Let me start with this—change is the only constant in the world. And that applies to both Microsoft and Linux, neither of which are the same as they were 20+ years ago. The tech giant from Redmond has now welcomed it with a friendly smile, and the clearest sign of this friendship is, of course, WSL.
For our not-so-tech-savvy readers, I explain right away. In simple words, WSL, or Windows Subsystem for Linux, is a Windows feature that lets you run Linux directly inside Windows without needing a separate computer or a virtual machine.
Which, let’s be honest, is incredibly useful. It’s a great way for Windows users to get hands-on experience with Linux—without the hassle of complex installations, tricky configurations, or dealing with sluggish virtual machines. At the same time, it’s a game-changer for developers, letting them work as efficiently as possible without wasting time jumping between different environments.
However, one of the biggest limitations of WSL—if you can even call it that—is its rather small selection of officially available Linux distributions. In other words, Windows users can only choose from a handful of options: Debian, Ubuntu, SUSE, openSUSE, Oracle, and Kali.
As you might have noticed, one of the big names missing from this list is Arch Linux—one of the key distributions that form the backbone of the modern Linux ecosystem, with a dedicated community of countless loyal followers. Fortunately, as has become clear these days, that is about to change.
Robin Candau, a Linux system and DevOps engineer from France and an Arch Linux contributor, shared on Arch’s mailing list that the distro is in the final stages of approval to become an officially offered WSL option. In other words, users will soon be able to install (hopefully) the distro directly through WSL, just like the other distributions on the list.
It all started in late January when Candau floated the idea of providing an official Arch Linux WSL image. Within days, the proposal attracted overwhelmingly positive feedback from both users and the Arch Linux staff.
The best part? Microsoft has now confirmed that it is interested in featuring the new image in its official WSL distribution manifest, agreeing to a schedule of one pull request per month—a frequency that perfectly aligns with Arch Linux’s monthly ISO releases.
With much of the groundwork in place, Candau expects to finalize the remaining tasks soon. These include:
- Migrating the GitLab repository to the official Arch Linux namespace.
- Configuring secure build runners for continuous integration and automated releases.
- Publishing monthly updates to the Microsoft WSL manifest so that Arch Linux remains listed and easily accessible to users.
Important clarification: Arch can now be installed on WSL2 fairly easily and runs well. However, there are a couple of drawbacks. First, you’ll need to get the WSL image from Arch’s GitLab, which adds a bit of hassle. But more importantly, Arch isn’t officially supported on WSL. So, while it works, it’s best thought of as more of a PoC.
Another important thing to consider is that official support will be offered only for WSL2, given Arch’s preference for modern, cutting-edge environments. The distribution team has clearly stated that WSL1 is not supported.
In light of this, WSL 2.4.4 or later users will be able to install and set up the image with a single PowerShell command or even by double-clicking (ah, that lovely Window-ish approach) the downloaded image file. Users on WSL’s versions before 2.4.4 can still import and configure the image using a one-line command sequence, followed by an easy shell-based setup inside WSL.
And finally—when is this happening? According to Candau, Arch on WSL will officially become a reality very soon. However, I’m a bit more skeptical, considering a similar initiative from none other than Red Hat.
In mid-November last year, the news appeared that their distribution would be added as an officially offered WSL one, a claim backed up by Red Hat and Microsoft announcements. Yet, three months later, it still hasn’t been a reality. My guess? The delay is more likely on Red Hat’s end, probably due to the time required to prepare the image properly. Anyway.
For fans of Arch Linux, this development opens up new opportunities for experimentation and daily use of Arch within a Windows environment. Moreover, this official image could encourage further collaboration between Arch maintainers and Microsoft’s WSL team, potentially paving the way for future integrations.
In any case, it’s a win-win, so there’s only excitement ahead. And when it happens, you can bet we’ll be among the first to share the news. Until then, keep your Arch virtuals running (BTW).
