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sindresorhus/is-wsl

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is-wsl is a small Node.js package that checks whether the current process is running inside Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), including both WSL 1 and WSL 2. It is useful for detecting a WSL environment and applying workarounds for unimplemented or buggy features.

Project status

  • Actively maintained: Yes, based on the latest upstream push on 2026-02-15 and a corresponding v3.1.1 update the same day, it is receiving ongoing updates rather than being abandoned.
  • Update cadence: Recent cadence is somewhat bursty, with v3.1.x updates in 2026, then a long gap to earlier changes (next prior update in 2023-09), suggesting periodic maintenance rather than continuous weekly releases.

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Recent updates

  • v3.1.1

    v3.1.1 improves detection of Windows Subsystem for Linux when running with custom kernels. The code now falls back to checking WSL-specific filesystem paths if /proc/version does not contain the expected 'microsoft' marker.

  • v3.1.0

    v3.1.0 updates the library to improve container detection for WSL environments, with release notes mentioning Podman support. The code changes replace the previous Docker-specific check with a more general inside-container check.

    Features

  • v3.0.0

    v3.0.0 modernizes is-wsl by switching the package to pure ESM and raising the minimum supported Node.js version to 16. The runtime logic remains the same (detect WSL by checking /proc/version and excluding Docker), but module format and TypeScript typings change to match the new export style.

    Breaking

  • v2.2.0

    Release v2.2.0 adds detection to ensure the module does not report WSL when the code is running inside Docker within a WSL environment. It does this by integrating a Docker detection dependency and adding a corresponding test case.

    BreakingFeatures

  • v2.1.1

    Release v2.1.1 provides a targeted fix for incorrect return behavior when running on Linux that is not Windows Subsystem for Linux. The main functional change ensures the exported check returns an actual boolean false instead of potentially returning undefined.

  • v2.1.0

    v2.1.0 adds detection support for Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) 2. The implementation updates the WSL detection logic and extends the test suite to cover both WSL 1 and WSL 2.

    Features

  • v2.0.0

    v2.0.0 introduces TypeScript type definitions for the package. It also includes a breaking requirement to run on Node.js 8.

    BreakingFeatures