Windows 11 Gets Native Linux Container Support
Microsoft has made significant strides in improving its support for developers on Windows 11. The company has launched native Linux container support, eliminating the need for third-party apps like Docker Desktop to run Linux containers through the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). This move is expected to speed up app development and testing for many Windows 11 users.
Containers are packages that include an application and its dependencies. Developers use them to ensure software behaves consistently across different systems. Until now, developers relied on third-party tools like Docker Desktop to run Linux containers on Windows. With WSL Containers, Microsoft is providing a built-in alternative through WSL.
Microsoft announced WSL Containers at Build 2026 and has tested the feature since then. The platform is now generally available. Since testing began, Microsoft has added new features to WSL containers, including support for container health checks, real-time event streaming, expanded networking controls, configurable storage locations, and several new container management commands.
Microsoft is also adding more enterprise controls to WSL Containers, including Intune policies and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint support. Tools like Docker Desktop continue to be an option for developers, but WSL Containers requires less software to install and manage.