WSL new tar based Ubuntu install and configuration: Easy Customization and you can self-host - Linux Forum https://www.virtualizationhowto.com/community/linux-forum/wsl-new-tar-based-ubuntu-install-and-configuration-easy-customization-and-you-can-self-host/ Virtualization Howto Discussion Board en-US Tue, 10 Mar 2026 21:19:39 +0000 wpForo 60 WSL new tar based Ubuntu install and configuration: Easy Customization and you can self-host https://www.virtualizationhowto.com/community/linux-forum/wsl-new-tar-based-ubuntu-install-and-configuration-easy-customization-and-you-can-self-host/#post-1180 Thu, 06 Feb 2025 03:05:15 +0000 In case you haven't heard there is a cool new deployment method that is supported by Ubuntu for WSL Ubuntu instances. Microsoft has a new tar-based WSL distribution format. This will allow you to have the ability to fully manage the deployment of WSL distributions. It will allow organizations and system admins to install WSL instances directly from tar files which means you will no longer have to install your Ubuntu instances from the Microsoft Storee

This will open up some really great new features and capabilities, including the following:

  • Easier Deployment – You can now use just a simple tar file with the command wsl --install --from-file ubuntu.tar.wsl
  • Enterprise management and better security – Organizations can fully manage and self-host their WSL instances to have full control over which WSL installations are run within the organization
  • Customization – Images of Ubuntu can be customized before deployment. This will support the ability to have full cloud-init support for automation

How do you use this new way of installing?

First of all you will need to have the WSL version 2.4.8 or higher. Then, you can use the following as we have always done:

wsl --install ubuntu
 
or the new approach using the tar file.
 
wsl --install --from-file ubuntu.tar.wsl

I'm looking forward to diving into this a bit more and see how we can create and manage our own WSL image.

Check out the blog post from Ubuntu here: Ubuntu available in Microsoft’s new WSL distribution format | Ubuntu

]]> Linux Forum Brandon Lee https://www.virtualizationhowto.com/community/linux-forum/wsl-new-tar-based-ubuntu-install-and-configuration-easy-customization-and-you-can-self-host/#post-1180