Support for Linux Apps on Windows Is Coming

At the 2020 Microsoft Build conference, it was announced that GUI applications from Linux will be available to run on WSL. This eye-opening feature comes by way of Wayland and RDP, which will draw the apps on the Windows desktop. It was also announced that access to GPUs from Linux is on the way.

As of Windows 10 20H1, insiders are able to test the feature. However, testing availability for the general public has been delayed.

Back in 2018, Whitewater Foundry created a Debian-based distribution, named WLinux, which used a Windows X server to do this very thing. Now, according to Microsoft, "support for Linux graphical user interface (GUI) apps will enable you to open a WSL instance and run a Linux GUI app directly without the need for a third-party X server."

Hayden Barnes, Canonical senior developer advocate, indicated the company had been looking to include an X Server in their Ubuntu distribution (found in the Microsoft store). Instead of putting in that work alone, Canonical opted to collaborate with Microsoft to make it happen.

With the addition of GPU support, GPU accelerated workflows (such as TensorFlow on Microk8s, running on WSL) will be unlocked.

Users should expect to still have to use the command line to make GUI apps happen within WSL. At the same time, however, Microsoft has intimated that the WSL installation process will be made simpler.

Original source: https://blogs.windows.com/windowsdeveloper/2020/05/19/developing-for-all-1-billion-windows-10-devices-and-beyond/

Tuxedo Computers Joins the RyzenBandwagon

Not one to rest on reputation, Tuxedo Computers (https://www.tuxedocomputers.com/) has upped the ante for their Linux pre-installed options. This time around, the Linux-only computer manufacturer has released the first-ever Ryzen-powered Linux laptop. The Tuxedo Book BA15 has one option for CPU – the AMD Ryzen 5 3500. As for GPU, the BA15 ships with the AMD Radeon Vega 8.

This could be considered significant, given that only days ago Linus Torvalds (the creator of Linux) announced he'd moved his main machine away from an Intel CPU to an AMD Ryzen. Torvalds claims the AMD Threadripper 3970x has his test builds of the kernel running three times faster than they were with the Intel chip.

Make no mistake, the Ryzen 5 3500 is no Threadripper. Instead of the massive 32 cores found in the 3970x, the 3500 has a meager 6 cores. However, the 3500 is no slouch and should be a perfect match for Linux on a mobile device. Add into the mix a massive 91Wh battery and you could get up to 13 hours of office work (including web, email, and word processing), with 10 hours of full HD 1080p video streaming at 50% display brightness.

The Tuxedo Book also features a 15" display, full-sized backlit keyboard, Bluetooth 5.1, wireless ac/a/b/g/n/ax compatibility, 1 USB C port, 2 3.2 Gen1 USB A port, 1 USB 2.0 A port, 1 Gigabit LAN RJ45 port, a 9-in-1 card reader, and up to 32GB of RAM. The base price of the BA15 is 859 EUR ($936.00 USD). Available for purchase here: https://www.tuxedocomputers.com/en/Linux-Hardware/Linux-Notebooks/15-16-inch/TUXEDO-Book-BA15-Gen10.tuxedo.