- Microsoft has released WSL Containers in public preview via the latest WSL pre-release version.
- The feature adds
wslc.exe, a built-in CLI, plus an API that allows Windows apps to create and manage Linux containers. - WSL Containers also introduces faster virtiofs file sharing, experimental consomme networking, and improved memory management.
- The company says the underlying WSL improvements will also benefit container platforms built on WSL, including Docker Desktop and similar tools.
Microsoft is expanding what Windows 11 can do for developers. On June 29, the company released WSL Containers in public preview through the latest pre-release version of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), introducing a built-in way to create, run, and manage Linux containers without depending on additional container software.
After announcing it during its Build 2026 conference, the preview is available worldwide through the latest WSL pre-release update, which developers can install by running wsl --update --pre-release or by downloading the latest package from GitHub.
What is WSL Containers?
If you’ve used WSL before, you already know it lets Windows run a full Linux environment without a traditional virtual machine. WSL Containers builds on that foundation by adding native support for creating, running, and managing Linux containers directly from WSL.
A container is an isolated environment that packages an application together with everything it needs to run. Unlike a virtual machine, a container doesn’t include an entire operating system, making it much smaller and faster to start. They’re widely used to develop cloud applications, AI workloads, web services, and automated testing because the same container can run consistently on a developer’s computer, a server, or the cloud.
Until now, developers have typically relied on software such as Docker Desktop or Podman Desktop to manage Linux containers. Those applications often use WSL behind the scenes. Microsoft is now adding its own built-in Linux container platform to WSL.
As Craig Loewen, Senior Product Manager at Microsoft, explained: WSL containers simplify this experience by providing a built-in, enterprise-ready way to create, run, and manage Linux containers on Windows, without requiring additional third-party tooling
.
That doesn’t mean Docker is going away. Instead, Microsoft is moving another piece of the developer experience into Windows 11, while allowing existing container platforms to continue building on the same WSL infrastructure.
A familiar command-line experience
The public preview introduces a new executable called wslc.exe.
After updating WSL, developers can use the new command-line tool to build, run, debug, and test Linux containers. The software giant designed the syntax to feel familiar to developers who already work with containers, reducing the learning curve. Microsoft also includes a container alias that launches the same tool.
The idea is to allow developers to start building Linux applications immediately, rather than spending time installing and configuring another container runtime.
Windows 11 apps can launch Linux containers
The preview also introduces the new WSL Container API.
Instead of calling external tools, Windows 11 apps can now create and manage Linux containers directly through native code. The company is providing a NuGet package that supports C, C++, and C#, enabling integration of Linux workloads into Windows applications.
The API also integrates with MSBuild and CMake, allowing container creation and deployment to become part of the application’s normal build process without requiring additional scripts.
That could make it much easier for Windows applications to quietly use Linux-based components in the background while presenting a native Windows experience.
Enterprise management is built in
Microsoft is also focusing on organizations that already rely on WSL. For example, network administrators can use Group Policy today to control whether employees can use WSL distributions or containers and restrict which container registries are approved inside the organization. The company says native Intune management will follow in the coming weeks.
The software giant is also extending Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to monitor security events generated within Linux containers, although that feature remains in private preview.
Developers using Visual Studio Code Dev Containers will also be able to switch to WSL Containers by changing the Docker path setting to wslc in the latest pre-release version of the extension.
WSL itself gets faster
Alongside the new container platform, Microsoft is introducing several improvements under the hood of WSL.
Containers now use virtiofs as their default file system, which the company says delivers up to twice the Windows file access performance compared to previous implementations.
The preview also introduces an experimental networking mode called consomme, which routes Linux network traffic through Windows. This feature allows Linux applications to automatically use the same VPN connections, proxy settings, security policies, and networking configuration already applied to Windows 11.
Microsoft has also improved memory reclamation so unused memory inside the Linux virtual machine returns to Windows 11 more gradually after workloads finish.
Currently, these improvements are exclusive to WSL Containers because they affect core parts of WSL. Microsoft plans to expand them to the broader WSL platform in future updates.
For additional support, the company has published this support page.
Pureinfotech’s take
I think this announcement is less about replacing Docker and more about reducing friction for developers on Windows 11. Over the last several years, Microsoft has steadily moved Linux from something developers installed alongside the operating system to something that feels like part of it. WSL, systemd, GUI app support, and GPU acceleration all followed that path, and WSL Containers is another step in the same direction.
Will you try WSL Containers on Windows 11?
Voting closes: July 7, 2026 1:00 pm
The more interesting change isn’t the new wslc command. It’s that Windows applications can now build Linux container workflows directly into their own software through Microsoft’s API. That suggests that the company sees Linux containers as another Windows platform capability rather than an external developer tool.
I also like that Microsoft isn’t positioning WSL Containers as a Docker replacement. Docker Desktop, Podman Desktop, and Rancher Desktop continue to offer richer development workflows, and the company openly says they’ll benefit from the same improvements coming to WSL. That’s a more practical strategy than trying to convince developers to abandon tools they already use.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert and founder of Pureinfotech in 2010. With over 23 years as a technology writer and IT Specialist, Mauro specializes in Windows, software, and cross-platform systems such as Linux, Android, and macOS.
Certifications: Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), VMware Certified Professional (VCP), and CompTIA A+ and Network+.
Mauro is a recognized Microsoft MVP and has also been a long-time contributor to Windows Central.
You can follow him on YouTube, Threads, BlueSky, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].
