[Enhancement] Extend OS Support to Windows Server 2016 (Terminal Services) #532
Description
Summary
Since Applications are (especially in larger corporations) not only deployed to the desktop but also to Terminal Servers, Server 2016 should be supported as well
API Changes
This would require a change for WINUI3.
The minimum required operating system would need to be lowered from 1803 to 1607 (which is still supported; full support until 10/12/2021 and extended support until 10/13/2026)
MAUI relies on WINUI3 on Windows Desktop. Currently WINUI3 is expected to require Windows 10 1803 as the minimum operating system. While that's fine for the desktop, it is not on the server side. This would require Windows Server 2019 for deployment and it would not be possible to deploy MAUI apps to Server 2016.
Windows Server 2016 is fully supported until January 2022 and its extended support ends in 2027. Since a deployment of a Server not only requires the OS license but the CALs as well, a lot of customers will stay on this platform for the years to come.
IMHO, this creates a problem for adopting MAUI.
MAUI is the UI environment we were waiting for. It promises to deliver great flexibility and is not agnostic to the used device. On the other hand, Terminal Server Environments are a reality that cannot be ignored and having to implement a different UI just for those systems would be a major drawback
Intended Use Case
MAUI applications should support a deployment to Terminal Server Environments and should not be limited to Windows Server 2019 due to the large number of Server 2016 in the field for the foreseeable future