John Gordon | Tech Guide: Windows WSL

Overview

The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) lets you run a real Linux distribution, such as Ubuntu, directly on Windows, without a separate virtual machine app or dual-booting. You get a full Linux command line with Linux tools, package managers, and programming languages, alongside your normal Windows apps and files.

The current version, WSL 2, runs a genuine Linux kernel in a lightweight, managed virtual machine that starts in seconds. Microsoft made WSL open source in 2025. WSL is widely used by developers, data scientists, and students who need Linux tools on a Windows computer. In this guide you will install WSL and Ubuntu, then practice using Linux and moving files between Linux and Windows.

Main idea: One command, wsl --install, sets up WSL and Ubuntu. After a restart, you create a Linux username and password and have a working Linux terminal on Windows.

Requirements

Windows 11, or Windows 10 version 2004 (build 19041) or later. Windows 10 version 21H2 or later is recommended. To check, press Windows + R, type winver, and press Enter.
Hardware virtualization enabled in your computer's UEFI/BIOS (on by default on most computers).
Administrator privileges.
Internet access and about 2–4 GB of free disk space.

Important Notes

WSL works on Windows 10 and 11 Home as well as Pro.
WSL is not intended to run inside a Windows virtual machine. Install it on a physical Windows computer.
Mac users don't need WSL; macOS's Terminal already provides a Unix command line. For a full Linux system, see the Linux guide.

WSL Installation Instructions

Work through the tabs in order.

Installing WSL and Ubuntu

Click the tabs above in order. Allow about 15–30 minutes, including a restart.

The guide covers these major tasks:

Open PowerShell as administrator.
Run wsl --install.
Restart Windows.
Create your Linux username and password.
Update Ubuntu.
Learn the basic WSL commands.

Part 1: Install WSL

Click Start, type PowerShell, right-click Windows PowerShell (or Terminal), and choose Run as administrator. Click Yes when Windows asks for permission.
Enter this command and press Enter:
```
wsl --install
```
WSL turns on the required Windows features, downloads the Linux kernel, and installs Ubuntu, the default distribution. This can take several minutes.
When prompted, restart your computer.

Choosing a different distribution: to see the available distributions, run:

wsl --list --online

Then install one by its name, for example a specific Ubuntu release:

wsl --install -d Ubuntu-26.04

Note: If you see an error about virtualization (for example, error 0x80370102), virtualization is turned off in your computer's UEFI/BIOS settings. Turn on the setting named Intel VT-x, Intel Virtualization Technology, or AMD-V / SVM, then try again.

Part 2: Set Up Ubuntu

After restarting, Ubuntu may open automatically to finish installing. If it doesn't, click Start and open Ubuntu.
When asked, create a username (lowercase, no spaces, for example student) and a password.
- The password does not show any characters as you type. This is normal.
- This account is only for Linux and doesn't need to match your Windows account.
You see a Linux prompt like student@COMPUTER:~$.
Update Ubuntu's software (enter your Linux password when asked):
```
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
```

Tip: Windows Terminal (included in Windows 11, and free in the Microsoft Store for Windows 10) lists Ubuntu in its drop-down menu next to PowerShell and Command Prompt, which makes switching easy.

Check yourself: In PowerShell (not as administrator), run wsl -l -v. Ubuntu is listed with VERSION 2.

Part 3: Useful WSL Commands

Run these in PowerShell or Command Prompt, not inside Linux:

Command	What it does
`wsl`	Opens your default Linux distribution in the current window.
`wsl -l -v`	Lists installed distributions, whether they are running, and their WSL version.
`wsl --list --online`	Lists distributions available to install.
`wsl --install -d <Name>`	Installs a distribution.
`wsl --update`	Updates WSL itself.
`wsl --shutdown`	Stops all running distributions, which frees memory or fixes a stuck session.
`wsl --set-default <Name>`	Chooses which distribution `wsl` opens.
`wsl --unregister <Name>`	Deletes a distribution and all of its files. Use with care.

Beginner Example: Linux and Windows Working Together

Open Ubuntu and type the commands below. Text after # is a comment; you don't need to type it.

Step 1: Look around Linux

whoami                  # your Linux username
pwd                     # your Linux home folder, /home/<username>
cat /etc/os-release     # which Linux distribution and version you are running
uname -r                # the Linux kernel version (it mentions WSL2)

See the Linux guide for more everyday commands such as ls, cd, mkdir, and cp.

Step 2: Create a project in Linux and run a program

Ubuntu includes Python 3. Create a folder and a small Python program:

mkdir -p ~/projects/hello
cd ~/projects/hello
echo 'import platform; print("Hello from", platform.system(), platform.release())' > hello.py
python3 hello.py

Output (your kernel version will differ):

Hello from Linux 6.6.87.2-microsoft-standard-WSL2

Step 3: Open Linux files from Windows

While in the hello folder, run:

explorer.exe .

Windows File Explorer opens the Linux folder. You can also find all your Linux files under Linux in File Explorer's navigation pane, or by typing \\wsl$ in the address bar.

Step 4: Reach Windows files from Linux

Your Windows drives appear in Linux under /mnt. Your C: drive is /mnt/c:

ls /mnt/c/Users                         # Windows user folders
cp hello.py /mnt/c/Users/<YourWindowsName>/Documents/   # copy a file to Windows Documents

Replace <YourWindowsName> with your Windows user folder name from the first command. The file now appears in your Windows Documents folder.

Step 5: Install a Linux tool

Install software with Ubuntu's package manager, exactly as on a regular Linux computer. For example, install tree and the SQLite command-line tool:

sudo apt install tree sqlite3 -y
tree ~/projects
sqlite3 --version

Check yourself: python3 hello.py prints a line ending in WSL2, explorer.exe . opens the folder in File Explorer, and hello.py appears in your Windows Documents folder.

Tips for Working in WSL

Keep Linux projects in your Linux home folder (~), not under /mnt/c. Linux tools run much faster on Linux files.
Install the WSL extension in Visual Studio Code, then type code . in a Linux folder to edit it in VS Code.
To exit Linux, type exit or close the window.

Next Steps

Practice more commands with the Linux guide.
Install Git inside WSL with sudo apt install git.
Install development tools such as Java, PHP, or R inside Ubuntu with apt.
Read Microsoft's WSL documentation.

Final Notes:

WSL runs a real Linux distribution on Windows 10 and 11, including Home editions.
Install it with wsl --install in an administrator PowerShell, then restart.
Your Linux username and password are separate from your Windows account.
Linux files live in your Linux home folder; Windows files are under /mnt/c.

Back to Tech Guides Top of Page

Install Linux on Windows with WSL

Disclaimer & Important Cautions

Overview

Requirements

Important Notes

WSL Installation Instructions

Installing WSL and Ubuntu

Part 1: Install WSL

Part 2: Set Up Ubuntu

Part 3: Useful WSL Commands

Beginner Example: Linux and Windows Working Together

Step 1: Look around Linux

Step 2: Create a project in Linux and run a program

Step 3: Open Linux files from Windows

Step 4: Reach Windows files from Linux

Step 5: Install a Linux tool

Tips for Working in WSL

Next Steps