Microsoft Adds Red Hat's RHEL to the Official WSL Support, Allowing Corporate Customization

The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) now supports a wide range of distributions, and users can install distributions not officially listed, though the process is somewhat more cumbersome.

For instance, IBM's Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), a version not previously on the support list, will soon change as Microsoft announces RHEL will become an official WSL distribution in the coming months.

Users will be able to view the entire distribution list through the wsl --list --online command or directly install RHEL using the wsl --install command without any extra steps.

RHEL, primarily targeted at enterprise users and not a free operating system, focuses on security. Therefore, Microsoft's update to WSL includes integrating Microsoft Entra ID for WSL security authentication tailored for enterprise users.

Notably, Microsoft has made significant changes to the WSL subsystem's format and design architecture. Initially, to release a distribution for WSL, the .tar package file had to be wrapped into an .appxbundle and then published via the Microsoft Store.

The new design allows direct use of the .tar package file, requiring only minor modifications for deployment without necessarily going through the Microsoft Store. This approach benefits enterprises by enabling them to customize distributions and share them internally via their intranet for installation.

Microsoft Intune has also been integrated with Microsoft Entra ID. Intune now fully supports WSL, allowing IT administrators to set different policies, such as restricting the versions of WSL distributions used within the company. Only versions approved by IT administrators can be installed.

The WSL support for Entra ID is currently in preview, with Microsoft describing it as a zero-trust architecture that significantly enhances security, including improved credential transmission methods to avoid potential leaks and hijacking through network packet transmission.