Chapter 01: Getting Started with WSL

published:

tags: [ #wsl, #windows, #linux, #ubuntu, #installation, #tutorial, #education, #kids, #children, #young, #learners, #ttk, #enable wsl, #features ]

Hello, Windows Adventurer!

This chapter will show you how to get the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) ready on your Windows computer. It's like flipping a switch to turn on a hidden Linux superpower!

Step 1: Open PowerShell as an Administrator

First, we need to open a special program called PowerShell with "administrator" powers. This lets us make important changes to your computer.

  1. Click on the Windows Start button.
  2. Type "PowerShell".
  3. You'll see "Windows PowerShell" or just "PowerShell" in the search results. Right-click on it.
  4. Choose "Run as administrator".
  5. If a window pops up asking "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?", click "Yes".

You'll see a blue window open – that's PowerShell!

Step 2: Install WSL

Now for the magic command! This single command will do almost everything needed to set up WSL for you.

In the PowerShell window, type this command exactly and press Enter:

wsl --install

Your computer will start working! It will enable the necessary Windows features and download the newest Ubuntu Linux distribution. This might take a few minutes.

If your computer asks you to restart, make sure to restart your computer when this step is finished. This is very important!

Step 3: Check If WSL is Ready (After Restart, if needed)

After your computer restarts (if it asked you to), open PowerShell again (you don't need to run as administrator this time).

Type this command and press Enter:

wsl --list --online

This command shows you a list of different Linux versions you can install. If you see a list, it means WSL is enabled and ready! Ubuntu is usually the default one that wsl --install sets up.

Congratulations! WSL is now enabled on your Windows machine. Next, we'll set up your Ubuntu Linux!