If you are already on native Linux, skip this guide. This is for Windows only.
Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) lets you run a Linux environment directly on Windows without a virtual machine or dual-boot.
Prerequisites
You must be running Windows 10 version 2004 and higher (Build 19041 and higher) or Windows 11.
Installation
1. Open PowerShell
Open PowerShell or Windows Command Prompt in administrator mode.
2. Run the Install Command
This command enables the required components, downloads the latest Linux kernel, sets WSL 2 as default, and installs Ubuntu.
wsl --install
3. Restart Your Machine
Restart your computer to complete the installation.
4. Set Up Linux Info
After reboot, continue setup and create a username and password for your Linux distribution.
Troubleshooting
If you see help text instead of installing, WSL might already be installed.
wsl --list --onlineto see available distros.wsl --install -d <DistroName>to install a specific distro.