Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL 2) requires Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18917 or higher and Hyper-V hypervisor.
Keep updating
22 September 2020: What’s new in the Windows Subsystem for Linux – September 2020
Check Microsoft Windows version using ver command.
C:\Users\tuyen>ver Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.18922.1000]
Install/Enable Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux feature using Powershell
PS C:\Windows\system32> Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux
Install/Enable VirtualMachinePlatform feature using Powershell
PS C:\Windows\system32> Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName VirtualMachinePlatform
List distributions
C:\Users\tuyen>wsl --list --verbose NAME STATE VERSION * kali-linux Stopped 1 Ubuntu Stopped 1 Ubuntu-18.04 Stopped 1 C:\Users\tuyen>wsl -l -v NAME STATE VERSION * kali-linux Stopped 1 Ubuntu Stopped 1 Ubuntu-18.04 Stopped 1 C:\Users\tuyen>
wsl command syntax
C:\Users\tuyen>wsl --help
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Usage: wsl.exe [Argument] [Options...] [CommandLine]
Arguments for running Linux binaries:
If no command line is provided, wsl.exe launches the default shell.
--exec, -e
Execute the specified command without using the default Linux shell.
--
Pass the remaining command line as is.
Options:
--distribution, -d
Run the specified distribution.
--user, -u
Run as the specified user.
Arguments for managing Windows Subsystem for Linux:
--export
Exports the distribution to a tar file.
The filename can be - for standard output.
--import [Options]
Imports the specified tar file as a new distribution.
The filename can be - for standard input.
Options:
--version
Specifies the version to use for the new distribution.
--list, -l [Options]
Lists distributions.
Options:
--all
List all distributions, including distributions that are currently
being installed or uninstalled.
--running
List only distributions that are currently running.
--quiet, -q
Only show distribution names.
--verbose, -v
Show detailed information about all distributions.
--set-default, -s
Sets the distribution as the default.
--set-default-version
Changes the default install version for new distributions.
--set-version
Changes the version of the specified distribution.
--shutdown
Terminates all running distributions.
--terminate, -t
Terminates the specified distribution.
--unregister
Unregisters the distribution.
--help
Display usage information.
C:\Users\tuyen>
Upgrade Ubuntu-18.04 distro from version 1 to version 2
C:\WINDOWS\system32>wsl -l -v NAME STATE VERSION * kali-linux Stopped 1 Ubuntu Stopped 1 Ubuntu-18.04 Stopped 1 C:\WINDOWS\system32>wsl --set-version Ubuntu-18.04 2 Conversion in progress, this may take a few minutes... For information on key differences with WSL 2 please visit https://aka.ms/wsl2 Conversion complete. C:\WINDOWS\system32>wsl -l -v NAME STATE VERSION * kali-linux Stopped 1 Ubuntu Stopped 1 Ubuntu-18.04 Stopped 2
Unregister Ubuntu distro
C:\Users\tuyen>wsl -l -v NAME STATE VERSION * kali-linux Stopped 1 Ubuntu Stopped 1 Ubuntu-18.04 Running 2 C:\Users\tuyen>wsl --unregister Ubuntu Unregistering... C:\Users\tuyen>wsl -l -v NAME STATE VERSION * kali-linux Stopped 1 Ubuntu-18.04 Running 2 C:\Users\tuyen>
Upgrade Kali Linux distro to version 2
C:\Users\tuyen>wsl --set-version kali-linux 2 Conversion in progress, this may take a few minutes... For information on key differences with WSL 2 please visit https://aka.ms/wsl2 Conversion complete. C:\Users\tuyen>wsl -l -v NAME STATE VERSION * kali-linux Stopped 2 Ubuntu-18.04 Running 2 C:\Users\tuyen>wsl --exec kali-linux C:\Users\tuyen>wsl -l -v NAME STATE VERSION * kali-linux Running 2 Ubuntu-18.04 Running 2 C:\Users\tuyen>
Set default version for new distros to version 2
C:\Users\tuyen>wsl --set-default-version 2 For information on key differences with WSL 2 please visit https://aka.ms/wsl2 C:\Users\tuyen>
Set Ubuntu-18.04 as default distros
C:\Users\tuyen>wsl -l -v NAME STATE VERSION * kali-linux Stopped 2 Ubuntu-18.04 Stopped 2 C:\Users\tuyen>wsl -s Ubuntu-18.04 C:\Users\tuyen>wsl -l -v NAME STATE VERSION * Ubuntu-18.04 Stopped 2 kali-linux Stopped 2 C:\Users\tuyen>
(wsl --export Ubuntu-18.04 e:\wsl\Ubuntu-18.04.tar.gz) -and (Remove-AppxPackage -Package $(Get-AppxPackage -Name *Ubuntu18*).PackageFullName) -and (wsl --import Ubuntu-18.04 e:\wsl\Ubuntu-18 e:\wsl\Ubuntu-18.04.tar.gz)
Unregister a distribution (delete too)
C:\Users\tuyen>wsl -l -v NAME STATE VERSION * kali-linux Stopped 2 sles15-1 Stopped 2 Ubuntu-18.04 Stopped 2 openSUSE-Leap-15.2 Stopped 2 C:\Users\tuyen>wsl --unregister sles15-1 Unregistering... C:\Users\tuyen>wsl -l -v NAME STATE VERSION * kali-linux Stopped 2 Ubuntu-18.04 Stopped 2 openSUSE-Leap-15.2 Stopped 2 C:\Users\tuyen>
Known issues
Cannot change file permission: Refer to https://stackoverflow.com/questions/63575988/wsl2-fail-to-change-file-permissions
File /etc/wsl.conf
# Enable extra metadata options by default [automount] enabled = true root = /mnt/ options = "metadata,umask=22,fmask=11" mountFsTab = false # Enable DNS – even though these are turned on by default, we'll specify here just to be explicit. [network] generateHosts = true generateResolvConf = true