Linux Apps on Windows PC Windows Subsystem for Linux

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) lets you run a Linux environment directly inside Windows without replacing Windows, setting up a dual-boot configuration, or managing a traditional virtual machine such as VMware or VirtualBox. Think of it as adding a Linux environment alongside Windows on your existing PC.

When you install WSL, you can install a Linux distribution such as Ubuntu. You can then open Ubuntu from the Windows Start menu and get a Linux command-line environment. From there, you can use normal Linux commands, install Linux software, work with Python, Git, Node.js, compilers, development frameworks, and many other tools.

Note that Linux does not replace Windows. Windows remains your main operating system, and your normal Windows applications continue to work as they always have. WSL simply provides a Linux environment that runs alongside Windows. You could have Microsoft Edge, Word, Visual Studio, and File Explorer open while also having an Ubuntu terminal running at the same time.

For example, suppose you are developing a web application. You could edit the application using Visual Studio Code running in Windows, while the application's Linux-based development environment runs through WSL. Your code, Python or Node.js runtime, command-line utilities, and development services can operate in Linux, while you continue using the familiar Windows desktop and applications.

WSL is particularly useful because many development environments are designed around Linux. Tools such as Python, Git, Node.js, Docker-related workflows, web servers, and various cloud and AI development tools can be used from a Linux environment without requiring you to install Linux as your computer's primary operating system.

There are two major versions of WSL, with WSL 2 being the version you would normally use today. WSL 2 uses a lightweight virtualized Linux kernel behind the scenes. Although virtualization is involved, you generally do not interact with or manage a virtual machine yourself. Windows handles the Linux environment for you and starts it when you use it.

You can also work with files from both operating systems. Linux can access your Windows drives, so files on your Windows C: drive can be reached from within Linux. Windows can likewise access files stored in the WSL environment. This makes it possible to move between Windows and Linux development workflows without having two separate computers.

WSL can also run Linux graphical applications. This means you are not limited to programs that operate in a terminal. On supported versions of Windows and WSL, a Linux graphical application can open in its own normal Windows window, alongside your Windows applications.

If you want to experiment with WSL, Windows 11 and supported versions of Windows 10 can install it from an elevated Command Prompt window with the wsl --install command. The installation sets up the WSL components and normally installs Ubuntu as the initial Linux distribution. After restarting if Windows requests it and completing the Ubuntu setup, you can launch Ubuntu from the Start menu and begin using Linux commands.

Once Ubuntu is running, you can install Linux applications using Ubuntu's package-management system. For example, rather than using a calculator as the demonstration, you could install the graphical text editor Mousepad with sudo apt install mousepad -y and then launch it with mousepad. If the WSL graphical application support is available on your system, Mousepad will appear as a Linux application in a normal Windows window. This is an example of what WSL actually provides - the application itself is a Linux application, but you can run and interact with it from your Windows desktop.

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hth

Marcin