AlmaLinux 8 WSL (RedHat Centos Compatible)

A Windows Subsystem for Linux-friendly version of AlmaLinux has turned up in the Microsoft Store, adding to an impressive array of options for WSL users.

Born out of Red Hat's CentOS shenanigans, in which the freebie downstream fork of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) was axed, AlmaLinux was created to provide a community-supported and RHEL-binary compatible distribution. The first stable release was in March 2021 and the non-profit foundation has since been raking in new members, including the likes of AMD last month.

AlmaLinux has claimed some high-profile scalps as companies weigh up their options following Red Hat's CentOS decision. CentOS went end-of-life at the end of 2021, leading to companies such as GitLab opting for a move to AlmaLinux for its build platform.