Creators Windows 10 Update: what's new in Bash/WSL and Windows Console

When was released Windows 10 Anniversary Update (AU), subsystem Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) was still far from complete and suffers from many inconsistencies, especially with popular development tools like node.js, Java, etc.

However, it was important to convey this amazing new feature in the hands of real users, so we can learn from them — from YOU — what do you want WSL, what works, what doesn't, etc.

And the community answered!

Thus, this new release is the Windows subsystem for Linux console and Bash created by you and for you!

On behalf of groups of developing WSL and Console I would like to Express sincere gratitude to all who have tried Bash/WSL for the last 12+ months, and especially those of you who have documented problems in our GitHub repository associated me on Twitter, voted in favor of the proposal in our UserVoice, asked questions at StackOverflow, AskUbuntu, Reddit, in our blog Command-Line, blog WSL Team everywhere.

Significant improvements in Bash/WSL and Windows Console that came out with Windows 10 Update Creators, happened largely because of you!

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What's new in WSL?

In the process of development of Windows 10 Creators Update (CU) development team WSL has introduced hundreds of fixes and improvements, most of which are listed in WSL release notes. We've highlighted a few of the most notable functions of the Console and WSL in our blog Command-Line. We thought it would be useful consolidated list of the most important features and improvements.

So, here's what's new implemented in Bash/WSL and Console in updating to Windows 10 Creators Update:

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More compatibility

The main purpose of Win10 CU was to dramatically improve the depth and fullness of compatibility with the WSL core interfaces Linux System Call Interface (SCI). Expanding and improving our implementation of system calls, we have increased the number of tools, platforms, tools, execution and other things that you want to run to our users.

The result? In Win10 CU most popular development tools work as expected, including:

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keyword tools: apt, sed, grep, awk, top, tmux, ssh, scp, etc.

Shell: Bash, zsh, fish, etc.

development Tools: vim, emacs, nano, git, gdb etc.

Languages and platforms: Node.js and npm, Ruby Gems, Java, Maven, Python, and Pip, C/C++, C# and .NET Core and Nuget, Go, Rust, Haskell, Elixir/Erlang, etc.

Systems and services: sshd, Apache, lighttpd, nginx, MySQL, PostgreSQL the

• And more.

note: some of you may go on and fearlessly to run the applications and desktops X/GUI on WSL. Although we do not explicitly supported applications/desktops X/GUI on the WSL, we did not block and not interfere with their run. So if you managed to run your favorite editor, desktop, browser, etc., that's fine. But keep in mind that we continue to focus our effort on providing really high quality of work the command line, so you can run in the console all the development tools you want.

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Support for Ubuntu 16.04

While Win10 Anniversary Update came with support for Ubuntu 14.04 in the new update Win10 WSL CU now supports Ubuntu 16.04. All new instances of Bash installed on Win10 CU will now install Ubuntu 16.04.

If you want to know which version of Ubuntu works for you, type the following command in the Bash console for Ubuntu in Windows Console:

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$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu LTS 16.04.2
Release: 16.04
Codename: xenial

Important note: Existing instances with Ubuntu 14.04 are NOT automatically updated to 16.04. You need to manually update your instance on Ubuntu 16.04 in one of two ways:

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1. Removal and replacement (recommended)
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2. in-place Upgrade
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Removal and replacement


If you are now running an instance of Ubuntu 14.04, it is recommended to remove it and replace with a fresh new instance of Ubuntu 16.04.

WARNING: the Following instructions will destroy your existing distribution and all the files that you have stored in a Linux filesystem. So be sure to copy/transfer any files to Linux, you want to keep, for example, in the Windows folder (/mnt/c/temp/wslbackup/...) BEFORE removing and replacing your instance!

To remove and reinstall your instance of Ubuntu, run the following commands from the console Cmd/PowerShell:

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C:\> lxrun /uninstall /full /y
...
C:\> lxrun /install


The command lxrun /install then download and install fresh new copy of Ubuntu 16.04 on your machine.

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in-place Upgrade


If your instance of Ubuntu particularly complex configuration, you can update it in place, although the result may be suboptimal.

If you wish to upgrade your instance to place, use Ubuntu user to upgrade an existing instance:

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$ sudo do-release-upgrade


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Ifconfig and support the list of network connections


One of the biggest disadvantages of Win10 AU was lack of a list of network connections that made it work correctly tools like ifconfig, gulp, npm and others.

This is fixed in Win10 version CU so you can use ifconfig to list the compounds and studying the configuration of available network adapters:



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Network support ICMP Ping


Another problem often faced Win10 users AU, was the inability of network administrators to ping the terminal network equipment. This is also now fixed in Win10 CU:



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Support notifications of changes to files (INOTIFY)


Another popular improvement was the ability of the tools to register for notification of file changes. This is a significant functionality that is often used by developers for web Node.js, Ruby, and Python, and many others.

For example, if you are working on the web site node.js then after editing the source code of vim, Emacs, Sublime Text, VS Code, etc. you may want to each time you save the server download the updated source code, so that when you refresh the browser all changes are instantly displayed.

Now you can do it! WSL supports inotify through which applications can register for notification of changes in the file system, which then become triggers for actions, such as rebuilding the project and restarting the local web server. It works for both DrvFS and file system LxFs.

