NSL - WSL-style Linux machines for Linux
Show HN: NSL – WSL for Linux
NSL brings the WSL experience to Linux, letting you run any distro as a persistent machine on your host. Each machine is a full systemd-nspawn container in a lightweight VM, with your home directory, ports, and Wayland apps seamlessly integrated. Choose from seven signed distros, including Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora. Use `nsl` for a login shell or `nsl run` for one-off commands. For untrusted software, `--isolated` provides a separate VM. NSL keeps your host clean—no extra packages or permission changes.
Keep the host atomic. Work in any distro.
- rao-v
I have to say this is nice packaging. It is weirdly not obvious how nice it is to cleanly use a different “machine” inside your desktop.
I never thought I’d prefer WSL to even my MacBook for working with remote servers and dev but somehow I do.
I of course know the many ways to roll something like this for myself, yes dev containers are better for many things etc. but it’s wierd how good the ergonomics of a WSL like container are.
- just60sec
Yeah, I can see why you'd want this. Being able to cobble it together with other tools is one thing. Having it ready to go without a bunch of setup is still a win.
Got a quick demo? Just opening an editor, running a dev server, and showing how you access the files would help me get a feel for it.
- lproven
I have never heard of "Snow Linux" before. The homepage is minimal:
I submitted the Github page as a new story:
- 0x457
I'm confused why VM + systemd-nspawn? From my understaing WSL 2 runs a single VM + something like systemd-nspawn per "linux installation", but it runs a VM because it needs linux kernel. Why not just do systemd-nspawn if you alread on linux?
- dathinab
How does it differ from existing tools kinda do exactly same, like e.g. toolbx. (And to a slightly lesser degree flatpack, snap, etc.)?
And what prevented adopting/supporting existing projects, instead of further tool ecosystem fragmentation? (kinda the same question, just differently phrased)
- vaporup
How does this compare to "sdme"?
- humanfromearth9
Have you ever heard of Nix, direnv, Lorri, flakes, devShell etc.?
Aren't containers overkill for most dev activities?
- thayne
How does this compare to distrobox?