Windows Server 2022: Install docker container runtime for Linux images using WSL without Hyper-V

Question

We want to install a docker container runtime on a (virtual) Windows Server 2022. This docker container should be able to run images on Linux (e.g. ubuntu). The server cannot run Hyper-V as it doesn't have the "required virtualization capabilities". However, WSL 2 is installed and runs Ubuntu. Docker Desktop at least suggests that the possibility exists, at least in non-server Windows installations:

However,

• Docker for Desktop, which supports WSL, is not supported on Windows Server.
• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40995973/linux-docker-container-on-windows-server-2016\ doesn't work because it requires Hyper-V, seems quite hacky
• https://computingforgeeks.com/how-to-run-docker-containers-on-windows-server-2019/
  also requires Hyper-V

Microsoft has announced that Docker EE is on its way out and recommends "either containerd, Moby, or the Mirantis Container Runtime".

Is there a way to use WSL 2 to run a Linux image in a Windows Server container runtime? And is there a recommended container runtime to do this with?

Answer 1

There is a now a possibility to run Linux Containers on Windows Server 2022 using WSL 2 , for development and testing purposes, have a look at this article from microsoft

Although it is quite a bit of work to get it running, specially the network part of it..