Microsoft Open Sources WSL & Copilot: A New Era for Devs

Okay, so Microsoft just did something pretty wild – yeah, they’ve gone and open-sourced two of their biggest tools for us developers: Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and even GitHub Copilot Chat! Seriously, this is a massive shift for Microsoft and how they play with the open-source world, and honestly, it’s gonna open up some cool new possibilities for devs everywhere.

So, wanna know what this Microsoft open sources WSL Copilot move actually means for how you get stuff done? Alright, let’s break it down.

WSL is Now Open Source! 🐧

So, what’s WSL again?

Now, if you don’t know, Windows Subsystem for Linux has been a total game-changer. Basically, it lets you run actual Linux distributions right on your Windows machine. So, no more messing with dual-booting or clunky virtual machines. It just bridges that gap between Windows and Linux. Super useful stuff, this WSL.

“WSL has completely transformed how I work on Windows. Having native Linux tools at my fingertips has boosted my productivity tenfold.” – Senior Developer at Microsoft

The Big News Drop 📣

So then, at Build 2025 (yeah, looking ahead!), Microsoft hit us with the news: WSL is now fully open-source. And what does that mean for you? Well, for starters, now you can:

Jump right into WSL’s code.
Throw in your own ideas for features and improvements for this open-source WSL.
Spot bugs and even fix ’em.
Tweak WSL to make it perfect for whatever you’re working on.
And really get a look under the hood to see how this Microsoft tech all works.

Microsoft Open Sources WSL Copilot

What’s in the WSL Repo?

Alright, so if you peek into the newly open-sourced WSL repository, you’ll find some key parts:

Directory	What it’s for
`/kernel`	The Linux kernel setup for WSL.
`/drivers`	Special WSL drivers that help it talk to Windows.
`/interop`	Bits that make Windows and Linux work together.
`/networking`	How the network stuff is handled in WSL.
`/filesystem`	The layer that translates file systems.

Some WSL Commands You’ll Probably Use

And speaking of using WSL, here are a few commands you’ll likely find handy:


# Get a new Linux distro, like Ubuntu for your WSL setup
wsl --install -d Ubuntu-22.04

# See all the WSL distros you've got installed
wsl --list --verbose

# Make one your main go-to WSL
wsl --set-default Ubuntu-22.04

# Run a specific command in Linux from Windows using WSL
wsl --distribution Ubuntu-22.04 --exec ls -la

# Mount a Windows drive so Linux (via WSL) can see it
wsl --mount D:

Heads Up: Common WSL Gotchas ⚠️

Now, just a few things to watch out for when you’re using WSL:

Paths are different: You know, Windows uses backslashes (\), Linux uses forward slashes (/). Easy to forget!
File Permissions: They work differently in Windows and Linux, so sometimes you get weird issues with WSL.
Line Endings: Windows text files often use CRLF, Linux uses LF. Can mess up scripts if you’re not careful.
Slowdowns: Heads up, grabbing Windows files from WSL can be slower than working purely in the Linux environment.
Memory: If WSL feels sluggish on big tasks, you might need to give it more memory.

GitHub Copilot Chat Extension? Also Open Source! 🤖

Making Code Help Even Better

Okay, moving on, GitHub Copilot has already changed how a lot of us write code, with its AI giving you suggestions as you type. And then, the Copilot Chat extension takes it further – with it, you can ask questions, get code explained, and just generally get guidance right there in your editor.

So What’s New? 🔄

Well, Microsoft just open-sourced the GitHub Copilot Chat extension! Yep, it’s under the MIT license, which is a pretty big move for such a powerful Copilot tool. This means developers like us can:

Look at the actual source code of Copilot Chat.
Change how it works.
Add new features to this open-source Copilot.
Hook it up with other tools.
And give back any improvements to everyone.

Coming to Visual Studio Code

And get this, Microsoft also said they’re planning to pull key parts of the Copilot Chat extension right into Visual Studio Code itself. So basically, AI help won’t just be an add-on, it’ll be a basic part of how you code. Pretty neat, huh?

Wanna Try Copilot Chat (Open Source Style)?

Alright, so if you’re keen to try out the open-source Copilot Chat or even contribute:

Clone the Copilot repository from GitHub.
The README should have setup instructions, follow those.
Poke around the codebase and documentation for Copilot.
Join the contributor community.
Send in your first pull request!

What This Means for All of Us Devs 🌐

More Working Together

See, by open-sourcing these crucial tools like WSL and Copilot, Microsoft is really shaking things up for developers:

Community Power: Now, decisions on features and fixes will get input from devs all over the world. It’s proper open source development.
See-Through: We can actually see what makes these Microsoft tools tick. No more black boxes.
Trust: Plus, when code is open, people can check it for security and privacy stuff. Builds confidence.
Learning Op: And for newer devs, they can study real, professional code from WSL and Copilot and learn a ton.

Faster Cool Stuff

And beyond that, with thousands of us able to chip in to WSL and Copilot, we should see:

Bugs getting squashed way faster.
Creative new features that Microsoft might not have even thought of.
Better ways for things to work across different platforms.
More niche tools built on top of WSL and Copilot.

Could This Be a Trend?

What’s more, Microsoft doing this with WSL and Copilot might just push other big tech companies to open up their dev tools too. Imagine that – it could really kick off a wave of more open, clear, and collaborative tech for everyone.

How You Can Jump In: Get Involved! 🛠️

So if you’re interested…

For Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL):

Repo: Head over to https://github.com/microsoft/WSL
Getting Started: Look for the CONTRIBUTING.md file – it’s got the guidelines for this open-source WSL project.
Easy First Tasks: Check for issues tagged “good-first-issue” if you want a simpler way to start contributing to WSL.
Chat: Join the WSL Developer Community on GitHub Discussions.

For GitHub Copilot Chat:

Repo: Find it at https://github.com/features/copilot (Note: this URL for the open-source Copilot might be more specific to the extension, so double-check when it’s fully live!)
Docs: There should be good guides in the /docs folder for Copilot.
Ideas?: Submit them through GitHub Issues.
Rules: And remember, always a good idea to read the Code of Conduct before you contribute to an open-source project.

So, What Does This Mean for YOUR Coding? 💡

Ultimately, with these Microsoft tools, WSL and Copilot, now being open source, you can look forward to:

More say: You can tweak these tools to fit exactly what you need.
Smoother connections: Make your different dev environments play nicer together.
Knowing more: Really understand how these complex systems like WSL and the AI in Copilot are built.
Help from others: Tap into a whole global network of developers using and improving these open-source tools.

Wrapping Up: Microsoft’s Open Source Story Gets a New Chapter 📚

Look, Microsoft deciding to open-source WSL and GitHub Copilot Chat is a pretty big deal. They used to be seen as, well, not friends of open source, but now, man, they’re one of its biggest supporters. It really shows they’re committed to helping developers and working with the community.

And as these tools, WSL and Copilot, evolve with community input, they’re just going to get even more powerful, flexible, and developer-friendly. Honestly, developing on Windows with access to open-source WSL and an evolving Copilot is looking pretty exciting.

What do you think about all this from Microsoft? Are you pumped to maybe contribute to WSL or Copilot Chat now that they’re open source? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!