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Tutorial

Clone project

git clone https://github.com/KsQRooW/install-wsl.git

git@github.com:KsQRooW/install-wsl.git

gh repo clone KsQRooW/install-wsl
Note

If for some reason you cannot use git, then you can simply download the .zip archive and unzip it.

Preparing Windows Components

Before run scripts

By default, Windows tries to protect you from calling any PowerShell scripts, because Windows ethos doesn't allow normal users to use scripts.

But in this case, all the functionality is written in PowerShell and you need to run these scripts...

1. Therefore, open PowerShell as administrator
2. Execute Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted (1)

  1. If you are very worried, then after installing the Linux distribution (after calling install_linux_wsl.ps1), you can roll back the ExecutionPolicy on your system.
    1. Open PowerShell as administrator
    2. Execute Set-ExecutionPolicy Default
.\install-wsl\src\prepare_win_components.ps1  # (1)!
  1. This PowerShell script will activate WSL and Virtual Machine Platform
Example output after running prepare_win_components.ps1

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Installing Linux

Installing Ubuntu in directory E:\Ubuntu
.\install-wsl\src\install_linux_wsl.ps1 -Path E:\Ubuntu -Dist Ubuntu
Param Required Default Description
Path/InstallPath Linux installation path
Dist/Distribution Ubuntu Distribution name

Valid values for Dist/Distribution

Ubuntu, Ubuntu-18.04, Ubuntu-20.04, Ubuntu-22.04, Debian, kali-linux, OracleLinux_7_9, OracleLinux_8_7, OracleLinux_9_1, openSUSE-Leap-15.5, SUSE-Linux-Enterprise-Server-15-SP4, SUSE-Linux-Enterprise-15-SP5, openSUSE-Tumbleweed

Downloading and Installing

Note

In general, everything that will be described below will only tell you what the script does. If you are a confident person, then you don’t need to read further, just run the script.

First of all, the script will download the selected Linux distribution and begin installing it.

Do not worry!

You will definitely notice the installation in a separate window, and you will know exactly where you need to enter the username and password.

Example of the 1-st part of the output after running install_linux_wsl.ps1

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Moving

Next, a couple of manipulations will be carried out with your distribution so that it ends up in the directory you need.

Example of the 2-nd part of the output after running install_linux_wsl.ps1

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Starting

Bonus for Ubuntu

If you are installing the Ubuntu distribution, then as a bonus (1) you will be asked to set a default user (so as not to constantly log in as root).

  1. In fact, at the moment the default custom setting only works correctly for the Ubuntu distribution.

Of course, you should enter the user that was created when installing the distribution.

And finally, your distribution will be launched.

My pleasure.

Example of the final part of the output after running install_linux_wsl.ps1

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Example of the full output after running install_linux_wsl.ps1

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