waiting until the ability to access network drives is added in (which should be part of the aforementioned update) before using WSL again.
- WorldMaker 9y ago
  The MSDN blog post [1] says that it will download distribution updates much faster and also support side-by-side distribution installs when installed from the store (ie, you could have both Ubuntu and Fedora installed side-by-side). [1] https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2017/07/10/ubuntu-now-available-from-the-windows-store/ https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2017/07/10/ubun...
- anonymfus 9y ago
  It changes how you manage it. Instead of "lxrun" command you use "ubuntu". And directories where it stores the data are managed by Windows Store (so root file system lives in %localappdata%\Packages\CanonicalGroupLimited.UbuntuonWindows_79rhkp1fndgsc\LocalState\rootfs, distro image is in %ProgramFiles%\WindowsApps\CanonicalGroupLimited.UbuntuonWindows_16.0.4.0_x64__79rhkp1fndgsc\install.tar.gz).
Analemma_ 9y ago
Note that this is the same WSL/Bash subsystem that has been available in Windows for a little while now, it's just an easier way to enable it without jumping through as many hoops.
skrebbel 9y ago
Seems to me that the only thing here that's new is that you can actually find Ubuntu in the store. If you're on the latest non-insider Windows 10, you can do the same steps (enable "windows subsystem for linux" in the os features) and then just open a command-line window and type "bash". That'll download ubuntu from the store and set it up as a subsystem. An extra thing I like about using WSL, that I hadn't foreseen when I started trying it, is that because the Ubuntu environment is a bit separate from the Windows environment. It feels a bit like working in a VM but then fast. For instance, if you change .bashrc or apt install something, the host Windows environment does not change. This is lovely because it allows me to experiment. If I totally screw stuff up and make my Ubuntu unusable, I just wipe the entire linux subsystem installation and start from scratch. For Linux newbies like me this is very nice. I guess Docker gives you even better freedom-to-fiddle on native Linux, but it's a good step in the same direction for us Windows coders.
dec0dedab0de 9y ago
I have an irrational urge to switch distros now. It's been a while since I've used anything but Ubuntu or RHEL. Anyone have any recommendations? is Arch still awesome?
jostmey 9y ago
This will be an awesome feature if done right--hopefully this will be as simple as a few buttons. I've switched from Macbook OS to Windows 10 and love it, but I need a *nix type environment!
- WorldMaker 9y ago
  You can use it today: switch the machine to Developer Mode and visit the Windows Features settings page to enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux and it will auto-install Ubuntu. (It's getting added to the store to make it an easier choice between Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, and Fedora user spaces in the Fall Creators Update.)
baq 9y ago
Using Terminator on Windows is a pleasure :)
MichaelGG 9y ago
Are there any really good terminal emulators for Windows though? I guess I could run an X server then run a normal terminal app. All the ones I see people recommending for Windows typically suck. They're slow or "weird" - I guess because Windows doesn't expose a first-class way to implement your own terminal?
- swinglock 9y ago
  This is the most decent I've come across. https://github.com/mintty/wsltty https://github.com/mintty/wsltty
- ZenoArrow 9y ago
  ConEmu has been good for me, and it's updated regularly: https://github.com/Maximus5/ConEmu https://github.com/Maximus5/ConEmu It's not a terminal in the sense you might be thinking of, but it's a useful tool in getting a decent terminal environment on Windows.
- pjob 9y ago
  Cmder is a package of Conemu (already mentioned by ZenoArrow), Clink, and Unix tools with a nicer theme. It's the best that I've tried on Windows. http://cmder.net/ http://cmder.net/ Hyper also has a Windows port if you're into that kind of thing. https://hyper.is/ https://hyper.is/
- baq 9y ago
  conemu for 'native' and terminator works with mobaxterm's x server. (mobaxterm also has a terminal, but i don't use it for local shells; its ssh is quite decent.)
xref 9y ago
Don't cry, you can run bash on Windows 10 now https://youtu.be/PivpCKEiQOQ?t=169 https://youtu.be/PivpCKEiQOQ?t=169
fiedzia 9y ago
Incidentally I was troubleshooting a new designer machine that uses our dockerised Linux app. On Windows. The problem was that git converted all newlines to Windows format, breaking... absolutely everything. For the first time I've seen bash refusing to even look at my scripts.
canada_dry 9y ago
[Slow clap] I trust their (MS) motives about as much as I trust any large monopolistic for-profit organization. I.e. not at all. In the long run their only goal has to be to get rid of competition.. ie: no ubuntu, no linux. So in my mind anything they do regarding linux is bad news.

Could have been an Onion article just a few years ago :).

wasd 9y ago

Does this change anything for people using Bash on Ubuntu on Windows? It seems like they just added the ability to change distros and install through Windows Store (but otherwise no changes), right?

