Installing Linux on Windows (WSL2) with 6 simple steps

Open a windows cmd window: Windows logo key + R Type cmd
run as adminstrator

1 Install feature VirtualMachinePlatform

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

2 Install feature Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux

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

3 Reboot

4 Download the kernel update for WSL2 from Microsoft
https://wslstorestorage.blob.core.windows.net/wslblob/wsl_update_x64.msi
and install

5 Enable WSL 2

wsl --set-default-version 2

6 Download and install linux distribution

https://aka.ms/wslstore

Optional 1: check the WSL version in cmd window

wsl --list --verbose

The output should be:

C:\Users\Irmo>wsl --list --verbose
   NAME      STATE           VERSION
 Ubuntu    Running         2 

If the number is 2 everything is OK. You can switch between version 1 and 2 any time.

Optional 2: easy access files and folders in your WSL2 ubuntu setup

Open this file location in your Windows explorer windows:

\\wsl$

5 thoughts on “Installing Linux on Windows (WSL2) with 6 simple steps

    • irmo Post authorReply

      Linux needs to be running in background and make sure you typed the right address: \\wsl$

  1. Anonymous Reply

    So bad the GPU can’t be used in WSL2. Would be game changer for tensorflow

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