The Windows subsystem for Linux will soon get a graphical representation of settings. Previously, users had to adjust the tool’s settings via a configuration file, but the software will now have a GUI, although the configuration file will still be present.

Microsoft He writes in a blog post That in the future version it will be Graphical user interface To the Windows subsystem for Linux. The GUI is intended to control WSL settings, such as how much memory the tool can use. This is now only possible via .wslconfig. According to Microsoft, it’s not always clear to users what different values ​​they can select for certain settings. The GUI can display this.

It does not matter whether users change settings via the GUI or via configuration files. Microsoft says that existing settings will be taken into account and users can continue using either method. The WSL GUI will be coming “in a future release,” but Microsoft hasn’t said exactly when it will be released. It’s not clear if the company will also release it for WSL 1.0 or just for the newer WSL 2. For example, a number of security features will only be available for WSL 2, the company says.

WSL will receive a number of security integrations, including via Defender for Endpoint. A public preview version of this has already been released, but in the next release, Defender for Endpoint will be supported in WSL 2. Users can also adjust WSL settings via Intune in the future. Finally, there will also be Entra ID integration, allowing users to log into WSL using their Entra ID credentials. A public preview will be released in July and August.

Microsoft is also releasing some other features for WSL, such as a new graphical environment for managing virtual machines, for example. The WSL also gets a first sudoThe integration was announced by Microsoft a few months ago.