Installing WSL2 on Windows 10

This note was created on 2021-04-27
This note was last edited on 2024-04-02

The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) let you run a GNU/Linux environment, including most command-line tools, utilities, and applications, directly on Windows, unmodified, without the overhead of a traditional virtual machine or dual-boot setup.

=== Installation ===
1. Enable WSL:
   $ dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
   Note: the following command should be executed in Powershell as Administrator.

2. Enable Virtual Machine feature:
   $ dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart
   Note: the following command should be executed in Powershell as Administrator.

3. Set WSL2 as default WSL version:
   $ wsl --set-default-version 2

4. Install distro of your choice from Microsoft Store. For example, Ubuntu - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/ubuntu/9nblggh4msv6
5. Optionally, install Windows Terminal: https://aka.ms/terminal

=== Commands ===
Shutdown WSL to free up RAM:
$ wsl --shutdown