Install Ubuntu using WSL on Win11

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a compatibility layer that allows you to run your favorite flavor of Linux distributions inside the Windows Operating System (Windows 10 and 11). You can run Linux on top of Windows 11 (or without the need for a dual boot, using VMWare/VirtualBox, or installing it as your main Operating System).

Unlike Windows 10, Windows 11 comes with WSL 2.0, an upgraded version of WSL, designed to run a full Linux kernel in a Hyper-V environment for improved compatibility. In addition to that, WSL 2 on Windows 11 now supports graphical user interfaces and audio natively which means you can run GUI Linux applications alongside Windows apps. And Windows update keeps the kernel updated.

WSL also allows you to access your Windows files from within the Linux kernel. It combines the best of both worlds by letting admins and developers develop and test cross-platform applications without leaving Windows or requiring additional devices.

In this tutorial, we will guide you through everything you need to know about installing and using Linux on Windows 11 via Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).

Prerequisites to Install Linux on Windows 11

One of the key requisites for running the WSL Linux on Windows 11 is virtualization support. Before you install Linux on Windows 11, you need to check whether the CPU virtualization support is enabled on the firmware. Without virtualization, you cannot emulate any different operating system on your PC.

To do that, open Windows 11 Task manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and go to the ‘Performance’ page on the left panel. Then ensure ‘Virtualization’ is ‘Enabled’ at the bottom of the right side page.

To do that, open the BIOS settings or UEFI on your device, and select the ‘Advanced Mode’ option. If you don’t know how to enter BIOS on your Windows 11 PC, follow the instructions in our dedicated guide for the same.

Under the Advanced mode, locate the option called ‘Intel(VMX) Virtualization Technology’ and set it to ‘Enabled’. For AMD processors, select the ‘SVM’ Mode option and change it to ‘Enabled’.

Then, save and exit the BIOS/ UEFI to reboot your system. Once the system restarts, you would be able to install WSL and Linux distributions.

Install Linux Distribution on Windows 11

Before you install your desired Linux distribution through Microsoft Store, you need to enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux feature in Windows features. Here’s how you can enable WSL in Windows 11.

Install Windows Subsystem for Linux using Windows Features

With Windows Subsystem for Linux installed, you would be able to run Linux applications and Bash commands natively on Windows. There are two different types of WSL versions: WSL 1 and WSL 2. While they both provide smooth and continuous integration of Linux within Windows, WSL 2 is the latest and fastest version with full Linux kernel support and system call compatibility.

WSL runs a compatibility layer that bridges the gap between the Linux kernel and Windows for running Linux binary executables natively on Windows. To run WSL 1, you’ll need at least Windows 10 version 1607 (or higher) and a 64-bit PC. For, WSL 2, you’ll need Windows 10 version 2004 (or higher) and a 64-bit PC. Since we are installing WSL on Windows 11, we don’t really need to worry about the requirements.

If your PC came preinstalled with Windows 11, you might have WSL already enabled.

First, open the Start menu and search for ‘Windows features’. Then, select the ‘Turn Windows features on and off’ control panel option from the search result.

In the Windows Features dialog box, tick the ‘Windows Subsystem for Linux’ option and click ‘OK’

Once the changes are applied, click ‘Restart now’ to restart your computer.

If you want to only install WSL 1, you can now restart your computer and install your Linux distro.

Upgrade to WSL 2 on Windows

We recommend you upgrade your WSL to version 2 for faster performance speed, and to run a real Linux kernel directly on Windows 11. To do that, you need to enable the ‘Virtual Machine Platform’ feature in addition to the ‘Windows Subsystem for Linux’ feature on the Windows features control panel. Then, click ‘OK’ and reboot your PC. If you upgraded your PC from Windows 10 to Windows 11, you might have WSL already enabled but you’ll need to enable Virtual Machine Platform to upgrade to WSL 2.

 

Install WSL from Microsoft Store

You can also download and install WSL from the Microsoft Store. Launch the Microsoft Store app and search for ‘Windows Subsystem for Linux’. Then, click the ‘Get’ button on Windows Subsystem for Linux Preview’

Microsoft Store will automatically download and install the required files.

Install your Desired Linux Distribution using Microsoft Store

Once WSL is enabled, you can install a Linux distribution of your choice. Microsoft Store has a dozen of Linux distributions that you can download and install. Let us see how to download and install the Ubuntu distro from the Microsoft store. First, search for ‘Microsoft Store’ in the Start Menu search field. Then, open it from the search result.

In the Microsoft Store, you can search ‘Linux’ to get the list of Linux distros available and select your desired distro.

Here’s a list of Linux distributions that are currently available in the Windows Store supported by WSL.  

• Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
• Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
• Ubuntu 20.04 LTS
• openSUSE Leap 15.1
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3
• Kali Linux
• Debian GNU/Linux
• Fedora Remix for WSL
• Oracle Linux 8.5
• Oracle Linux 8.6
• Oracle Linux 7.9
• Oracle Linux 9
• Pengwin
• Pengwin Enterprise 7
• Pengwin Enterprise 8
• Alpine WSL
• Raft WSL

All of these distributions are available on Microsoft Store for free. 

Or, search for a specific Linux distribution. For example, here we are searching for ‘Ubuntu’. Then, choose the Ubuntu version that you want to install from the results.

From the results, Ubuntu without a version number is the latest stable version. And Ubuntu with version numbers refers to the specific versions of the distro. You can choose a specific version if you want. In the below example, we are selecting ‘Ubuntu’ to get the latest version of the distro.

Ubuntu (Preview) refers to the daily build of the latest development version of the distro.

On the Ubuntu distribution’s page, click the ‘Get’ button.

It will take some to finish downloading the complete Ubuntu terminal environment. Once it’s downloaded, it will be automatically installed on your device.

Install Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS on Windows 11

Canonical Ubuntu’s parent company just released a new and improved version of Linux called Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (code name Jammy Jellyfish) in August 2022. This new version of Ubuntu Linux ships with the latest toolchains, including Python, Rust, Ruby, Go, PHP, and Perl. You can now install Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS through Windows Store on Windows 11.

Before you install this distro, make sure Windows Subsystem for Linux feature and Virtualization technology are enabled on your device.

To install the latest Ubuntu version, search for ‘Ubuntu’ in Microsoft Store and select ‘Ubuntu 22.04.01 LTS’ from the search result. Then, click on ‘Get’ to download and install the Linux container.

After the installation is finished, click the ‘Open’ button to launch the Linux terminal. You can also launch the app from the Windows Start Menu.

After it’s downloaded, a Welcome to Ubuntu WSL window will appear. The installer will continue to unpack the distro and install it on your device.

After it’s done, click ‘OK’ on the ‘We are almost done’ prompt box.

Once you click ‘OK’, the main installer windows will appear where you need to configure a few more settings. The main installer window will either be a user interface window or a shell window. Either way, both installer windows have the same options.