Microsoft is making it possible to run its Linux distribution, Azure Linux 4, outside of its own environment.
Microsoft launched Azure Linux 4, the new version of Microsoft’s own Linux distribution, during its Build conference. Azure Linux 4 is available in preview and although Microsoft describes it as ‘specifically designed’ for Azure, it is now also making it available outside of its own environment. A test version can be downloaded as an ISO file via GitHub.
Microsoft’s Linux distribution is derived from Fedora, but it is certainly not a direct reissue of it. It shares sources and metadata, but Azure Linux packages are not always compatible with Fedora. The choice for Fedora makes Microsoft less dependent on the phased-out CentOS and VMware’s PhotonOS distribution. Microsoft is certainly not the first company to move away from VMware.
Bridge between Windows and Linux
Previous versions of Azure Linux ran exclusively on Azure VMs, but in principle, the fourth version could run on local virtual machines. The test version requires only 1 GB of free storage and 359 MB of RAM. Because this is a test version, it is not yet wise to roll this out widely.
In the aftermath of Build, Microsoft is building a bridge between Windows and Linux. Via Windows Subsystem for Linux, it is now possible to run and manage Linux containers directly on Windows.