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How the Windows Subsystem for Linux Redirects Syscalls

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Re: How the Windows Subsystem for Linux Redirects Syscalls

#11

Post by overgryphon »

pmalynin wrote: post #3
Animats wrote: post #2

It's too bad that x86 hardware doesn't do virtualization as well as IBM hardware. You can't stack VMs. That's exactly what's needed here - a non-kernel VM that runs above NT but below the application.

You can have nested VMs. https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/virtual/kvm/nested-...

Windows also now supports nested virtualization.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualization/hyperv_on_wi...

Re: How the Windows Subsystem for Linux Redirects Syscalls

#13

Post by jcoffland »

dragonbonheur wrote: post #12

.

Maybe because the way they stated it it would be a much more attractive technology. Seems like an attempt to regaining ground in the server market.

This would be really useful for distributing Windows apps as Linux binaries. It would make it easier to develop from Linux and target Windows. Need the same for OSX.

Re: How the Windows Subsystem for Linux Redirects Syscalls

#14

Post by luchs »

>As of this article, lxss.sys has ~235 of the Linux syscalls implemented with varying level of support.

Is there a list of these syscalls somewhere? It would be cool to check it against the recent Linux API compatibility paper [0, 1].

[0]: http://oscar.cs.stonybrook.edu/api-compat-study/ [1]: http://www.oscar.cs.stonybrook.edu/papers/files/syspop16.pdf

Re: How the Windows Subsystem for Linux Redirects Syscalls

#16

Post by l3m0ndr0p »

serge2k wrote: post #10
l3m0ndr0p wrote: post #9

Pretty neat stuff. I think that MS should just create their own Linux Distribution & port all MS products. Get rid of the Windows NT Kernel. I believe it's outdated & doesn't have the same update cycle that the Linux Kernel has. Why run a Linux Application/binary on a windows server OS? When you can just run it on Linux OS and get better performance & stability.

> Get rid of the Windows NT Kernel. I believe it's outdated & doesn't have the same update cycle that the Linux Kernel has. Curious why you claim this? What's outdated about the NT Kernel?

Here are some, or maybe this is not part of the NT Kernel... 1. The use of drive letters A-Z for file system access. 2. Creating symbolic links to files and folders, like you can in Unix/Linux. You have to set a setting somewhere to enable this, but there's a security risk. 3. Standard functional/usable non-gui terminal application like Unix/Linux ssh. PowerShell doesn't come close. 4. Ability to SUDO or su Admin like Unix/Linux. Maybe these are not kernel related above, but the OS specific layer.

Re: How the Windows Subsystem for Linux Redirects Syscalls

#18

Post by coverband »

With this feature, if you're a Linux developer, you're automatically a Windows developer as well. Almost like being able to run all Android or iOS apps on Windows phones.[1][2]

[1] http://www.pcworld.com/article/3038652/windows/microsoft-kil... [2] https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/bridges/ios

Edit: Now I am puzzled as to why this got downvoted?

Re: How the Windows Subsystem for Linux Redirects Syscalls

#19

Post by slededit »

l3m0ndr0p wrote: post #16
serge2k wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Get rid of the Windows NT Kernel. I believe it's outdated & doesn't have the same update cycle that the Linux Kernel has. Curious why you claim this? What's outdated about the NT Kernel?

Here are some, or maybe this is not part of the NT Kernel... 1. The use of drive letters A-Z for file system access. 2. Creating symbolic links to files and folders, like you can in Unix/Linux. You have to set a setting somewhere to enable this, but there's a security risk. 3. Standard functional/usable non-gui terminal application like Unix/Linux ssh. PowerShell doesn't come close. 4. Ability to SUDO or su Admin lik…

You are confusing the win32 subsystem with the NT kernel. They are not the same, the win32 layer acts as a translation. Also symbolic and hard links are supported by NTFS, they are just not exposed in the UI. There are utilities to create them if you really want to.

The shell itself and the rest of userland has very little to do with the kernel. It seems its the userland you are upset with. Swapping out the kernel won't fix that.

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