WSL 2 is itself built on a virtual machine: Windows runs a Linux kernel in a lightweight, Windows-managed utility VM, and Linux distributions run as isolated environments inside it. Application containers can then run inside a WSL distribution. Incus is a separate manager for Linux system containers and virtual machines; its containers share their Linux host’s kernel, while its VMs have their own guest kernel.
The layers: Windows, WSL 2, and containers
A useful way to picture WSL 2 is:
Windows host → WSL-managed utility VM and Linux kernel → WSL distributions → optional application containers
Microsoft describes WSL 2 as using virtualization to run a Linux kernel inside a lightweight utility VM. Windows manages much of that VM, so using WSL does not feel like operating a conventional VM, but the virtualization layer is still there. Microsoft’s WSL overview explains the architecture.
A WSL distribution is not a separate full VM. Multiple distributions run within the managed VM and share resources including its CPU, kernel, memory, swap, and network namespace. They have separate PID, mount, user, and cgroup namespaces, which provide distinct environments without giving each distribution its own kernel.
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What “container” means in each context
The word container can refer to different kinds of environments. The key distinction is whether the workload is an application packaged to run with a shared kernel, or a fuller system environment that still shares that kernel.
Application containers
An application container packages an application or service and its dependencies. It shares the Linux host’s kernel; it is not a small VM with an independent kernel. That host may be a Linux system running directly on hardware or a Linux environment inside a VM, such as a WSL 2 distribution.
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This makes containers and VMs compatible layers rather than mutually exclusive choices: an application container can run inside a VM. Incus also supports application-container images, but those are distinct from Incus system containers. Incus’s explanation of containers and VMs describes these distinctions.
Incus system containers
An Incus system container provides a fuller Linux user-space environment, suitable for running a distribution and multiple processes or services. It still shares the Linux kernel of its host, so it depends on capabilities supported by that kernel. Incus documentation states that a system container can only be based on the Linux kernel.
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Incus virtual machines
An Incus VM runs a guest operating system with its own kernel. Choose this boundary when you need a different OS or kernel, kernel modules unavailable in the host kernel, or certain forms of device passthrough. A VM uses hardware virtualization; a system container does not supply a separate guest kernel.
Which model fits the job?
| Need | Suitable model | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Package one application or service with its dependencies | Application container | Application-focused packaging with a shared host Linux kernel. |
| Provide a fuller Linux environment with several processes or services, compatible with the host kernel | Incus system container | It supplies a Linux distribution user space while sharing the host kernel. |
| Use a different OS or kernel, kernel modules, or certain device passthrough | Incus VM | It runs a guest kernel in a virtual machine. |
| Use Linux tools integrated with a Windows desktop without manually managing a conventional VM | WSL 2 | Windows manages the lightweight VM and Linux environment. |
These choices describe operating-system and kernel boundaries, not a universal ranking of speed or security. The cited project documentation does not establish comparable benchmarks or a single security score across the models.
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What to keep in mind when using WSL 2
Networking and shared resources
Because WSL 2 distributions share the managed VM’s network namespace and other underlying resources, their behavior is not identical to that of separate VMs. Treat WSL’s networking and resource configuration as part of the VM layer, rather than assuming every distribution owns independent virtual hardware.
Filesystem location
Where project files and tools reside can matter: Microsoft identifies filesystem performance as a consideration when files and tools are on different operating-system filesystems. The architecture alone does not justify a blanket performance promise for every workload.
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Does Incus run inside WSL?
Incus documentation describes a Windows client, but that fact alone does not establish that a Windows WSL distribution is a supported general-purpose host for an Incus server. Do not infer server support from client availability. Check the current official Incus installation guidance for the exact host and deployment you intend to use before relying on that setup.
Incus is a separate management layer from WSL: WSL provides a managed Linux environment on Windows, while Incus manages Linux system containers and VMs on an Incus host. Whether those layers can be combined in a particular supported configuration depends on current installation support.
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