Windows 10 Goes to Shell | Hacker News Reader

Windows 10 Goes to Shell

hackaday.com

20 pointsfezz15 comments

They went all out with a snazzy video for terminal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gw0rXPMMPE

I can't tell if the embossed effect is part of the video, or if that's actually what the app looks like. I'm really hoping the former.

Well, we do have this: https://twitter.com/shanselman/status/1138308116368564224?s=...

Running X server applications on Windows could be done from the first inception of WSL (shameless plug [0]). You essentially run Xming, then point your environment to the Xming display server prior to running GUI applications. You can even run a web browser like Firefox.

I actually use this for developing bare-bones x86 assembly on qemu: qemu runs as a X server application. In fact, my entire build pipeline is based on Linux tooling but I actually develop on Windows.

[0]: https://damsteen.nl/blog/2016/08/20/run-gui-programs-on-bash...

Not exactly related, but I've been confused since the announcement in May; when is WSL2 actually available for me to get?

PREDICTION: Redmond gives up on the traditional OS business and instead offers Windows 10 on a Linux chassis, a la Darwin/Aqua.

And there is much rejoicing.

(yay)

I really can't see it. It would take a huge team YEARS to do anywhere near 99.9% compatibility for windows 10 on linux.

No way they would break compatibility like that. Especially since they are continuing win32 based APIs into the windows store.

Your much more likely to find something like the next XBOX running linux. Then servers before it will be anywhere near ready for desktop usage.

Counterpoint, if they're willing to build on open source, they have the work of a huge team that's been working for years in terms of the WINE project. I feel like Microsoft has the resources to make that work really well.

Technically they probably could... but whats the point?

I would think that the cost to move all that already exists on windows to a Linux kernel would cost many millions and don't see how it would make its money back over even a decade out.

It only makes sense to invest such a large amount of money if Windows was the future of Microsoft which is not where the company is aligned anymore.

If Microsoft was to adopt Linux it will likely be for a new OS (say for wearables, IOT, server or embedded), rather then existing ones, as in this case it would likely be cheaper then building from scratch.

That last part already happened, see Azure Sphere.

On the one hand, I can see what you're saying. On the other hand it seems like Microsoft has been caring less and less about breaking things lately. Personally, I dread this future because it will mean that Linux Desktop has won, not by being actually good but because everyone else just abandoned personal computing as a serious goal.

I’m not quite sure what you’re trying to say, that Microsoft maintaining its own kernel is how “personal computing” is achieved?

Why would they want to do that? The way they are doing things now allows both windows regular users to continue working without noticing any change and people who want to use Linux tools happy at the same time.

All the licensing money without the pain of developing the OS.

Windows Vista to Windows 10 as an overall platform made many bad decisions, but these are mostly from terrible product planning and UX. The internals (kernel, comprehensive HAL and huge driver library) are the only existing, solid alternative to Linux (and to a degree bsd) that does many things uniquely from their UNIXy counterparts.

As a die-hard Linux user I would be very sad to see the loss of a different platform that explores unique ways of doing things. A near-total monopoly outside of research projects isn't good for Linux, or BSD.

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