Move over Windows, Linux apps can now stream to AWS AppStream 2.0

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App streaming just got a big boost in the form of Linux support for Amazon's AppStream 2.0.

Aws Appstream
Aws Appstream (Image credit: Amazon)

What you need to know

  • Amazon Web Services now supports streaming Linux apps through AppStream 2.0.
  • Until recently, AppStream 2.0 exclusively supported Windows desktops and applications.
  • AppStream 2.0 allows people to stream apps and desktops to the web or a Windows client.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) can now stream Linux applications through AppStream. With AppStream 2.0, people can stream GUI applications or a desktop to the web or through a client. Until the addition of Linux app support, AppStream was exclusively for Windows.

Amazon has an AppStream 2.0 client available on Windows. The service also works on any HTML5 capable browser.

"You can now stream Linux applications and desktops to your users, and greatly lower the total streaming cost by migrating Matlab, Eclipse, Firefox, PuTTY, and other similar applications from Windows to Linux on Amazon AppStream 2.0," explains Amazon.

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AppStream 2.0 allows users to stream apps at an hourly rate. Fees are charged per second, and the service doesn't require a per-user fee. Amazon highlights that with Linux app streaming, organizations can provide developers with remote Linux dev environments with tools such as Python and Docker. Users can also access CAD applications that require high performance GPU Linux desktops from anywhere. In the education sector, AppStream can be used to set up a cloud-based Linux learning environment for students.

"You can now stream Linux-compatible apps to your users in the same simple way you currently stream Windows apps, at a lower hourly rate, charged per second, and with no per user fee," states Amazon.

Linux support in AppStream 2.0 is available in all AWS regions in which AppStream 2.0 is available. The support page for Amazon AppStream 2.0 breaks down availability and pricing.

Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer

Sean Endicott is a News Writer at Windows Central, where he covers Windows 11, Surface hardware, Microsoft 365, AI, apps, and the broader PC ecosystem. Since joining the site in 2017, he has written well over a thousand articles across the Microsoft landscape, covering breaking news, analysis, and feature reporting.

He writes Windows Wrap, a weekly column covering the biggest stories in Windows and the PC industry, and what they mean for the platform going forward.

Before joining Windows Central full-time, Sean worked in journalism and media production after earning a First Class degree in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University. Outside of tech, he is an award-winning American football coach based in Nottingham, England, and was named BAFCA Youth Coach of the Year in 2024.