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Sospeter Mong'are
Sospeter Mong'are

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How to Install Dagster: WSL & Native Windows Guide for Beginners (Using pip)

#powerplatform #data #dataengineering

Introduction

Dagster is a modern data orchestration platform that helps you build, schedule, and monitor data pipelines. In this guide, we'll walk through two ways to install Dagster on a Windows machine using pip:

  1. Via WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) - Recommended
  2. Directly on Native Windows - Without WSL

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have:

  • Python 3.10 or higher installed (Python 3.13 is recommended) 1
  • A stable internet connection
  • Basic familiarity with the terminal/command prompt

Method 1: Installing Dagster via WSL (Recommended) 🐧

WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) lets you run a Linux environment directly on Windows. This is the recommended approach because Dagster works best in a Linux-like environment.

Step 1: Install WSL

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

wsl --install
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This will install WSL with Ubuntu by default. Restart your computer when prompted.

Step 2: Set Up Ubuntu

After restarting:

  1. Open Ubuntu from the Start Menu
  2. Create a username and password when prompted
  3. Update your packages: 
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
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Step 3: Install Python

Check if Python is already installed:

python3 --version
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If not installed or version is below 3.10, run:

sudo apt install python3 python3-pip python3-venv -y
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Step 4: Create Your Dagster Project Folder

Create and navigate into a project folder:

mkdir my-dagster-project
cd my-dagster-project
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Step 5: Create a Virtual Environment 

python3 -m venv .venv
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Step 6: Activate the Virtual Environment 

source .venv/bin/activate
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You should see (.venv) appear at the beginning of your terminal line. ✅

Step 7: Install Dagster Using pip

Now install Dagster and its dependencies: 2

pip install dagster dagster-webserver dagster-dg-cli
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This installs:

  • dagster - The core Dagster library
  • dagster-webserver - The Dagster UI
  • dagster-dg-cli - The dg command line tool

Step 8: Scaffold a Dagster Project

Use the create-dagster CLI to scaffold a new project: 3

create-dagster project my-project
cd my-project
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Step 9: Install Project Dependencies 

pip install --editable . --group dev
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Note: The --group argument requires pip 25.1 or higher. If you have an older version, upgrade pip first: 4

pip install --upgrade pip
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Step 10: Verify the Installation 

dg --version
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You should see the version number printed in your terminal. 5

Step 11: Launch Dagster 

dg dev
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Open your browser and go to 👉 http://127.0.0.1:3000

Every Time You Return (WSL) 🔁 

cd my-dagster-project/my-project
source .venv/bin/activate
dg dev
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Method 2: Installing Dagster on Native Windows (Without WSL) 🪟

If you prefer not to use WSL, you can install Dagster directly on Windows using Command Prompt or PowerShell.

Step 1: Install Python

  1. Go to python.org/downloads
  2. Download Python 3.13 (recommended) 6
  3. Run the installer
  4. ✅ Important: Check "Add Python to PATH" during installation

Verify the installation:

python --version
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Step 2: Upgrade pip

Make sure you have the latest version of pip: 7

pip install --upgrade pip
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Step 3: Create Your Dagster Project Folder 

mkdir my-dagster-project
cd my-dagster-project
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Step 4: Create a Virtual Environment 

python -m venv .venv
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Step 5: Activate the Virtual Environment 

.venv\Scripts\activate
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You should see (.venv) appear at the beginning of your terminal line. ✅

Step 6: Install Dagster Using pip 

pip install dagster dagster-webserver dagster-dg-cli
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8

Step 7: Scaffold a Dagster Project 

create-dagster project my-project
cd my-project
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Step 8: Install Project Dependencies 

pip install --editable . --group dev
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Note: The --group argument requires pip 25.1 or higher. If you have an older version, omit --group dev and install the CLI separately: 9

pip install dagster-dg-cli
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Step 9: Verify the Installation 

dg --version
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You should see the version number of dg printed. 10

Step 10: Launch Dagster 

dg dev
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Open your browser and go to 👉 http://127.0.0.1:3000

Every Time You Return (Native Windows) 🔁 

cd my-dagster-project\my-project
.venv\Scripts\activate
dg dev
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WSL vs Native Windows: Which Should You Choose?

Factor WSL 🐧 Native Windows 🪟
Recommended by Dagster ✅ Yes ⚠️ Works but less common
Ease of Setup Moderate Easy
Performance Better Good
Linux Commands ✅ Supported ❌ Not supported
Community Support ✅ More resources ⚠️ Limited
Best For Developers & Data Engineers Beginners on Windows

Troubleshooting Common Issues 🔧

❌ dg command not found

Make sure your virtual environment is activated:

  • WSL: source .venv/bin/activate
  • Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate

❌ Python version too old

Make sure you have Python 3.10+ installed. 11

❌ pip version too old

Upgrade pip with:

pip install --upgrade pip
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❌ Port 3000 already in use

Run Dagster on a different port:

dg dev -p 8080
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❌ Still stuck?

Reach out to the Dagster community for help at dagster.io/community 12

Summary

Step WSL 🐧 Native Windows 🪟
Install Python sudo apt install python3 Download from python.org
Create venv python3 -m venv .venv python -m venv .venv
Activate venv source .venv/bin/activate .venv\Scripts\activate
Install Dagster pip install dagster dagster-webserver dagster-dg-cli pip install dagster dagster-webserver dagster-dg-cli
Launch UI dg dev dg dev

You are now ready to start building amazing data pipelines with Dagster! 🚀

Happy orchestrating! 🎉

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