#Linuxiac » Feed Linuxiac » Comments Feed Linuxiac » Arch Linux Makes Its WSL Image Fully Reproducible Across Builds Comments Feed oEmbed (JSON) oEmbed (XML) JSON Skip to content (BUTTON) ____________________ (BUTTON) No results (BUTTON) * Home * News (BUTTON) + OS + Software + Hardware + Weekly Wrap-Up * Linux Knowledge (BUTTON) + General + Tutorials + Tips & Tricks * Linux Distributions Linuxiac * Home * News (BUTTON) + OS + Software + Hardware + Weekly Wrap-Up * Linux Knowledge (BUTTON) + General + Tutorials + Tips & Tricks * Linux Distributions (BUTTON) Search Linuxiac (BUTTON) Menu HomeLinux & Open Source NewsLinux Distros Arch Linux Makes Its WSL Image Fully Reproducible Across Builds Arch Linux Makes Its WSL Image Fully Reproducible Across Builds Arch Linux has made its official WSL image fully reproducible, ensuring bit-for-bit identical builds using archived repositories and normalized timestamps. * ByBobby Borisov * OnDecember 18, 2025 Arch Linux Makes Its WSL Image Fully Reproducible Across Builds The Arch Linux project has reached an important infrastructure milestone by making its official Windows Subsystem for Linux image fully reproducible. In simple terms, this means that the image is now built so that it produces exactly the same result every time. If the image is rebuilt later using the same source, it will be identical down to the last bit. For everyday users, the benefit is mainly about trust and reliability. It becomes much easier to verify that the image you download has not been altered, tampered with, or accidentally changed during the build process. It also reduces the risk of hidden build issues that could introduce subtle bugs or security problems. While nothing changes in how Arch Linux WSL looks or behaves after installation, the way it is produced is now more transparent and dependable. To achieve this, the Arch Linux team removed many sources of randomness from the build process. Package installation is now performed using a fixed snapshot from the Arch Linux Archive, ensuring the same package versions are used across builds of a given image. A single reference timestamp is applied everywhere, preventing differences caused by build timing. On top of that, file timestamps inside the filesystem are normalized so they no longer depend on when the image was built. Pacman logs, which normally record time-based entries, are excluded during image creation to avoid embedding unnecessary, variable data. Additionally, recent improvements in Pacman also allow package installation dates stored in its local database to follow the same fixed timestamp, removing another source of variation. Finally, once again, while the change is not visible to users in day-to-day operations, it represents a significant improvement in trust, security, and supply-chain transparency. So now, anyone can independently rebuild the Arch Linux WSL image and verify that it matches the official release exactly. For more information, see the announcement on Arch’s mailing list. Tell others: Share on X (Twitter) Share on Reddit Share on Facebook Share on Threads Share on Bluesky Share on Telegram Share on LinkedIn Share on Hacker News Bobby Borisov Bobby Borisov Bobby, an editor-in-chief at Linuxiac, is a Linux professional with over 20 years of experience. With a strong focus on Linux and open-source software, he has worked as a Senior Linux System Administrator, Software Developer, and DevOps Engineer for small and large multinational companies. Leave a ReplyCancel Reply Your email address will not be published. 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