
Windows 10 is getting Linux files integration in File Explorer - Tomte
https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/8/21213783/microsoft-windows-10-linux-file-explorer-integration-features
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MrEldritch
Obviously, like everyone, I'm a little concerned about "Embrace, Extend,
Extinguish" and I don't _really_ believe that Microsoft are suddenly "the good
guys".

But I don't, ultimately, think that this will lead to the demise of Linux.
Desktop Linux as a serious competitor for a general-use operating system was
_already_ not happening and not really showing any signs of growth beyond a
tiny percentage of geeks; if it _was_ going to happen then I think this would
be a major barrier to it (why bother abandoning Windows or learning to dual-
boot for Linux functionality when you can just use WSL?), but since it wasn't
going to happen _anyway_ , another reason it's not happening won't really
matter.

(and on the other hand, by providing a less-scary way to get familiar with
Linux from inside the operating system you're already used to, it might lower
the barrier by an equal amount)

And Windows is resource-heavy and full of enough overhead (not to mention
license fees) that it's never going to replace Linux in the server, high-
performance, or embedded space, and this certainly won't effect that.

I suppose it may end up leading to fewer devs directly running Linux in the
workplace, since the corp can issue them a more corp-comfy Windows machine
instead and trust that they'll still be able to get work done, and all the odd
troubles of getting Linux to work comfortably on a laptop just sort of vanish
if you can just use Windows anyway, which could erase a good chunk of the tiny
desktop/laptop marketshare that Linux already has. Or it may not. Who knows!

~~~
simonblack
I believe that Windows will soon 'do an Apple'.

That is, just as Apple has built its proprietary Desktop built on top of a BSD
UNIX base, Microsoft is gradually moving towards building its Windows Desktop
on top of a Linux base.

That would remove hundreds/thousands of highly paid MSFT developers that
currently have to maintain the underlying OS and obtains their function from
the thousands of 'unpaid by Microsoft' Linux OS developers.

~~~
mekster
Are you saying, we'll finally see the year of Linux desktop?

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nailer
Vox blogspam.

Here's there actual link:
[https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2020/04/08/annou...](https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2020/04/08/announcing-
windows-10-insider-preview-build-19603/)

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MiddleEndian
For those interested, you can already do this in Windows 10 Update 1903 (as
long as you have WSL installed of course).

1\. Open Linux Terminal

2\. Type explorer.exe .

3\. Your home directory will open in Windows Explorer.

You can then pin it to your quick items or wherever is most convenient. $WSL
is treated as a network drive.

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kristianp
Eagerly awaiting the 20H1 release of Windows 10 for wsl2. Hopefully it will
resurrect my interest in relearning rails.

If this preview is only now in the fast ring, I don't hold much hope of
general release very soon.

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karmakaze
What does this actually mean--'Linux files' isn't a thing, or did MS make such
a thing?

Do they mean files on an ext4 filesystem in WSL/WSL2? Will it also be able to
mount an ext4 USB drive?

~~~
Gollapalli
Windows Subsystem for Linux has a separate set of files that constitute the
root file system of the Linux VM. These files are not currently accessible
through the File Explorer application. The announcement is that they will be
(which is rather nice).

I believe you can already access ext4 USB drives, but it's not native.
Hopefully this will make it so.

~~~
karmakaze
Thanks for the explanation. Seems like some sort of filesystem in a file (like
in VirtualBox).

I've always used a symlink to /mnt/c/Users/<username>/src or whatever I'm
working on to avoid this issue.

