In case anyone was curious, this works like docker desktop on Windows.
It launches a Linux vm which then runs the container(s).
I tested these last week, and they got me about 90% of the way on two custom test containers (Forgejo and Postgres). I especially like the fact that they are a lot like microVMS instead of pure containers. Given that these are pure Windows services, it eases a lot of non-technical senior managers minds in my highly regulated environment.
That said, this is just another example of Microsoft's extend and extinguish past behavior.
Can someone explain what the use case for this is?
it's a linux container but through WSL and natively integrated into windows. that's basically it.
It replaces the need to install docker and mess with a lot of hackery instead with an officially first party supported linux container subsystem.
Edit: and since I forgot to mention a key value-add of this is that it's integrated with group policy, defender etc so you can limit specific users or groups or OUs, etc to running specific containers or to exposing specific resources/network devices/hardware/etc to WSL at all. It makes managing all of it no different than managing any other part of an enterprise windows setup.
And likewise WSL has native antivirus/anti-intrusion instrumentation hooks via a Microsoft Defender for Endpoint/MDE plugin to WSL so that unlike with docker, etc you don't get a sudden blindspot that's non-trivial to monitor (or that comes with a heavy perf penalty).
So it's not something for me, but like everything Microsoft makes, it's for our BOFH's who will torment us with yet another corporate compliance machine.
Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a feature of Windows that allows you to run a Linux environment on your Windows machine, without the need for a separate virtual machine or dual booting -- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/about
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I think a lot of people in enterprise environments do.