The latest articles on DEV Community by Karthik Natarajan (@karthik_natarajan_c2f1f18). https://dev.to/karthik_natarajan_c2f1f18 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3371493%2F761feaa5-864c-47b2-b520-42d7dcea4aa2.jpg https://dev.to/karthik_natarajan_c2f1f18 en Karthik Natarajan Sun, 20 Jul 2025 07:20:30 +0000 https://dev.to/karthik_natarajan_c2f1f18/from-linux-and-macos-to-wsl-setting-up-a-dev-environment-on-windows-1783 https://dev.to/karthik_natarajan_c2f1f18/from-linux-and-macos-to-wsl-setting-up-a-dev-environment-on-windows-1783 <h2> Introduction </h2> <p>Coming from use of Linux distributions and macOS, I was not familiar with PowerShell commands or Windows management. I had a Windows desktop and wanted to use it without dual booting and extra partitions. I explored Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).</p> <h2> Why I Chose WSL </h2> <ul> <li>No dual boot. I wanted to avoid complexity and resource overhead of a second Linux installation.</li> <li>Native Linux tools on Windows. WSL allows running a Linux environment on Windows.</li> <li>File system integration. WSL mounts Windows drives under <code>/mnt</code>.</li> </ul> <h2> Setting Up WSL with Ubuntu </h2> <ul> <li> <strong>Installation:</strong> I set up WSL with Ubuntu using Microsoft Store.</li> <li> <strong>Drive mapping:</strong> In WSL, under <code>/mnt</code>, I accessed Windows drives.</li> </ul> <h2> Working with Cursor and Centralized Projects </h2> <ul> <li> <strong>Editor setup:</strong> I use Cursor and point it to Ubuntu WSL filesystem.</li> <li> <strong>Cloud syncing:</strong> I placed projects in a OneDrive folder to switch machines. My WSL environment syncs via OneDrive.</li> </ul> <h2> Integrating Docker Desktop with WSL </h2> <p>An aspect of dev work is Docker. Here is how I set up Docker Desktop for use with WSL.</p> <h3> Enabling WSL 2 and Docker Integration </h3> <ul> <li> <strong>Set WSL 2 as default backend:</strong> </li> </ul> <div class="highlight js-code-highlight"> <pre class="highlight shell"><code> wsl <span class="nt">--set-default-version</span> 2 </code></pre> </div> <ul> <li> <strong>Configure Docker Desktop:</strong> <ul> <li>Open Docker Desktop and go to <strong>Settings &gt; General</strong>. Enable <strong>Use WSL 2 based engine</strong>.</li> <li>In <strong>Settings &gt; Resources &gt; WSL Integration</strong>, enable integration for your WSL distributions. Use the toggle next to the distribution.</li> <li>Select <strong>Apply &amp; Restart</strong>.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <div class="table-wrapper-paragraph"><table> <thead> <tr> <th>Setting</th> <th>Where to Find It</th> <th>Purpose</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>WSL 2 Backend</td> <td>Settings &gt; General</td> <td>Linux compatibility</td> </tr> <tr> <td>WSL Integration</td> <td>Settings &gt; Resources &gt; WSL Integration</td> <td>Docker commands accessible in WSL distros</td> </tr> </tbody> </table></div> <h2> Docker Group Permissions </h2> <p>If you have permission issues with Docker, make sure your WSL user is in the <code>docker</code> group.</p> <p><strong>Steps:</strong></p> <ol> <li>Open Ubuntu terminal in WSL.</li> <li> <p>Run:<br> </p> <pre class="highlight shell"><code><span class="nb">sudo </span>usermod <span class="nt">-aG</span> docker <span class="nv">$USER</span> </code></pre> </li> <li> <p>Log out and back in or run:<br> </p> <pre class="highlight shell"><code>newgrp docker </code></pre> </li> <li> <p>Check permissions:<br> </p> <pre class="highlight shell"><code><span class="nb">ls</span> <span class="nt">-l</span> /var/run/docker.sock </code></pre> <p>The group owner should be <code>docker</code> and group should have write permissions.</p> </li> </ol> <p>This allows Docker commands without <code>sudo</code>.</p> <h2> Conclusion </h2> <p>This approach let me work in a Linux environment on Windows, with Docker support. </p> cursor docker linux microsoft