In the ever-evolving world of web development, choosing the right tools can make all the difference. While Windows is a powerful operating system, developers often encounter challenges when working in environments that are better suited for Unix-based systems. Enter Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)—a groundbreaking feature that allows you to run a Linux environment directly on your Windows PC.

With WSL, you can streamline your workflow, leverage the power of Linux tools, and enjoy seamless integration between Windows and Linux. Whether you’re an aspiring developer or a seasoned professional, setting up WSL can open up a world of possibilities for coding, testing, and deploying web applications. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the process of installing WSL on Windows 11 and getting started with web app development.

Step 1: WSL Requirements and Setup

  1. Hardware of 64 bit (ARM) processor
  2. 4GB - 16 GB of RAM
  3. Enable virtualization Technology on your BIOS (SVM)
  4. Windows 11 or 10 (Build 19041 or higher)

Step 2: Install WSL 2

  1. Open the terminal
  2. Use command wsl --install
  1. Then reboot your PC
  2. Enter new UNIX username and password
  1. Get inside Ubuntu, just like that...

If you leave the terminal by using exit command or closing the window, you can still get back to it by reopen your termina.

By default it will launch you right back to the PowerShell, where you started, if you want to access Ubuntu again, use the command below:

wsl -d ubuntu

Now, we can install more than Ubuntu using this command:

wsl --list --online

It is showing you all the available Linux distribution you can download and install anytime you want. Let's install Debian !

a computer screen with a program running on it
Photo by Lukas / Unsplash

Step 3: Install any distribution from Microsoft Store

  1. Get the distro you want, let's start with Debian
  1. Click OPEN when the distribution is installed
  2. Asking you for username and password
  1. Boom, you're now using Debian
  1. You can install any distro using the exact same steps and launch multiple ones at the same time

This is everything you need to enjoy Linux on Windows 11. Have fun and join us later to learn how you can setup WSL for dev purposes.

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