ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Windows on Windows

Windows on Windows (WoW) is like playing with miniature toys inside a bigger toy house. Let's imagine you have a toy house that has multiple floors with rooms, and each room represents an application. Now, you have some small toys that you want to play with, but they are not the right size to fit into the rooms of the toy house.

So, you create a miniature version of the same toy house, but this time, each floor and room is smaller and can fit your toys perfectly. This miniature toy house is like WoW, also known as the Windows subsystem for Linux (WSL). It creates a special environment within the operating system that can run applications designed for another operating system, like Linux.

In simpler terms, WoW is like a virtual playground inside your computer that allows you to run applications designed for a different operating system inside the Windows operating system. It's like having two different kinds of toys to play with in the same toy house. It's a nifty tool that helps you get the best of both worlds without having to switch between different operating systems.