Ubuntu, the popular Linux distro is now available for download on the Windows Store. Microsoft had already announced earlier this year at its Build conference that Linux distro would be coming to the Windows Store. The Ubuntu Linux distribution had already been listed on the Windows Store for some users back in May, but it is now available for all to download.
Microsoft recently shared a blog post, confirming that Windows 10 Insider Preview build 16215 and higher versions will support the Linux installation. And for other users, the Linux distro will be available for installation only after the Windows 10 Creators Update that rolls out this fall.
Ubuntu, along with other distros – SUSE Linux and Fedora, coming to the Windows store runs only a sandbox version on Windows 10. It means that the users won’t get to use all the features of the service. The Windows Store version of these Linux distros are limited to running command line utilities like Bash, SSH, GIT, and Apt through the Terminal.
How to Install Ubuntu on Windows 10
Installing Ubuntu distro on Windows 10 is quite simple. After downloading it from Windows Store, users will have to navigate to Control Panel. After that, they have to select the “Turn Windows features on or off” option on the menu. There, they will be able to select the “Windows Subsystem for Linux,”. Selecting the option will allow Ubuntu to work after a system reboot.
There is also an alternative way to install the Ubuntu setup using Windows PowerShell. For this, you will have to run PowerShell prompt as administrator.
Then enter the following command:
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux
You will now be able to launch Ubuntu from the Start menu or by giving “ubuntu” command in Command Prompt.
Adding the Linux distributions to Windows Store is a part of Microsoft’s plans to embrace the open source community. The other two distros SUSE and Fedora will also arrive in the Windows store over the next week or two.
