[wongarsu]

The ability to run docker containers as wsl instances looks nifty. A bit more overhead since they now run as a VM instead of a container, but you get the ability to start a shell with Windows terminal or access files with Explorer (and thus every program running in Windows)

[osigurdson]

Perhaps I misunderstand your comment but when you run docker / podman in Windows, you are using WSL / HyperV.

[wongarsu]

running docker on windows runs docker in wsl (which is a HyperV guest). The project offers running docker images as wsl instance (which is a HyperV guest), no docker involved

[llm_nerd]

You said - "A bit more overhead since they now run as a VM instead of a container"

To which osigurdson seemed to be noting that WSL2 itself is a VM (meaning if you launch 1 or 100 WSL2 instances, a single Linux VM will be spun up), and when you run docker, it runs using exactly that same VM (optionally, though it's the default now to just use WSL2's backend).

Can you clarify what you meant by "A bit more overhead"? Running a container via docker or directly via WSL2 will use the same underlying VM, and there will only be that one VM regardless of the number of WSL2 or docker instances.

[wongarsu]

For a single container the difference depends on your exact setup. I typically run docker in the same WSL instance as my other wsl stuff, so starting a single docker container adds 0 additional VMs, while starting the container as a wsl instance will add one VM. If you use the "docker for windows" package you may be adding a VM just for running docker, depending on your setup.

Once you start the second container the difference becomes more obvious: running $N containers in docker uses one VM with one linux kernel, no matter how many containers you add. Running $N containers as separate WSL instances runs $N VMs and $N linux kernels. That's the "bit more overhead" I was referring to

[llm_nerd]

"Running $N containers as separate WSL instances runs $N VMs and $N linux kernels."

But it doesn't, and this is what I'm disagreeing with.

If you instantiate WSL2, it launches a Linux VM. A single Linux VM. If you then run Docker with WSL2 integration (the default and hugely recommended), it uses that Linux VM as its VM as well, so you're still at 1 VM.

If you run 100 WSL2 instances, they will all use that single Linux VM, each doing namespacing for isolation with their own filesystems. If you run 100 Docker instances, they will all use that single Linux VM.

If you run 100 WSL instances, and 100 Docker instances (assuming, again, WSL2 integration which is the default), they will all be using that single Linux VM.

[Jenk]

Every time you run `wsl --install <distro>` you are creating a new VM. Every time you run `wsl --unregister <instance id or name/>` your are removing a VM.

It is these two operations at the heart of OP's app.

[smallerize]

The linked project includes a very different way to launch docker containers.

[ghosty141]

Just FYI you can also run a windows docker natively in windows without using WSL or any linux component. But that's more of a niche usecase.

[andix]

I haven't heard anyone talk about Windows containers in years, and that was actually a good thing. Let's just pretend they never existed.

[Chris2048]

How does this compare to running the containers in one of the WSL VMs? Can't you do all the same things via the host VM?