The Windows Subsystem for Linux allows users to run Linux distributions on top of Windows 10, and at this point, there are already several choices for users who want to try out this feature.

In addition to Ubuntu, Debian, and Kali, beginning today, Windows 10 adopters are provided with a new Linux distro that’s specifically optimized for the WSL.

Called WLinux, this new Linux distro is focused on the packages that are relevant to WSL, as well as the customizations to take full advantage of this Windows 10 feature.

“Given the high degree of distro customizability in Linux, I thought a new distro should be created for WSL with sane defaults for use specifically on WSL. I identified and implemented an initial set of customizations and features that a broad cross-section of developers and pro-users could use as a starting point for their own setup.

This would save users time when deploying new WSL images and ease adoption for new WSL users,” founder of Whitewater Foundry, the group behind this project, says.

WLinux was originally called WinLinux, but the same was changed because a distro with the same moniker already existed.

Not available for free

What’s important to note, however, is that WLinux is available on the Microsoft Store with a $19.99 price, but the distro is offered for a limited time with a 50 percent discount, so it costs just $9.99.

The feature lineup includes support for most Linux graphical apps, development tools like zsh shell, git, python 3.7 (all pre-installed), wslu, and additional scripts for apps like Google Chrome, Visual Studio Code, and pip3 for python.

The developing group promises to offer “faster patching than any upstream Linux distro for WSL-specific bugs,” and says that several unnecessary packages, like systemd, have been removed for increased stability and security.

New features would be added in the near future based on user feedback, and Whitewater Foundry says paid bug and feature bounties would also be released.