Microsoft has started testing a major new feature for the Windows Subsystem for Linux in the latest builds of Windows 10. The company is testing a new feature that will let users access their Linux files from within the native File Explorer in Windows 10 with the latest 20H1 build.

This means you will now be able to access your Linux files right from the File Explorer and interact with them just like any other file on your system. You can copy/paste files, delete them, drag to move them around, etc., like any other ordinary file. You can also trigger commands like “explorer.exe .” from within your Linux system to open a folder on the Windows 10 File Explorer.

oh looks like I can now access the WSL filesystem easily from the Windows Explorer in the latest Skip ahead preview build of #Windows10 20H1 #WindowsInsiders #WSL pic.twitter.com/yaZQIJKPTb

— Thomas Maurer (@ThomasMaurer) February 15, 2019

What’s more is that the feature is accessible on other apps, too, so you can open a folder from your Linux subsystem on apps like Visual Studio Code, for example.

The files are located within the \wsl$<running_distro_name> directory, which means you can also access the directory through the command line in Windows 10. Microsoft says the company is actively working to improve the “discoverability of your Linux files” inside the File Explorer, so this experience is likely to improve going forward.

Either way, this is a major step forward for the Windows Subsystem for Linux. Microsoft has been constantly making great improvements to this feature ever since it launched a few years ago, and this new feature is a perfect example of that.

Tagged with Windows 10, Windows 10 20H1, Windows 10 Subsystem for Linux, WSL