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  • Windows Subsystem for Linux now supports USB devices

    From TechnologyDaily@1337:1/100 to All on Wed Nov 10 15:30:04 2021
    Windows Subsystem for Linux now supports USB devices

    Date:
    Wed, 10 Nov 2021 15:07:24 +0000

    Description:
    Windows developers cleverly route USB traffic over the network to enable developers to access USB devices from within WSL.

    FULL STORY ======================================================================

    The Windows Subsystem for Linux ( WSL ) compatibility layer on Windows 11 now supports several developer-oriented USB scenarios, enabling developers to use WSL to interact with devices connected via USB.

    The WSL compatibility layer is designed for developers to enable them to use Linux binaries without leaving the comfort of their Windows workstations .

    Microsoft explains that the new USB functionality takes advantage of the USB/IP protocol to forward USB traffic over the virtual network interface between Windows and WSL. While the Linux kernel has supported USB/IP since 2009, several recent changes have made it easier to use it in WSL. Smoke and mirrors

    Explaining the development, Ben McMorran, Senior Software Engineer, in the
    C++ Team at Microsoft wrote that building tooling for Visual Studio and
    Visual Studio Code to support C++ embedded device development required them
    to connect devices over USB.

    However, they couldnt test their tools on WSL, since USB devices werent supported by WSL.

    While this functionality is still not natively available in WSL, Im excited
    to announce that our summer intern, Nelson Daniel Troncoso Aldas, contributed changes to the open-source usbipd-win project to enable common developer USB scenarios like flashing an Arduino or accessing a smartcard reader, shared McMorran.

    McMorran hasnt said whether the existing solution can be extended to enable USB passthrough for general users. However, as McMorran notes, the ability to use USB devices via WSL is a highly requested feature, so it shouldnt be long before the functionality lands in WSL.

    Want to code? Check out our roundup of the best laptops for programming



    ======================================================================
    Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/windows-subsystem-for-linux-now-supports-usb-de vices/


    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)