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# Microsoft has another Linux distribution and it is based on Debian
- URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/microsoft-debian-distro/
- Published: 2022-05-16T12:25:38.000Z
- Updated: 2022-05-16T12:25:45.000Z
- Author: Ankush Das
- Tags: Development Updates, News, #Import 2025-11-08 21:15

Microsoft utilizes Linux for a wide range of its projects. In recent years, you must have read a lot about WSL (or WSL2) and a Linux distribution made by Microsoft, i.e., **CBL (Common Base Linux) Mariner**.

Even with Windows 11, Microsoft keeps improving the experience with [WSL](https://news.itsfoss.com/windows-11-wsl/?ref=itsfoss.com).

While CBL Mariner is used to power WSLg (the GUI part of WSL 2) and Azure, some recent press coverage (via [ZDNet](https://www.zdnet.com/article/surprise-theres-yet-another-microsoft-linux-distro-cbl-delridge/?ref=itsfoss.com)) uncovered another Linux distribution that Microsoft uses internally.

Microsoft sure loves Linux, right?

## CBL-Delridge: A Debian-based Linux distro

![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/azure-delridge.png)

Credits: Hayden Barnes / Boxofcables.dev

Microsoft maintains a Debian-based distro, which is used to power Azure’s Cloud Shell. And it goes by the name “**CBL-Delridge**“.

Thanks to [Hayden Barnes](https://twitter.com/unixterminal?ref=itsfoss.com), a senior engineering manager responsible for Windows containers at SUSE.

In one of his [older blog posts](https://boxofcables.dev/building-cbl-d-microsofts-other-linux-distro/?ref=itsfoss.com) in February 2022\. He revealed more details about it while helping you build it and import it into WSL if required.

CBL-Delridge (CBL-D) is based on Debian 10 (Buster), unlike CBL-Mariner, built from scratch.

Not a surprise to see Debian being favored here. Even [Google ditched Ubuntu for Debian](https://itsfoss.com/goobuntu-glinux-google/) for its in-house Linux distro gLinux.

Interestingly, Microsoft published the distro in 2020 for internal use (as per an [unofficial timeline of Microsoft’s open-source interactions](https://github.com/sirredbeard/microsoft-opensource?ref=itsfoss.com) maintained by Hayden), and we’re getting to know about it in 2022.

![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/wsl-cbl-delridge-1024x600.png)

Credits: Hayden Barnes / Boxofcables.dev

The CBL-Delridge also utilizes the same version number 10 (coincidentally) with the codename “Quinault.” Breaking down the name, ZDNet notes that Delridge is a district in West Seattle, and Quinault refers to a valley in the Olympic National Park in Washington State.

## Building CBL-Delridge

Unlike normal Linux distributions, you won’t find an image file to download publicly.

Considering the apt package repositories for CBL-D are public, you can build your image of CBL-D if you need to test it for any of your relevant requirements.

You can also import it into WSL. [Hayden’s blog ](https://boxofcables.dev/building-cbl-d-microsofts-other-linux-distro/?ref=itsfoss.com)[p](https://boxofcables.dev/building-cbl-d-microsofts-other-linux-distro/?ref=itsfoss.com)[ost](https://boxofcables.dev/building-cbl-d-microsofts-other-linux-distro/?ref=itsfoss.com) explains using debootstrap to get started building the image and then importing it to WSL.

Note that the CBL-D is not exactly a replacement for Debian. So, you may not be able to find all your favorite packages. To know more about it, you can explore Hayden’s blog post.

*What do you think about Microsoft’s Linux distributions for internal use? Have you tried any of them yet? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.*