WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) – Complete Beginner Guide

This guide is written for complete beginners who have never used Linux before.

What is WSL?

WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) allows you to run a real Linux operating system inside Windows without installing a virtual machine or dual booting.

It gives Windows users access to Linux commands, programming tools, package managers, Node.js, Git, Docker, Python, C/C++, and many other developer tools.

Why Do Developers Use Linux?

Linux is the most popular operating system among software developers.

1. Open Source

Anyone can view, modify, and improve Linux because its source code is publicly available.

2. Free of Cost

Unlike many commercial operating systems, Linux is completely free.

3. Full Control

Linux gives you complete control over your computer.

Install only what you need
Customize everything
Better performance
Better security

4. Huge Developer Community

Millions of developers use Linux.

Whenever you face an error, chances are someone has already solved it.

Useful websites:

Stack Overflow
GitHub
Reddit
Linux Documentation

5. Used Everywhere

Linux powers

Google
Amazon AWS
Facebook
Netflix
Android
Super Computers
Servers
Cloud Infrastructure

Learning Linux is almost mandatory for modern software development.

Linux Distributions (Distros)

Linux is the parent operating system.

Different organizations create their own versions called Distributions (Distros).

Popular ones include:

Distro	Mostly Used For
Ubuntu	Web Development
Kali Linux	Cyber Security & Penetration Testing
Fedora	Desktop & Enterprise Development
Parrot OS	Ethical Hacking
Debian	Stable Servers
Arch Linux	Advanced Users

For this course we will use:

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

because it is beginner friendly and widely supported.

Why Use WSL?

Without WSL:

Windows → Install everything separately.

With WSL:

Windows + Linux together.

You get:

Linux Terminal
Ubuntu
Bash
Package Manager
SSH
Git
Node.js
Python
Docker support
C/C++

without leaving Windows.

Installing WSL

Step 1

Remove unnecessary software from Windows.

Open

Control Panel

Settings → Apps

Uninstall software you no longer use.

This frees storage before installing development tools.

Step 2

Install Windows Terminal Preview

Open

Microsoft Store

Windows Terminal Preview

Install it.

Why?

Because Windows Terminal provides

Multiple tabs
Better fonts
Better Linux support
Faster terminal

Step 3

Enable WSL Features

Open Start Menu

PowerShell

Right Click

Run as Administrator

Run the following command.

Enable Windows Subsystem for Linux

dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart

What this does:

Enables Linux support inside Windows.

Now enable Virtual Machine Platform.

dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

This installs the virtualization layer required for WSL2.

Restart your computer.

Step 4

Download WSL Update Package

Download:

https://wslstorestorage.blob.core.windows.net/wslblob/wsl_update_x64.msi

Install it normally.

Step 5

Enable Virtual Machine Platform

Open PowerShell (Admin)

Run

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName VirtualMachinePlatform

Restart again if asked.

Step 6

Install Ubuntu

Open PowerShell

Run

wsl --install

What it does:

Downloads WSL
Downloads Ubuntu
Configures Linux automatically

Install Ubuntu 24.04

wsl --install -d Ubuntu-24.04

Set WSL2 as default.

wsl --set-default-version 2

Check installed distributions.

wsl --list --verbose

Example output

NAME            STATE      VERSION

Ubuntu-24.04    Running       2

Version should be 2.

Step 7

Open Ubuntu

Ubuntu

Open it.

Wait around

2-3 minutes

The first launch installs Ubuntu.

Eventually it asks

Enter new UNIX username:

Example

suhail

Then

New Password:

Type your password.

Password will NOT be visible while typing.

Retype the password.

Done.

Important

Keep both the username and password the same.

Example

Username

suhail

Password

suhail

This makes it easier for beginners.

Step 8

Verify Ubuntu Setup

Every time Ubuntu opens, you should see something similar to

suhail@DESKTOP-XXXX:~$

Your username appears in green.

If Ubuntu never asked for username/password during setup, something likely went wrong and you should reinstall Ubuntu.

Step 9

Configure Windows Terminal

Open

Windows Terminal Preview

Click

▼

then

Settings

Set

Default Profile

Ubuntu 24.04

Set

Default Terminal Application

Windows Terminal Preview

Click

Save

Now every new terminal opens directly into Ubuntu.

Your Linux Terminal is Ready 🎉

You can now install developer tools.

Installing Packages

Linux installs software using a package manager.

Ubuntu uses

APT

Understanding APT Commands

Update Package List

sudo apt update

What it does:

Connects to Ubuntu servers
Downloads the latest list of available software
Does not install anything
Simply refreshes the package database

Think of it like refreshing the App Store before downloading an app.

Example output

Hit:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com
Reading package lists...
Done

Upgrade Installed Software

sudo apt upgrade

What it does:

Checks for updates to software already installed on your computer
Downloads newer versions
Installs security patches
Updates libraries

Example

Node
Git
Python
Libraries

all get updated if newer versions exist.

Update + Upgrade Together

Instead of running both separately, developers usually run:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Understanding `&&`

The && operator means:

Run the second command only if the first command succeeds.

So this:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

means:

Refresh package list.
If successful, update installed software.

This is one of the most common Linux commands.

