Windows Subsystem for Linux Installation Guide for Windows 10

WSL Installation Steps

Step 1 - Enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux

You must first enable the "Windows Subsystem for Linux" optional feature before installing any Linux distributions on Windows.

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart

Step 2 - Enable Virtual Machine feature

Before installing WSL 2, you must enable the Virtual Machine Platform optional feature. Your machine will require virtualization capabilities to use this feature.

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

Restart your machine to complete the WSL install and update to WSL 2.

Step 3 - Download the Linux kernel update package

1. Download the latest package:
   • WSL2 Linux kernel update package for x64 machines.

Once the installation is complete, move on to the next step.

Step 4 - Install your Linux distribution of choice

1. Open the Microsoft Store and select your favorite Linux distribution.
   
   The following are some example of distributions:

   • Ubuntu 20.04 LTS
   • Kali Linux
   • Debian GNU/Linux

2. From the distribution's page, select "Get".

The first time you launch a newly installed Linux distribution, a console window will open and you'll be asked to wait for a minute or two for files to de-compress and be stored on your PC. All future launches should take less than a second.

You will then need to create a user account and password for your new Linux distribution.

Ubuntu unpacking in the Windows console

CONGRATULATIONS! You've successfully installed and set up a Linux distribution that is completely integrated with your Windows operating system!