Microsoft releases its own server Linux

Microsoft has launched Azure Linux 4.0, its first-ever server Linux distribution, which can run on Azure and desktops via Windows Subsystem for Linux.

Microsoft has released Azure Linux 4.0, its first official server-focused Linux distribution. This marks a significant milestone for the company, which has steadily increased its involvement with the open-source community. The new operating system is designed to run on the company's Azure cloud platform, providing a native Linux experience for cloud workloads. In a move that will appeal to developers, Microsoft has also made Azure Linux available for local use on desktops. Users can run the distribution directly within Windows through the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). This dual availability allows for more consistent development and testing workflows, enabling teams to build applications in a local environment that closely mirrors the production environment on Azure.

This move is particularly important for developers, CTOs, and IT teams who rely on the Azure ecosystem. By offering its own Linux distribution, Microsoft provides a fully supported and optimized operating system for its cloud services. This can lead to better performance, tighter security, and simplified management for organizations running Linux-based applications on Azure. The availability on WSL further lowers the barrier for Windows-based developers to work with Linux, creating a more unified development experience. For businesses, this means having a single vendor for both their cloud infrastructure and the underlying server OS, potentially streamlining support and procurement processes and signaling a deeper integration of Linux within the Microsoft ecosystem.

By offering its own optimized and supported Linux distribution, Microsoft provides a more integrated and potentially streamlined experience for developers and IT teams running workloads on Azure. This move deepens the company's commitment to open-source and could simplify management for businesses.

This provides businesses using Azure with a first-party, fully supported Linux option, potentially simplifying vendor management, support, and procurement. It may also lead to better performance and security for Linux workloads on Microsoft's cloud, reducing operational overhead for IT teams.