WSL File System Support (2016)
blogs.msdn.microsoft.com
blogs.msdn.microsoft.com
Edit: USB drives are now supported https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2017/05/10/bash...
You can make special files now, and Windows Explorer understands WSL permissions https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2018/01/12/chmo...
Per-directory case sensitivity https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2018/02/28/per-...
What's new in 1803 https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2018/03/07/wind...
EDIT: I know to some this kind of sentiment might seem cliché (is that where the downvotes came from?) but at least for years to come I’ll be repeating it. Life was very hard for Microsoft dissenters 15 years ago. (I’m only 35, and I’m already going on about “back in my day” :) Now get off my lawn.)
I heartily welcome the change.
It was hard to believe at first, but I think the new Microsoft is here to stay (hopefully for a long, long time).
I agree entirely though that I hope this is a long lasting change. Teams within Microsoft have been doing amazing work for a LONG time, and now more people are being exposed to that. I also hope the new Microsoft is here to stay.
I few things I find impressive:
* Event Tracing for Windows
* Azure engineering(their document store is built on their block store and is all exposed to developers; it's an impressive system from an API standpoint IMHO)
* Language services across TypeScript, C#, and F#. World class tooling that's nearly unparalleled
* Research and implementations for highly performant static analysis including flow control
* Tango white paper
* SeaDragon
* Holo Lens
* TypeScript
* VSCode
* Roslyn
* Dotnet
* Entity Framework
* Powershell; this thing is an impressive novelty whether you get along with it or not
* Etc and so on
Yes, they have been behaving better since they've been beaten into submission. But, at least as of 4 years ago, they are still charging a tax on Android phones[0]; Their "secure boot" shenanigans still require community workarounds on amd64 (and locking down their ARM stuff) to the point that on many consumer machines, you have to get microsoft's blessing to run an OS of your choice (and you have that blessing ... for now).
Windows 10 takes away user control of the user's own machines, and it was less than 3 years ago that they used the worst dark UI patterns to get people to move to 10 (... and, hid telemetry among the security updates for Win7/Win8.1 holdouts).
So, despite being beaten into submission, and thus not behaving like "they are the world", it feels to me like the mean old Microsoft is still just beneath the surface waiting to get out again.
[0] https://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/10/07/how_much_is_that_mi...
Imagine a parallel world where in 2018:
- Android is proprietary software and is the OS on 95% of smart phones worldwide; it costs $140 per copy and licensing is strictly policed
- GoogleOS (or some such) is similarly proprietary and commands 97% of the OS market on personal computers and data center nachines combined. $199.99 per license ($600 for servers), volume licensing arrangements available.
- Linux and Mac OS are used here and there, but they’re not for “real work” (except in a few narrow markets) and those who push for them are laughed at.
Worst, Google takes full advantage of their monopoly positions in OS markets:
- they sell essential apps that compete with 3rd party apps by using powerful secret APIs and system calls
- They pre-install some apps for free (most notably Chrome) to gain market share in other markets
- They copyright their APIs and threaten lawsuits against anyone who implements their interfaces elsewhere
- they fight against open standards and come up with their own, competing, proprietary standards. When that doesn’t work, they adopt the open standard (amidst a huge marketing campaign) but later add a large number of proprietary extensions to their implementations, to lock people in to their implementation and further edge out competition.
- when an open-source OS or competing product starts to gain in popularity, they spread FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) through their PR machine. It works marvelously, especially in the corporate world.
- they strong-arm and manipulate hardware manufacturers via hardball contracts to pre-install Google’s OSes on at least X% of machines sold (where X is a high percentage) with costly consequences if they fail to do so.
————-
That’s a lot like the world where Microsoft was king. They seemed absolutely undefeatable. And if the cloud and mobile revolutions hadn’t happened, they certainly still would be.
I see the same data you do, but my interpretation is different: Microsoft is the same bully it always was, except the world doesn't let them bully as much. They still bully as much as they can get away with, though -- with the Win10 being a recent egregious example.
That's all I'm saying: Color me skeptical about the "new" kind, ethical Microsoft.
/s
What I was trying to say, in case it wasn't clear is: "I believe Microsoft is inherently the same bully it was; It's just that the world is no longer cooperating with being bullied as much. I don't believe there is a "new" Microsoft".
Besides, a different person is in charge at the top now.
Nadella is not Ballmer, I agree.
I bet Linux/BSD would never have grown as much if they had taken that route instead, because what most people care as proven by OS X is to be able to drop down into a POSIX like CLI experience, regardless of the kernel.
What do you find it is lacking?
Same as with Emacs and VIM, don't get the people using Emacs with Viper. I just use Emacs with default shortcuts for Org-mode, then VIM as usual.
Hybrid experiences always suck, and rebooting, changing apps, or changing the computer you use helps you focus on doing one thing at a time anyway!