Ubuntu Is Now Available on the Windows Store

It’s actually happened. Yes, Ubuntu is available on the Windows Store. Windows Insiders can now download and install Ubuntu onto Windows 10, adding some command-line fun. This brings Linux and Windows together in an unholy union few ever imagined they’d live long enough to witness.

This day has been coming for some time. Microsoft first announced it was adding Windows 10 support for the Bash shell at Build 2016. Then in May 2017 Microsoft announced it was bringing Ubuntu, Fedora, and OpenSUSE to the Windows Store. And Ubuntu is first to arrive on the scene.

How to Install Ubuntu on Windows 10

Ubuntu has now been added to the Windows Store, with the description:, “Ubuntu on Windows allows one to use Ubuntu Terminal and run Ubuntu command line utilities including bash, ssh, git, apt and many more.” Ubuntu runs in a sandbox alongside Windows 10, sharing access to files.

Back in May 2017, Microsoft’s Terry Myerson explained, “We’ve simplified the install of Ubuntu by bringing it to the Windows Store. We also announced we are working with SUSE Linux and Fedora Linux running on the Windows Subsystem for Linux— to bring them to the Windows Store. Now, Windows is the only platform that can run both Windows apps and Linux apps side-by-side.”

To download and install Ubuntu on Windows 10 you need to do the following:

1. Open the Windows 10 Control Panel and click “Programs”
2. Find and select “Turn Windows features on or off”
3. Select “Windows Subsystem for Linux” and click “OK”
4. Reboot your PC to start using Ubuntu on Windows 10

It should be noted that this is currently only available to people using the latest Windows Insider build of Windows 10. However, in time anyone using Windows 10 after the Fall Creators Update has dropped will gain access to Ubuntu. And we’ll be sure to let you know when that happens.

Linux vs. Windows = David vs. Goliath

For anyone who grew up at a time when Linux was the David to the Windows Goliath, this is an odd turn of events. And the fact that Microsoft now loves Linux just shows how things have changed for all concerned. What’s next? Google and Apple merging Android and iOS into one mobile operating system? You may snigger but this has proved that anything is possible.

Are you currently using Windows 10? Are you a Windows Insider with early access to Ubuntu on the Windows Store? If so, what do you think of it? Are you a fan of Ubuntu? Is this a good or bad thing for Linux overall? Please let us know in the comments below!