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Windows Subsystem for Linux is out of beta

blogs.msdn.microsoft.com

161–170 of 231 posts

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux is out of beta

#161
post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because some of us prefer Windows to Linux on the desktop.

My point was that I don't see the sense in the strategy laid out by grandparent, because I don't see a compelling reason to run Windows on servers (I say this as a former Windows sysadmin (as recently as this year, not 2005)).

He said server devs, which I assume means people who develop stuff that runs on a (nix) server.

corysama, I agree. Windows was really lacking in any type of native unix connectivity. No native ssh, sftp support is a big one. You can get free third party programs for that, but nothing beats opening a terminal and having all of it, especially if that's what you are accustomed to.

I really love the new shell in Windows. I'm so glad they broke away from their old mindset.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux is out of beta

#162
post #158
post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe you got it inverted. You cannot write on the WSL file system from Windows, but the other way (writing on windows from bash) is ok.

How do they expect developers to write code if windows can't write to the file system? Do they expect everyone to use vim or other text based editor?

Or write it using whichever editor you'd prefer in Windows, then access it from WSL, I guess? You can see the entire Windows filesystem from inside the Linux environment. You just shouldn't try to write to the locations that they keep the Linux part of the filesystem in from Windows.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux is out of beta

#163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you stick to the boring Thinkpads (T series and P series) they're fairly safe bets. Some of Dell's business grade laptops are also built like tanks. Neither company's consumer grade (read: cheap) I'd touch. Microsoft makes good hardware, but you'll pay borderline "Apple Prices" for it. Only big mistake Microsoft has made is trying to ship the Surface Laptop starting at $999 and topping out at $2199, with Windows 1…

If you stick to the boring Thinkpads (T series and P series) Anecdotal, but two out of three T series Thinkpads has sudden motherboard failures. No problems with 3 MacBooks or 3 Inspirons. We're done buying Lenovo.

Counter anecdata: My office is full of T and W series Lenovos. I myself have a first generation Carbon as my work machine. My personal machine was a T410 (and before that another T series) until I recently got a new Carbon.

Absolutely zero reports of problems. None.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux is out of beta

#164
post #21
post #19

Can someone point to a decent X server for windows?

From the article: > NO current plans to support X/GUI apps, desktops, servers, etc. at this time

A Microsoft Channel 9 video on how to use XMING with Windows Subsystem for Linux:

https://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/WinCoder/XMING--Bash-on-Ubun...

I think what they mean by "no current plans to support X/GUI apps" is that WSL itself doesn't include support for an X server but you can still go ahead and connect X applications to any running X server.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux is out of beta

#165
post #77

I hope my Macbook days would be over soon. After using Macbook Pro many years, I find good Windows machines are as reliable as Mac's ones. Apple products are usually overpriced, much less options for hardware accessories and upgrades, very expensive to fix. I have to keep running both Mac & Windows machines which is very inconvenient sometimes.

Which laptop manufactures have you found to be as reliable and well put together as macbooks? I haven't had too much luck with dells or lenovos.

If your willing to pay MacBook prices I'd give Lenovo another look. The latest Carbon is just... a perfect laptop as far as I'm concerned.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux is out of beta

#166
Barely related, but what's with the whole "Creators Update"/"Fall Creators Update" thing? It's not "Creator's Update," so I guess it's supposed to be targetting "Content Creators," right? But looking at the changes in these updates, I'm really not sure what's been added for any sort of content creator. Windows Movie Maker hasn't turned into Premiere, Paint hasn't turned into Photoshop, etc. So where the fuck does the name come from? And why not just name it with some Apple/Google-esque codename like Snow Leopard or Jellybean instead of making some half-baked marketing scheme?

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux is out of beta

#167
post #152

Why is it called Linux, though? There's no Linux there at all IIRC, in the sense that it's not using the Linux kernel.

You've made a fair observation, but being strictly correct in the naming, in this case, is probably not helpful for Microsoft or users.

"Windows Subsystem for Linux" sets an appropriate expectation with me (the user) that I will get an experience not dissimilar from installing a real Linux distribution of one sort or another. For Microsoft, it's simply the easiest way to market that idea in the product.

No matter how much someone like a Richard Stallman would like me to differentiate between Linux (the Kernel) and the large proportion of GNU utilities that are the common tools of a complete system, in practice I simply think of the whole lot as "Linux" and probably always will... regardless of how fair, important (or not), the distinction actually is. I expect there are many more who think like that than not.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux is out of beta

#168
post #158
post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe you got it inverted. You cannot write on the WSL file system from Windows, but the other way (writing on windows from bash) is ok.

How do they expect developers to write code if windows can't write to the file system? Do they expect everyone to use vim or other text based editor?

I'd use Emacs and the same X11 apps I'd use on a Linux cluster. There are X servers for Windows, though WSL strangely omits one.

If you like Windows apps, why run WSL?

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux is out of beta

#169
post #77

I hope my Macbook days would be over soon. After using Macbook Pro many years, I find good Windows machines are as reliable as Mac's ones. Apple products are usually overpriced, much less options for hardware accessories and upgrades, very expensive to fix. I have to keep running both Mac & Windows machines which is very inconvenient sometimes.

Why not use Linux? Same price point advantage, and even better than mac for development because you can develop on the exact same distro you will use for your server.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux is out of beta

#170
post #152

Why is it called Linux, though? There's no Linux there at all IIRC, in the sense that it's not using the Linux kernel.

Because it runs Linux binaries and not FreeBSD binaries instead.

"If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck..."

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