How to set up Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)
Linux and Windows together?
Are you a programmer, engineer, or student who wants to run Linux tools, but you're stuck with a Windows Computer? Back in the old days, you would have to set up a dual boot to run both. This is slow and bulky. The modern solution to this dilemma is WSL!
WSL stands for Windows Subsystem for Linux. WSL is a compatibility layer for running Linux binaries in the ELF 64 format like grep, sed, and awk .
Using this you can run tools such as Vim, tux, emacs, along with programming languages such as NodeJS, Python, C/C++, and more. It also allows you to invoke Linux software on Windows, and vice-versa.
You might have also heard of WSL 2. This is simply an updated version of WSL 1. One of the reasons to update to WSL 2 is that it increases file system performance and support for full system calls.
If you have the Insiders Version of Windows, there is no need to follow this process. Linked here is a guide that will help you if you have a Windows insiders account. This guide is for those, like me, who haven’t signed up for the Windows Insiders Program or don't wish to.
So now that you know a little bit about WSL, let’s get it set up!
