Oracle Linux 8.5 now available through the Microsoft Store

Oracle Linux Hero (Image credit: Microsoft)

What you need to know

Oracle Linux 8.5 is now available through the Microsoft Store.
Some IT admins and enterprise users prefer Oracle Linux over other Linux distributions because it supports containers and virtualization in a single offering.
Oracle Linux 8.5 installs through the Windows Subsystem for Linux.

Lovers of Linux have a new option to use on Windows PCs. Oracle Linux 8.5 recently launched through the Microsoft Store, allowing developers, IT admins, and enterprise users to run another Linux distribution on their PCs. Oracle Linux 8.5 installs through the Windows Subsystem for Linux, which is available on both Windows 11 and Windows 10.

The app listing for Oracle Linux 8.5 doesn't provide many details for those that don't already know how it differs from other distributions of Linux. Oracle's website is more helpful on that front:

An open and complete operating environment, Oracle Linux delivers virtualization, management, and cloud native computing tools, along with the operating system, in a single support offering. Oracle Linux is 100% application binary compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Since Oracle Linux supports both containers and virtualization, it is considered a popular pick with enterprise users and those in IT.

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When you download Oracle Linux 8.5, it installs on the Windows Subsystem for Linux. To launch Oracle Linux, you'll need to type "oraclelinux85" into the Command Prompt or click the app's icon in the Start menu.

We have a guide on how to install Linux WSL2 on Windows 10 and Windows 11 if you're new to using Linux on Windows.

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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.