WSL Containers Now Runs on Windows 10 Too

Earlier this year, Microsoft released WSL Containers, its native container platform built directly into the Windows Subsystem for Linux. Users can deploy and run containers without installing Docker Desktop. Because no persistent desktop client runs in the background, the approach also conserves hardware resources. As a result, WSL Containers has found a receptive audience among developers and power users who work with containers regularly.

According to Windows Latest’s coverage of WSL Containers on Windows 10, the feature extends further back than most users expected.

WSL Containers Confirmed to Work on Windows 10

Microsoft has now confirmed that WSL Containers also runs on Windows 10. That confirmation comes even though Microsoft officially ended mainstream support for that OS. Normally, a product that has reached end-of-life receives no new features. WSL Containers is an exception.

Craig Loewen is the Microsoft product manager responsible for WSL development. He confirmed that WSL Containers works on Windows 10 and any other system that supports WSL.

Minimum System Requirement

For Windows 10 users specifically, the minimum supported version is 2004, corresponding to Build 19041. WSL has its own baseline system requirements. As long as a device can install and run WSL, it can also install and run WSL Containers.

This is not technically a new Windows 10 feature. Rather, WSL Containers ships as part of the WSL update pipeline and therefore bypasses operating system feature restrictions entirely.

How to Deploy WSL Containers on Windows 10

By default, Windows 10 ships without WSL and without Windows Terminal. For the best experience, install the open-source Windows Terminal application first. Then proceed with WSL 2 and WSL Containers. Before starting, verify the system meets the minimum version requirement.

Follow these six steps:

1. Check your build number. Press Win+R, type winver, and press Enter. The version number appears in the dialog box.
2. Install WSL. Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run wsl --install. This process may take several minutes.
3. Update the container build. Run wsl --update --pre-release.
4. Restart the subsystem. Run wsl --shutdown.
5. Verify the deployment. Reopen Command Prompt and run wslc --version to confirm WSL Containers has been deployed successfully.
6. Explore available commands. Run wslc on its own to access the container help documentation and available commands.

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Written by

@DdoS · Security Researcher

Do Son

Do Son is the Founder and Editor of SecurityOnline.info. Working in cybersecurity since 2013, he reports on vulnerabilities, malware, and emerging threats, providing timely analysis to help organizations and individuals stay ahead of evolving risks.