Microsoft has provided a new major update to Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2) for members of the Windows Insider program. The latest Windows 10 update provides a new open source WSL2 kernel based on a version of the 5.10 branch of the Linux Long Term Support (LTS) kernel. Earlier this year, Microsoft upgraded the kernel from the original 4.19 branch in WSL2 to the 5.4 LTS branch. This has now been enhanced to support the latest version of LTS. The release is notable for two reasons. First, it equips WSL2 with the latest LTS main kernel. Second, it brings useful new functionality to WSL2 users and fixes a long-standing problem.
Bug fixes and more
Developers will appreciate the ability to use a kernel based on the latest Linux LTS kernel, especially after languishing on an older one for a while. One of the new features of the latest WSL2 kernel based on 5.10 is the ability to support Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS) disk encryption. After installing the update, Windows Insider WSL2 users will be able to mount and access LUKS disks from their Windows host installation. Another major change in the release is a fix for a notorious clock synchronization issue, which caused clocks on WSL instances to lag behind on the host machine. In a joint article, Craig Loewen, Program Manager, Windows Development Platform, and WSL developer Pierre Boulay note that the clock synchronization bug has been fixed due to changes within the 5.10 LTS kernel. According to the usual timeline, it takes a few months for changes introduced in Windows Insider builds to reach all users, so general WSL users can expect the new kernel to be shipped to their installations towards the end of this month. year.second quarter of 2021. Through the registry