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Windows Subsystem for Linux

The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a feature of the Windows operating system that enables you to run a Linux file system, along with Linux command-line tools and GUI apps, directly on Windows, alongside your traditional Windows desktop and apps.

Prerequisites

  • x64 and Arm CPU
  • Virtualization enabled in the UEFI/BIOS

Installation

Windows 10/11

  • Open PowerShell or Windows Command Prompt in administrator mode by right-clicking and selecting Run as administrator.
  • Enter wsl --install and press enter.
  • Restart your machine.

Windows Server 2019

  • Open PowerShell in administrator mode by right-clicking and selecting Run as administrator.
  • Enter Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux and press enter.
  • Enter dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart and press enter.

Windows Server 2022

  • Open PowerShell in administrator mode by right-clicking and selecting Run as administrator.
  • Enter wsl --install and press enter.
  • Restart your machine.

Set WSL 2 as your default version

  • Open PowerShell or Windows Command Prompt in administrator mode by right-clicking and selecting Run as administrator.
  • Enter wsl --set-default-version 2 and press enter.

Distributions

You can browse the Microsoft Store for WSL distributions such as Ubuntu or AlmaLinux 9, or even import any Linux distribution to use with WSL.

Using Visual Studio Code with WSL

Visual Studio Code, along with the Remote Development extension pack, enables you to use WSL as your full-time development environment directly from VS Code. You can:

  • Develop in a Linux-based environment
  • Use Linux-specific toolchains and utilities
  • Run and debug your Linux-based applications from the comfort of Windows while maintaining access to productivity tools like Outlook and Office
  • Use the VS Code built-in terminal to run your Linux distribution of choice
  • Take advantage of VS Code features like Intellisense code completion, linting, debug support, code snippets, and unit testing
  • Easily manage your version control with VS Code's built-in Git support
  • Run commands and VS Code extensions directly on your WSL projects
  • Edit files in your Linux or mounted Windows filesystem (for example /mnt/c) without worrying about pathing issues, binary compatibility, or other cross-OS challenges

Install VS Code

  • Visit the VS Code install page and select the 32 or 64 bit installer. Install Visual Studio Code on Windows (not in your WSL file system).
  • When prompted to Select Additional Tasks during installation, be sure to check the Add to PATH option so you can easily open a folder in WSL using the code command.

Install Remote Development extension pack

  • Install the Remote Development extension pack. This extension pack includes the WSL extension, in addition to the Remote - SSH, and Dev Containers extensions, enabling you to open any folder in a container, on a remote machine, or in WSL.

Open a WSL folder in VS Code

  • To open a project from your WSL distribution, open the distribution's command line and enter: code .
Last update: June 4, 2023
Created: May 15, 2023