What is `sudo`?

sudo

stands for

Super User DO

It temporarily gives administrator (root) permissions.

Some tasks require elevated permissions, such as:

Installing software
Updating packages
Changing system files

When you run a command with sudo, Ubuntu will ask for your password.

Example:

sudo apt update

Enter your password (it will not be shown as you type) and press Enter.

What is `apt`?

apt stands for Advanced Package Tool.

It is Ubuntu's package manager and is used to:

Install software
Update software
Remove software
Search for software

Examples:

sudo apt install git

sudo apt remove git

apt search nodejs

Installing Node.js Using NVM

NVM = Node Version Manager

It lets you install multiple versions of Node.js and switch between them easily.

Step 1

Install NVM

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.1/install.sh | bash

Understanding the command

curl downloads data from the internet.
-o- sends the downloaded script to the terminal.
| (pipe) passes that output to another command.
bash executes the downloaded installation script.

Step 2

Close the terminal.

Open it again.

This reloads your shell configuration so the nvm command becomes available.

Step 3

Install Node.js 22

nvm install 22

NVM downloads and installs Node.js version 22.

Step 4

Verify Node.js

node -v

Example output

v22.x.x

Step 5

Verify npm

npm -v

Example

10.x.x

If both commands display version numbers, Node.js and npm are installed successfully.

Mac Users

Install iTerm2.

Open Terminal.

Install NVM

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.1/install.sh | bash

Install Node

nvm install 22

Restart Terminal.

Check

node -v

npm -v

Installing VS Code

Download Visual Studio Code.

Install it.

Open VS Code.

Install Extensions

Install the following:

WSL (Ubuntu users)
Prettier
Auto Close Tag
JavaScript (ES6) Code Snippets
VSCode Icons
Live Server / Live Preview
Path IntelliSense
Prettify JSON

Choose a Theme

Open

Settings

Go to

Themes

Choose any color theme you like.

Installing C Compiler (Ubuntu)

Update packages

sudo apt update

Install GCC

sudo apt install build-essential

What is `build-essential`?

It is a package that installs the essential tools required to compile C and C++ programs, including:

GCC (GNU Compiler Collection)
G++
Make
Standard libraries

Check the compiler version

gcc --version

Note: The correct command is gcc --version (two hyphens), not gcc -version.

Create a C program

nano hello.c

Paste

#include<stdio.h>

int main()
{
    printf("Hello World");
    return 0;
}

Save the file and exit.

Compile the program

gcc hello.c

This creates an executable named a.out.

Run it

./a.out

Expected output

Hello World

Mac Users (C Compiler)

Install Apple's developer tools:

xcode-select --install

Verify the compiler:

clang --version

Connecting VS Code to the Terminal

Mac

Open VS Code.

Press:

Ctrl + Cmd + P

Type:

Shell Command:
Install 'code' command in PATH

Select it.

Open iTerm2 and run:

code .

This opens the current folder in VS Code.

Ubuntu (WSL)

Open VS Code.

Click the Remote Explorer icon on the left sidebar.

Select:

Ubuntu 24.04

Click the arrow to connect.

When connected successfully, you'll see Ubuntu 24.04 displayed in blue at the bottom-left of the VS Code window.

Frequently Used Linux Commands

Command	Purpose
`pwd`	Show current directory
`ls`	List files and folders
`ls -la`	Show all files (including hidden) with details
`cd folder`	Enter a directory
`cd ..`	Go back one directory
`mkdir test`	Create a new folder
`touch file.txt`	Create an empty file
`rm file.txt`	Delete a file
`rm -r folder`	Delete a folder recursively
`clear`	Clear the terminal screen
`history`	Show previously executed commands
`whoami`	Display the current username
`exit`	Close the terminal
`code .`	Open the current folder in VS Code

Congratulations 🎉

You now have a complete Linux development environment with:

✅ WSL2 installed
✅ Ubuntu 24.04 configured
✅ Windows Terminal set up
✅ Node.js and npm installed using NVM
✅ Visual Studio Code configured
✅ GCC compiler installed
✅ VS Code connected to WSL
✅ Basic Linux commands learned

You're now ready to start building software using a professional Linux-based development workflow.

suhailroushan13/wsl.md

WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) – Complete Beginner Guide

What is WSL?

Why Do Developers Use Linux?

1. Open Source

2. Free of Cost

3. Full Control

4. Huge Developer Community

5. Used Everywhere

Linux Distributions (Distros)

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

Why Use WSL?

Installing WSL

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Enable Windows Subsystem for Linux

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Important

Step 8

Step 9

Default Profile

Default Terminal Application

Your Linux Terminal is Ready 🎉

Installing Packages

Understanding APT Commands

Update Package List

Upgrade Installed Software

Update + Upgrade Together

Understanding &&

What is sudo?

What is apt?

Installing Node.js Using NVM

Step 1

Understanding the command

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Mac Users

Installing VS Code

Install Extensions

Choose a Theme

Installing C Compiler (Ubuntu)

What is build-essential?

Mac Users (C Compiler)

Connecting VS Code to the Terminal

Mac

Ubuntu (WSL)

Frequently Used Linux Commands

Congratulations 🎉

Understanding `&&`

What is `sudo`?

What is `apt`?

What is `build-essential`?