Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) Setup Guide
Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) Setup Guide
This guide covers the installation and configuration of Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) to create a powerful Linux development environment on Windows systems.
Prerequisites
- Windows 10 version 2004 and higher (Build 19041 and higher) or Windows 11
- Administrator privileges on your Windows machine
Installation Steps
1. Install WSL
If WSL is not already installed, use the following commands:
# Install WSL with the default Ubuntu distribution
wsl --install
# Update WSL to the latest version
wsl --update
2. Download and Install Specific Ubuntu Version
For Ubuntu 20.04 specifically:
# Download Ubuntu 20.04 package
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://aka.ms/wslubuntu2004 -OutFile Ubuntu.appx -UseBasicParsing
# Set WSL version 2 as default (recommended)
wsl --set-default-version 2
3. Complete Installation
After installation:
- Restart your computer if prompted
- Launch Ubuntu from the Start menu
- Create a user account when prompted
- Update the system:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
Verification
Verify your WSL installation:
# List installed distributions
wsl --list --verbose
# Check WSL version
wsl --version
Next Steps
- Install development tools (
git,curl,build-essential) - Configure your shell (zsh, oh-my-zsh)
- Set up your development environment
- Install Docker Desktop with WSL 2 backend
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
- Virtualization not enabled: Enable Virtualization in BIOS/UEFI
- WSL feature not enabled: Run
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux - Version conflicts: Use
wsl --set-version <distribution> 2to upgrade to WSL 2
This guide provides the foundation for setting up a Linux development environment on Windows. WSL 2 offers near-native Linux performance with full system call compatibility.