ZenoArrow 9y ago
There are some decent improvements heading to WSL soon (as part of the Windows 10 Creators Update). I'm waiting until the ability to access network drives is added in (which should be part of the aforementioned update) before using WSL again.
WorldMaker 9y ago
The MSDN blog post [1] says that it will download distribution updates much faster and also support side-by-side distribution installs when installed from the store (ie, you could have both Ubuntu and Fedora installed side-by-side). [1] https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2017/07/10/ubuntu-now-available-from-the-windows-store/ https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2017/07/10/ubun...
anonymfus 9y ago
It changes how you manage it. Instead of "lxrun" command you use "ubuntu". And directories where it stores the data are managed by Windows Store (so root file system lives in %localappdata%\Packages\CanonicalGroupLimited.UbuntuonWindows_79rhkp1fndgsc\LocalState\rootfs, distro image is in %ProgramFiles%\WindowsApps\CanonicalGroupLimited.UbuntuonWindows_16.0.4.0_x64__79rhkp1fndgsc\install.tar.gz).

Analemma_ 9y ago

Note that this is the same WSL/Bash subsystem that has been available in Windows for a little while now, it's just an easier way to enable it without jumping through as many hoops.

skrebbel 9y ago

Seems to me that the only thing here that's new is that you can actually find Ubuntu in the store. If you're on the latest non-insider Windows 10, you can do the same steps (enable "windows subsystem for linux" in the os features) and then just open a command-line window and type "bash". That'll download ubuntu from the store and set it up as a subsystem. An extra thing I like about using WSL, that I hadn't foreseen when I started trying it, is that because the Ubuntu environment is a bit separate from the Windows environment. It feels a bit like working in a VM but then fast. For instance, if you change .bashrc or apt install something, the host Windows environment does not change. This is lovely because it allows me to experiment. If I totally screw stuff up and make my Ubuntu unusable, I just wipe the entire linux subsystem installation and start from scratch. For Linux newbies like me this is very nice. I guess Docker gives you even better freedom-to-fiddle on native Linux, but it's a good step in the same direction for us Windows coders.

dec0dedab0de 9y ago

I have an irrational urge to switch distros now. It's been a while since I've used anything but Ubuntu or RHEL. Anyone have any recommendations? is Arch still awesome?

jostmey 9y ago

This will be an awesome feature if done right--hopefully this will be as simple as a few buttons. I've switched from Macbook OS to Windows 10 and love it, but I need a *nix type environment!

WorldMaker 9y ago
You can use it today: switch the machine to Developer Mode and visit the Windows Features settings page to enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux and it will auto-install Ubuntu. (It's getting added to the store to make it an easier choice between Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, and Fedora user spaces in the Fall Creators Update.)

baq 9y ago

Using Terminator on Windows is a pleasure :)

MichaelGG 9y ago

Are there any really good terminal emulators for Windows though? I guess I could run an X server then run a normal terminal app. All the ones I see people recommending for Windows typically suck. They're slow or "weird" - I guess because Windows doesn't expose a first-class way to implement your own terminal?

swinglock 9y ago
This is the most decent I've come across. https://github.com/mintty/wsltty https://github.com/mintty/wsltty
ZenoArrow 9y ago
ConEmu has been good for me, and it's updated regularly: https://github.com/Maximus5/ConEmu https://github.com/Maximus5/ConEmu It's not a terminal in the sense you might be thinking of, but it's a useful tool in getting a decent terminal environment on Windows.
pjob 9y ago
Cmder is a package of Conemu (already mentioned by ZenoArrow), Clink, and Unix tools with a nicer theme. It's the best that I've tried on Windows. http://cmder.net/ http://cmder.net/ Hyper also has a Windows port if you're into that kind of thing. https://hyper.is/ https://hyper.is/
baq 9y ago
conemu for 'native' and terminator works with mobaxterm's x server. (mobaxterm also has a terminal, but i don't use it for local shells; its ssh is quite decent.)

xref 9y ago

Don't cry, you can run bash on Windows 10 now https://youtu.be/PivpCKEiQOQ?t=169 https://youtu.be/PivpCKEiQOQ?t=169

fiedzia 9y ago

Incidentally I was troubleshooting a new designer machine that uses our dockerised Linux app. On Windows. The problem was that git converted all newlines to Windows format, breaking... absolutely everything. For the first time I've seen bash refusing to even look at my scripts.

canada_dry 9y ago

[Slow clap] I trust their (MS) motives about as much as I trust any large monopolistic for-profit organization. I.e. not at all. In the long run their only goal has to be to get rid of competition.. ie: no ubuntu, no linux. So in my mind anything they do regarding linux is bad news.