Modern Subsystem for Linux

Linux distributions on macOS, the way WSL runs them on Windows

$ msl --install Ubuntu        # Microsoft's WSL image for arm64
$ msl                         # a shell in Ubuntu, in the macOS directory you're in
$ msl -l -v
  NAME            STATE           VERSION
* Ubuntu          Running         2

The wsl.exe command line

Same arguments, output and exit codes. Scripts and READMEs written for WSL work with msl.

WSL's distribution images

Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and more, unmodified, with their own first-run setup and /etc/wsl.conf.

Files both ways

macOS files at /mnt/macos in Linux; each distribution’s files in Finder.

One localhost

A server in a distribution answers on localhost on macOS. DNS goes through macOS, so VPNs work.

VS Code

Open folders inside a distribution, like VS Code’s WSL extension on Windows.

Apple native

One lightweight VM on Apple’s Virtualization.framework. Apple silicon, macOS 26 or later.