I clearly missed the announcement: Docker Desktop for Windows will now run on Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) version 2.

Up until a few days ago, I had understood that I would only be able to run Docker for Windows if I spent the $100-$200 to upgrade my operating system from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro, since Pro includes virtualization features needed for Docker that Home does not. At work, I run Docker Desktop for Windows and hoped I could leverage that work experience in some of my home projects.

So, I had resigned myself to learning about the docker/linux experience at home while enjoying the Windows-based experiences at work.

Over the weekend, I upgraded to WSL 2–a surprisingly easy upgrade–and then for kicks, installed Windows Terminal. Then, I prepared for disappointment as I started researching the Docker install on WSL. And then I clicked on the link from the Microsoft article and read this:

Docker Desktop for Windows is available for free.

Requires Microsoft Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise 64-bit, or Windows 10 Home 64-bit with WSL 2.

Awesome! So I can get the full Docker Windows experience without having to upgrade to Win10 Pro. Exciting!

The install went smoothly, so I’ll hopefully have one or two Docker-type posts in the future.