It is important that these notifications of changes to files is now supported on the Windows file system. So if you edit the source code of the project stored in the Windows file system, editor with graphic interface, Windows GUI, such as the VSCode, Visual Studio, SublimeText, Notepad++ etc. and at the same time node.js working in the environment of the Bash/WSL for the local issuance site, all changes will normally appear in it immediately after the changes to the file source.



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Windows Compatibility <-> Linux


Chapter the purpose of creating WSL was to reduce "the gap" feels like when you run the tool Windows next to command line tools and Linux environments. When we released the WSL in Windows 10 AU, then put Linux and Windows next to each other, but was still a large "gap" between them — though both systems may have shared access to some files, each of the environments was pretty much isolated from the other.

Users have often said that I want to be able to run Windows applications and console Bash, and run applications on Linux and Windows. So we've added this feature!
In Windows 10, Creators Update you can run applications and Windows tools from the Bash console.



...and can run the binaries/commands/scripts to Linux from Windows:



For more information of this function are described a separate blog post.

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Improving UNIX sockets and Netlink


Some aspects of UNIX sockets and Netlink sockets are not supported in the Anniversary Update.

In Creators Update WSL added datagram UNIX sockets and Netlink sockets, options and properties, so that many modern instruments will receive a variety of forms of interprocess communication under WSL.

For more details see WSL Release Notes.

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Upgrade IPv6 and TCP socket


In preparing the Creators Update group WSL and Windows Core Networking worked together to implement support in WSL several additional options and features of the TCP socket and IPv6. It gives enhanced support for IPv6, etc. a wide range of tools and technologies that rely on different network sockets.

For more details see WSL Release Notes.

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a Variety of improvements WSL


The above improvement of the WSL is just a small sampling of the most noticeable and important changes, but Creators Update includes hundreds of other improvements WSL. We will mention some of them, and don't forget to study release notes for details.

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• Linux Processes are exposed to the infrastructure listing (enumerative) in the Windows Process so that they appear in the TaskManager, etc.
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• Added features to antiviruses and firewalls understand the processes Linux.
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• Support sharing of memory, as required for PostgreSQL and other tools.

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Windows Console and improved command-line


Windows Console is one of the most fundamental parts of the entire operating system and it is a few decades was part of Windows. About two years ago was formed a new group of Windows developers Console, and she made the most significant restructuring of the console Windows for more than 30 years!

One of the main reasons for a major upgrade of the console was that it was supposed to display the results of command line tools Linux and applications running under WSL. The development team also carried out some much-needed upgrades and changes in the internal structure of the console that will allow much faster and easier to roll out new features in the future.

So, what's new in the console in Win10 CU?

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a Lot of improvements to control sequences VT


Because the console was originally designed without support for *NIX, it could not handle different behaviors and formatting codes issuance (ANSI escape sequences, and VT) generated by the tools and applications command-line *NIX.

Now the problem is removed.

In Windows 10 Anniversary Update the console finalized, and she was able to handle the most common sequences VT, allowing you to correctly display most of the text with simple formatting. However, some advanced scenarios were not supported.

In the new version of Windows Console support sequence VT was further enhanced to correctly handle more complex sequence VT, so that the console now supports many advanced features of complex text interface vim, emacs, Midnight Commander, tmux, htop and other programs.



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Support 24-bit color


Another frequent request from the community was support console more than 16 colors. Support 256 colors or more is very important when working with today's increasingly complex and rich command line tools, shell, etc.
In Win10 Creators Update the console has been updated and supports a complete, beautiful 24-bit color!



For more information, see the blog post with the announcement of support for 24-bit color.

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mouse Support


The number of rich text UI is constantly growing, and users want to get mouse support for tools like Midnight Commander, Htop and others, so we have added mouse support in Win10 CU.


an Artistic rendering of the author for the purpose of illustration

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Symbolic links in Windows without administrative rights


Character sciolti (symlinks) is an important tool that comprehensively used under Linux, but not actively under Windows, because here to create the symbolic links needed administrator rights. The console is where you create the symbolic links needed to enhance rights to administrator is that users rarely do.

In version Windows 10 Update Creators to restrict the creation of symbolic links under any rights removed for users who activate the developer mode, so that symbolic links are created from any console.

Cm. announcement for more information about symbolic links, with examples.

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What next?


So, are we done? Not-e-et! Not even close to finished!

For WSL, and Windows Console contains the whole queue of future improvements, new features and functionality that we really want to work on.

In addition, although the Console and WSL significantly improved in Update Creators, it is important to note that WSL maintains the status of the beta, although we cut off some rough edges and sharp corners, and improved part of the core functionality and features.

We continue to move forward with many planned improvements and amazing new features. Expect a lot of interest in upcoming releases of Windows 10. If you want to be among the first to get access and see the improvements planned for the next release Windows 10, join the Windows Insider program and install the update setup Update Windows Insider Ring for quick mode.

As always, please leave your feedback. Let me know if you find problems when using WSL, WSL repository on GitHub not hesitate ask questions on Twitter, suggest new features through UserVoice, to lead a great discussion on Reddit, StackOverflow, SuperUser and other sites, and leave comments in blogs Command-Line and WSL Team.

Go!

Article based on information from habrahabr.ru