On June 30, 2026, Microsoft announced a preview of running Linux containers on Windows. According to the official introduction, this update adds two new features to WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux): a “built-in Linux container CLI” and “APIs that let Windows applications use Linux containers as part of their application logic.” Microsoft Senior Program Manager Craig Loewen stated that the CLI tool has “a familiar format and functionality” — if you’ve used Docker, the syntax of wslc.exe will feel right at home.

In other words, you can now not only run Linux inside Windows, but also run Linux containers inside Windows — without any third‑party tools.

That sounds wonderful. But for those Linux users who have been trying to run Microsoft Office via Wine, the story is far less rosy.

The Familiar Playbook: Embrace, Extend… and Then?

“Embrace, Extend, Extinguish” — the phrase uncovered by the U.S. Department of Justice as an internal Microsoft competitive strategy — has never truly faded from the memory of the open‑source community. Even though Microsoft today is one of the largest contributors to open‑source projects, the historical wariness remains.

The trajectory of WSL provides a perfect viewing window.

In 2016, Microsoft launched WSL 1, translating Linux system calls through a compatibility layer inside the Windows kernel. In 2019, WSL 2 introduced a full Linux kernel running in a lightweight virtual machine. By the 2025 Build conference, Microsoft announced it would open‑source most of WSL’s code. And now, in 2026, WSL containers are in preview — Linux containers running natively on Windows.

Every step “embraces” Linux. Every step sinks Linux deeper into the Windows ecosystem.

Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President for Windows & Devices, put it bluntly:

“Our goal is clear: to make Windows the preferred platform for developers.”

WSL is the tool to achieve that — letting developers who depend on Linux toolchains do so without leaving Windows. Data shows that by 2024, 16.8% of programmers already use WSL for development work, surpassing the usage of Debian, Arch, or RHEL.

The question is: after Linux developers have been “embraced” into Windows, can they still freely walk out?

The Door Opens Only One Way

On one side, Microsoft is wholeheartedly embracing Linux on Windows. On the other, it throws up roadblocks to running its own software on Linux.

Running Microsoft Office on Linux via Wine has been a headache for years. Office 365 is nearly impossible to install on Linux using Wine, always throwing up strange errors. Compatibility with newer Office versions in Wine continues to deteriorate, and Microsoft shows no interest in improving it.

This is not a technical impossibility. Wine is a compatibility layer that allows Windows applications to run on Linux. In theory, Microsoft could easily ensure that Office works on Wine — just as it ensures Linux works on WSL. But Microsoft does not.

The contrast is stark:

• Linux coming into Windows: Microsoft invests significant resources in developing WSL, open‑sourcing WSL code, improving filesystem performance (claiming it’s “twice as fast”), updating Defender to be aware of Linux container events, and adding WSL container management settings to Intune.
• Windows software going into Linux: Office compatibility on Wine gets worse over time. Microsoft offers no official support, nor does it collaborate with the Wine project to improve the experience.

This is a one‑way “openness.”

The Limits of “Openness”

Of course, Microsoft’s defenders will point out that WSL is open‑source, that Microsoft is a Linux Foundation member, and that it has released Azure Linux. All true.

But “open‑source” and “open” are two different things. Open‑sourcing WSL essentially makes Linux serve Windows better. It solves the problem of “how to run Linux on Windows,” not the problem of “how to run Microsoft software on Linux.”

The official wording of the WSL container preview reveals that:

“WSL containers make it easier for developers and organizations to build, test, and run containerized workloads while benefiting from Windows platform security, manageability, and integration capabilities.”

Note the last half — “benefiting from the Windows platform.” All openness ultimately points to the same destination: keeping you on Windows.

In contrast, the story of Wine and Office draws a clear boundary: Linux can come in, but Windows’ crown jewels — Office — are not going out.

Old Wine in New Bottles

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella once said, “Microsoft loves Linux.” To some extent, that may be sincere — Microsoft genuinely loves the developer traffic and cloud workloads Linux brings.

But love comes in different forms. One form is an equal partnership. Another is, “You’re great, so please become part of me.”

The WSL container preview shows the continuation of that latter logic. Microsoft is “embracing” Linux, “extending” Linux’s capabilities (by integrating them into the Windows ecosystem), and if “extinguish” still exists — it may no longer be about extinguishing Linux itself, but about extinguishing Linux’s standing as an independent, peer platform.

As long as Office cannot run well on Linux, as long as Microsoft does not actively address that issue, “Microsoft loves Linux” will always have an asterisk — a footnote that reads:

*Limited to Linux that runs on Windows.