netstack

dev-win-wsl

Developer users using wsl (win subsystem for linux) on windows workstation.

Install wsl on Windows

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install

Powershell cmd to check wsl version

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> wsl -l -v
  NAME      STATE           VERSION
* Legacy    Stopped         1
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>

Powershell cmd to check os version

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> systeminfo | Select-String "OS Name", "OS Version"
  
OS Name:                   Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
OS Version:                10.0.19045 N/A Build 19045
BIOS Version:              American Megatrends Inc. 2.05.0250, 4/10/2015
  
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>

You must be running Windows 10 version 2004 and higher (Build 19041 and higher) or Windows 11
Powershell cmd to install wsl
```
wsl --install
```
as of 204.11.20 the above installed 22.04
WHere is the user article link

In this case

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Get-ChildItem "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lxss" -Recurse
  
    Hive: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lxss
  
Name                           Property
----                           --------
{12345678-1234-5678-0123-45678 State            : 1
9abcdef}                       DistributionName : Legacy
                               Version          : 0
                               BasePath         : C:\Users\chris\AppData\Local\lxss
                               DefaultUid       : 1000
                               Flags            : 7
{71a28cc4-5d65-4efb-a5a9-0490d State             : 1
67fe7d3}                       DistributionName  : Ubuntu
                               Version           : 2
                               BasePath          : C:\Users\chris\AppData\Local\Packages\CanonicalGroupLimited.Ubuntu_7
                               9rhkp1fndgsc\LocalState
                               Flags             : 15
                               DefaultUid        : 1000
                               PackageFamilyName : CanonicalGroupLimited.Ubuntu_79rhkp1fndgsc
  
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>

wsl storage from windows use the \wsl$\Ubuntu path

dir \\wsl$\Ubuntu\home\cat

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> cat '\\wsl$\Legacy\home\cat\test.txt'
written by cat ubuntu user
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> cat \\wsl.localhost\Legacy\home\cat\test.txt
written by cat ubuntu user
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>

Updated note: Under Windows 11, \wsl$<distro_name> still works, but there is also a new \wsl.localhost<disro_name> path as well. Both work the same, but wsl.localhost should be a bit more robust in certain situations.
Powershell cmd to list distributions
```
wsl --list --online
wsl -l -o
```
Install distro
```
wsl --install -d Ubuntu-22.04
```

set default disto

wsl -s <DistributionName>
wsl --set-default <DistributionName>

run specific distro
```
wsl -d <DistributionName>
```
steptemplate
```
dir
```

wsl user check

Check distribution

cat@catSurface:~$ sudo cat /etc/*-release
[sudo] password for cat:
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=24.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=noble
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS"
PRETTY_NAME="Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS"
NAME="Ubuntu"
VERSION_ID="24.04"
VERSION="24.04.1 LTS (Noble Numbat)"
VERSION_CODENAME=noble
ID=ubuntu
ID_LIKE=debian
HOME_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/"
SUPPORT_URL="https://help.ubuntu.com/"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/"
PRIVACY_POLICY_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/legal/terms-and-policies/privacy-policy"
UBUNTU_CODENAME=noble
LOGO=ubuntu-logo
cat@catSurface:~$

Path to windows storage

cat@catSurface:~$ ls /mnt/c/Users/chris/code
docker
cat@catSurface:~$