WSL

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) Setup Guide

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This guide explains step-by-step how to install and configure WSL on a Windows machine. WSL allows you to run Linux commands and tools in a Windows environment — especially useful for development and testing.

1. What is WSL?

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WSL is a feature that lets you run a full Linux distribution on Windows. There are two versions:

• WSL 1: Offers better compatibility between Windows and Linux.
• WSL 2: Includes a full Linux kernel and is faster and more efficient.

2. Installing WSL

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Step 1: Enable the WSL Feature

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1. Open PowerShell as Administrator

   • Search for “PowerShell” in the Start menu, right-click, and select “Run as Administrator”.

2. Enable WSL and Install Default Distro (Ubuntu):

   wsl --install
   

   This command installs all required components and sets up Ubuntu as the default distro.

Step 2: Restart Your System

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• If prompted during the setup, restart your computer to complete the installation.

3. Setting WSL Version

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1. Set WSL 2 as the Default:

   wsl --set-default-version 2
   

2. Check Installed WSL Versions:

   wsl -l -v
   

💡 Required Windows Features: Only Windows Subsystem for Linux and Virtual Machine Platform are necessary. These can be enabled via Start > “Turn Windows features on or off”.

4. Installing Your Preferred Linux Distribution

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1. List Available Distributions:

   wsl --list --online
   

2. Install a Specific Distro (e.g., Debian):

   wsl --install -d Debian
   

3. Set Default Distro:

   wsl --set-default <DistributionName>
   

5. Configuring the Linux Environment

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1. Launch the Linux Terminal:

   • Open the terminal from Start Menu (e.g., type “Ubuntu” and hit Enter).
   • On first launch, you’ll be asked to create a username and password.

2. Update the System:

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
   

6. WSL Settings & Advanced Configuration

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Add Default Windows Path to Linux PATH

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To access Windows tools from your Linux terminal:

echo 'export PATH=$PATH:/mnt/c/Windows/System32' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Improve WSL 2 Disk Performance

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Create a ~/.wslconfig file with custom settings:

[wsl2]
memory=4GB
processors=2

7. Useful WSL Commands

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8. Troubleshooting

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1. WSL 2 Error: “WSL 2 kernel component is missing” → Download and install the WSL 2 kernel update.

2. Performance Issues → Edit the ~/.wslconfig file to allocate more CPU/RAM.

9. Sample Usage

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1. Launch WSL (e.g., Ubuntu):

   • From the Start Menu, search for “Ubuntu” and open the terminal.

2. Create and Run a Simple Script:

   echo 'echo "Hello, WSL!"' > hello.sh
   chmod +x hello.sh
   ./hello.sh
   

This guide covers WSL setup and basic configuration. Let me know if you need help customizing or extending your WSL environment! 😊