WSL Container Public Preview: Run Linux Containers Natively on Windows, No Docker Required

If you've been following the Linux development experience on Windows, you've likely seen buzz about WSL Container. On June 29, 2026, Microsoft officially announced the public preview of WSL Container – and it's not a distant concept; you can try it today.

Back at Microsoft Build 2026 earlier this month, the feature was teased, and many mistakenly called it "WSL 3." Microsoft Program Manager Craig Loewen later clarified: there is no WSL 3. WSL Container is a new feature layer built on top of the existing WSL infrastructure – it's an incremental update delivered through regular WSL updates, no Windows version upgrade required.

In essence, WSL Container lets you create, run, and manage Linux containers on Windows without installing any third‑party tools like Docker Desktop.

Two Core Components

WSL Container brings two major pieces:

1. wslc.exe – A Standalone Container CLI

After updating to the latest WSL prerelease, you'll find wslc.exe in your PATH. Its usage feels familiar if you know Docker – you can get started instantly.

For example, run a full Linux desktop environment:

wslc run -d --name=webtop -e PUID=1000 -e PGID=1000 -e TZ=Etc/UTC -p 3000:3000 -p 3001:3001 lscr.io/linuxserver/webtop:ubuntu-kde

Or test GPU acceleration (CUDA) with a quick one‑liner:

wslc run --rm --gpus all pytorch/pytorch:2.5.1-cuda12.4-cudnn9-runtime python -c "import torch; print(torch.cuda.is_available()); print(torch.cuda.get_device_name(0))"

There's also an alias container.exe – it's the same tool, so use whichever feels natural.

2. WSL Container API – Call Linux Containers from Windows Apps

This is where things get really interesting for developers. WSL now provides a NuGet package that supports C, C++, and C#, enabling native Windows applications to invoke Linux containers as part of their logic.

Use cases are plentiful:

• Reuse existing Linux‑specific code
• Run cloud applications locally
• Isolate Linux processes from the host resources

Even better, the API integrates with MSBuild and CMake. Add a few lines to your project file, and container builds and deployments become an automatic part of your application build – zero manual steps.

Getting Started

1. Update WSL to the latest prerelease:
   wsl --update --pre-release
2. Alternatively, grab the installer directly from GitHub.
3. Start using wslc commands right away.

Microsoft also provides sample code and full API documentation – you can clone them from the official samples repo.

A Few Personal Thoughts

WSL Container feels like another practical step in Microsoft's ongoing effort to make Windows a first‑class environment for Linux development. Over the past few years, WSL transformed Linux development on Windows from a clumsy workaround into a mainstream choice. Now, by baking container capabilities directly into the platform, they're lowering the barrier even further.

For those already using Docker Desktop, WSL Container probably won't replace your established workflow overnight – ecosystems and habits take time. But it offers a lightweight, zero‑install, out‑of‑the‑box alternative that's perfect for quick tests, CI pipelines, or occasional container use.

For independent developers and small teams, saving the cost and configuration overhead of a third‑party tool is a tangible benefit.

And for Windows application developers, the API might be the real game‑changer. Seamlessly invoking Linux containers from a Windows app was nearly unthinkable before – now it's an officially supported capability.

Resources

• WSL GitHub Release Page
• WSL Container API Samples
• Original Microsoft Blog Post

This post is based on the official announcement from the Microsoft Command Line blog.