The first day of Build 2025 has kicked off with several big announcements, especially for developers working across platforms. One of the standout moments came when Microsoft revealed that the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is now officially open source.
This long-awaited move opens the door for community contributions and reflects Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to collaboration and cross-platform development.
What Is WSL—and Why Does Open-Sourcing It Matter?
WSL is a feature that allows users to run Linux code directly within Windows, without the overhead of a virtual machine. It has become an essential tool for developers who work in hybrid environments, allowing smoother integration of open-source tools with the Windows ecosystem.
Pavan Davuluri, Corporate Vice President of Windows and Devices at Microsoft, explained that WSL has been decoupled from the Windows core. It now functions as a standalone application, giving the open-source community direct access to contribute improvements, fix bugs, and introduce new capabilities.
What This Means for Developers
This change has several key implications:
- More Control and Customization: Developers can now tailor WSL to better suit their specific workflows and environments.
- Enhanced Open-Source Collaboration: With WSL’s codebase now hosted on GitHub, contributors can submit pull requests, suggest changes, and help shape the tool’s future.
- Stronger Linux-Windows Integration: This shift reinforces Microsoft’s efforts to make Windows a flexible, developer-friendly platform that works well with open technologies.
WSL’s move to open source, along with the recent integration of Fedora, signals a significant step forward in Microsoft’s open-source strategy. It’s more than just a symbolic gesture—it empowers the community to directly shape tools that thousands of developers rely on every day.
With these changes, Microsoft is not only listening to the developer community but actively inviting it to take part in the evolution of Windows as a development platform.
