Announcing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Available on Windows 10

A few months ago here at SUSE, Sr. Product Manager Hannes Kuehnemund’s blog series “Make Windows Green Again” gained big-time popularity with a workaround to get openSUSE Leap and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server working through the WSL. The engagement and interest from the community struck a chord and the SUSE and openSUSE teams have been excitedly working with Microsoft to bring your favorite, green Linux to the Windows Store for Microsoft Build 2017.

Today during the Microsoft Build keynote, Terry Myerson, Executive VP of the Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft, announced the availability of SUSE Enterprise Linux Server 12SP2 and openSUSE Leap 42.2 through the Windows Store. For the first time ever, Windows users will be able to download and install a SUSE Linux container image from the Windows 10 store and run it natively thanks to the Windows Subsystem for Linux. “When we place the developer and the ecosystem first, we are able to achieve flexibility, openness, and innovation in enterprise software faster. The incredible product and engineering collaboration between Microsoft and SUSE to release SUSE Linux on Windows is a prime example of this, and we look forward to creating present and future value for developers,” said Thomas di Giacomo, Chief Technology Officer of SUSE during the event.

The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) was announced last year at Build as a Beta feature available for those in the Windows Insider program which enables users to run native Linux binaries directly on Windows. The announcement this year doesn’t just bring more choice, but also accessibility by allowing millions of developers that run Windows 10 to download a ready-to-use image of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12SP2 or openSUSE Leap 42.2 through the Windows Store. Remember that the WSL is a beta feature you need to enable and as always please share your findings on the beta with the team by logging bugs and feedback on the GitHub issues repo GitHub issues repo.

To support Microsoft’s announcement and better engage the Microsoft developer community, SUSE has released a developer edition subscription to coincide with this launch. The subscription will give developers who are looking to test Enterprise Linux on Windows will be entitled to receive maintenance and security updates for one year. Currently the subscription is not supported for commercial use and developers should also be cognizant of the current beta status of the Windows Subsystem Linux. That said – we are extremely excited to see the engagement and hear your feedback through our community forums here. To get started – register for your Developer Subscription right here.