Canonical Delivers Ubuntu Tar Archives for Easy Installation in the Windows Subsystem for Linux

Canonical has announced that it's now easier to customize and deploy its Ubuntu Linux distribution under the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), without having to use the Microsoft Store, thanks to support for installing from tar-format archives.

"We are happy to announce that Ubuntu on Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is now available in Microsoft’s new tar-based distribution architecture," says Canonical's Jean-Baptiste Lallement of the move. "This new distribution architecture for WSL will make adoption easier in enterprise environments by enabling image customization and deployments at scale. The new tar-based WSL distro format allows developers and system administrators to distribute, install, and manage Ubuntu WSL instances from tar files without relying on the Microsoft Store."

The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) launched in 2016, 18 years after Microsoft's infamous "Halloween memo" describing underhanded tactics that could be used to disrupt the growth of Linux and open source software in general, as a way to run Linux software under Windows. Its second-generation release, launched in 2019, moved from being a simple compatibility layer to a full virtual machine — offering far greater compatibility with both graphical and console-based Linux tools and packages.

Typically, a Linux environment is installed under WSL using the Microsoft Store — but a shift to supporting installation from tar archives means that it's now possible to install distributions using a single WSL command in WSL 2.4.8 or above: wsl --install ubuntu. Tar archives can also be downloaded and installed manually, allowing for easier deployment of customized environments tailored for specific use-cases.

The new tar-based Ubuntu WSL distribution is now available for WSL 2.4.8 and higher; instructions are available on the Ubuntu website.