Overview

• WSL 2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux 2) allows running a full Linux environment on Windows.
• Unlike WSL 1, WSL 2 uses a real Linux kernel, provided by Microsoft.
• WSL 2 utilizes Hyper-V technology and runs on a lightweight virtual machine, leveraging the Windows Hypervisor Platform.
• WSL 2 is automatically installed when installing a Linux distribution from the Microsoft Store.

WSL Command

# Check WSL Version
wsl -l -v        # List all WSL distributions with their versions
wsl -l           # List installed WSL distributions
wsl -v           # Show WSL version (available in WSL 2+)
wsl --status     # Show general WSL configuration and default version

# Update WSL to the latest version
wsl --update     # Update the WSL kernel and related components
wsl --version    # Show WSL version details (Windows 11+)

# List available Linux distributions
wsl --list --online  # Show available Linux distributions for installation

# Reset & Reinstall Ubuntu (Run in Windows Terminal)
wsl --unregister Ubuntu  # Remove Ubuntu (all data will be erased)
wsl --install Ubuntu  # Reinstall a fresh Ubuntu

Installation

Install Ubuntu for WSL from the Microsoft Store:

• WSL 2 and all necessary components are installed automatically.
• Provides a full Ubuntu user-space environment.
• No GUI by default, but you can install a graphical interface (e.g., XFCE4) if needed.

Required Windows Features

• Do not enable "Windows Subsystem for Linux", which is for WSL 1
• Microsoft Store installation will automatically enable:
  • Virtual Machine Platform
  • Windows Hypervisor Platform

Additional

• Ensure CPU virtualization is enabled in Task Manager > Performance > CPU.
• WSL 2 uses a real Linux kernel but shares networking and filesystems with Windows.