This tool brings Linux to Windows 95 without using virtualization

Every year enthusiasts declare that it's the "year of Linux," but what if instead of that milestone happening in 2026, it retroactively happened in 1995. Open source developer "Hailey" did not invent a time machine, but they did create Windows 9x Subsystem for Linux (WSL9X) that allows you to run Windows and Linux apps side-by-side on Windows 95 and other classic versions of Windows.

The developer of WSL9X explains how the tool works on "Codeberg."

"WSL9x runs a modern Linux kernel (6.19 at time of writing) cooperatively inside the Windows 9x kernel, enabling users to take advantage of the full suite of capabilities of both operating systems at the same time, including paging, memory protection, and pre-emptive scheduling. Run all your favourite applications side by side - no rebooting required!"

This is exactly the type of thing we get excited about at Windows Central. One of the most beautiful aspects of the OS is that it can be forced to work with so many things. WSL9X brings a Linux subsystem to Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me.

WSL9X isn’t emulation. It isn’t virtualization. It’s not DOSBox. It’s a Linux kernel running as a peer inside an operating system that predates USB flash drives.

Hailey noted on Mastodon that WSL9X does not require hardware virtualization, so it can run on what many would call ancient hardware.

WSL9X is available for download, but you have to build it from the source provided by Hailey and deploy it yourself on a supported system.

As for what you can actually do with WSL9X, it’s more practical than it looks. You get a real Linux terminal running next to classic Windows apps, so you can use core tools, compile small projects, or run lightweight utilities without touching virtualization.

It’s not going to run a modern desktop environment, but that isn’t the point. The appeal is that Windows 95 can handle tasks it was never designed for, and it does it without falling over.

WSL9X is another example of how far people can push old versions of Windows when they feel like it. It doesn’t change anything about modern Linux or modern Windows, but it does show that the boundary between the two has been flexible for a long time.

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