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Only Windows Pro, Enterprise or Education support Docker. Upgrading your Windows license is pricey, and also pointless, since you can still run Linux Containers on Windows without relying on Hyper. With Docker Desktop running on WSL 2, users can leverage Linux workspaces and avoid having to maintain both Linux and Windows build scripts. So that means Install Windows 10 Insider Preview build 19018 or higher. Simplified Installation for Windows Insiders. The installation process for Windows Subsystem for Linux has been significantly improved in the latest Windows Insiders preview builds of Windows 10, replacing the manual steps below with a single command.

• Windows 10 Docker Linux Container 10
• Run Docker On Windows 10 Linux Subsystem
• Windows 10 Docker Linux Image
• Windows 10 Docker Linux Containers
• Windows 10 Docker Kali Linux

The previous way to do Docker-y things all happened through the Linux terminal. While this is fine, the Docker Desktop for Windows application integrates with WSL2 quite well and provides a GUI. If you start a docker container in your (Linux) terminal, it will appear in, and can be controlled through the interface.

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There are two options available for installing Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL):

• Simplified install(preview release): wsl --install

  The wsl --install simplified install command requires that you join the Windows Insiders Program and install a preview build of Windows 10 (OS build 20262 or higher), but eliminates the need to follow the manual install steps. All you need to do is open a command window with administrator privileges and run wsl --install, after a restart you will be ready to use WSL.

• Manual install: Follow the six steps listed below.

  The manual install steps for WSL are listed below and can be used to install Linux on any version of Windows 10.

Note

If you run into an issue during the install process, check the Troubleshooting installation section at the bottom of this page.

Simplified Installation for Windows Insiders

The installation process for Windows Subsystem for Linux has been significantly improved in the latest Windows Insiders preview builds of Windows 10, replacing the manual steps below with a single command.

In order to use the wsl --install simplified install command, you must:

• Join the Windows Insiders Program
• Install a preview build of Windows 10 (OS build 20262 or higher).
• Open a command line windows with Administrator privileges

Once those requirements are met, to install WSL:

• Enter this command in the command line you've opened in Admin mode: wsl.exe --install
• Restart your machine

The first time you launch a newly installed Linux distribution, a console window will open and you'll be asked to wait for files to de-compress and be stored on your PC. All future launches should take less than a second.

You will then need to create a user account and password for your new Linux distribution.

CONGRATULATIONS! You've successfully installed and set up a Linux distribution that is completely integrated with your Windows operating system!

The --install command performs the following actions:

• Enables the optional WSL and Virtual Machine Platform components
• Downloads and installs the latest Linux kernel
• Sets WSL 2 as the default
• Downloads and installs a Linux distribution (reboot may be required)

By default, the installed Linux distribution will be Ubuntu. This can be changed using wsl --install -d <Distribution Name>. (Replacing <Distribution Name> with the name of your desired distribution.) Additional Linux distributions may be added to your machine after the initial install using the wsl --install -d <Distribution Name> command.

To see a list of available Linux distributions, enter wsl --list --online.

Manual Installation Steps

If you are not on a Windows Insiders build, the features required for WSL will need to be enabled manually following the steps below.

Step 1 - Enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux

You must first enable the 'Windows Subsystem for Linux' optional feature before installing any Linux distributions on Windows.

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

We recommend now moving on to step #2, updating to WSL 2, but if you wish to only install WSL 1, you can now restart your machine and move on to Step 6 - Install your Linux distribution of choice. To update to WSL 2, wait to restart your machine and move on to the next step.

Step 2 - Check requirements for running WSL 2

To update to WSL 2, you must be running Windows 10.

• For x64 systems: Version 1903 or higher, with Build 18362 or higher.
• For ARM64 systems: Version 2004 or higher, with Build 19041 or higher.
• Builds lower than 18362 do not support WSL 2. Use the Windows Update Assistant to update your version of Windows.

To check your version and build number, select Windows logo key + R, type winver, select OK. (Or enter the ver command in Windows Command Prompt). Update to the latest Windows version in the Settings menu.

Note

If you are running Windows 10 version 1903 or 1909, open 'Settings' from your Windows menu, navigate to 'Update & Security' and select 'Check for Updates'. Your Build number must be 18362.1049+ or 18363.1049+, with the minor build # over .1049. Read more: WSL 2 Support is coming to Windows 10 Versions 1903 and 1909. See the troubleshooting instructions.

Step 3 - Enable Virtual Machine feature

Before installing WSL 2, you must enable the Virtual Machine Platform optional feature. Your machine will require virtualization capabilities to use this feature.

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

Restart your machine to complete the WSL install and update to WSL 2.

Step 4 - Download the Linux kernel update package

1. Download the latest package:

   Note

   If you're using an ARM64 machine, please download the ARM64 package instead. If you're not sure what kind of machine you have, open Command Prompt or PowerShell and enter: systeminfo | find 'System Type'.

2. Run the update package downloaded in the previous step. (Double-click to run - you will be prompted for elevated permissions, select ‘yes’ to approve this installation.)

Once the installation is complete, move on to the next step - setting WSL 2 as your default version when installing new Linux distributions. (Skip this step if you want your new Linux installs to be set to WSL 1).

Note

For more information, read the article changes to updating the WSL2 Linux kernel, available on the Windows Command Line Blog.

Step 5 - Set WSL 2 as your default version

Open PowerShell and run this command to set WSL 2 as the default version when installing a new Linux distribution:

Step 6 - Install your Linux distribution of choice

1. Open the Microsoft Store and select your favorite Linux distribution.

   The following links will open the Microsoft store page for each distribution:

2. From the distribution's page, select 'Get'.

The first time you launch a newly installed Linux distribution, a console window will open and you'll be asked to wait for a minute or two for files to de-compress and be stored on your PC. All future launches should take less than a second.

You will then need to create a user account and password for your new Linux distribution.

CONGRATULATIONS! You've successfully installed and set up a Linux distribution that is completely integrated with your Windows operating system!

Install Windows Terminal (optional)

Windows Terminal enables multiple tabs (quickly switch between multiple Linux command lines, Windows Command Prompt, PowerShell, Azure CLI, etc), create custom key bindings (shortcut keys for opening or closing tabs, copy+paste, etc.), use the search feature, and custom themes (color schemes, font styles and sizes, background image/blur/transparency). Learn more.

Install Windows Terminal.

Set your distribution version to WSL 1 or WSL 2

You can check the WSL version assigned to each of the Linux distributions you have installed by opening the PowerShell command line and entering the command (only available in Windows Build 18362 or higher): wsl -l -v

To set a distribution to be backed by either version of WSL please run:

Make sure to replace <distribution name> with the actual name of your distribution and <versionNumber> with the number '1' or '2'. You can change back to WSL 1 at anytime by running the same command as above but replacing the '2' with a '1'.

Note

The update from WSL 1 to WSL 2 may take several minutes to complete depending on the size of your targeted distribution. If you are running an older (legacy) installation of WSL 1 from Windows 10 Anniversary Update or Creators Update, you may encounter an update error. Follow these instructions to uninstall and remove any legacy distributions.

If wsl --set-default-version results as an invalid command, enter wsl --help. If the --set-default-version is not listed, it means that your OS doesn't support it and you need to update to version 1903, Build 18362 or higher.

If you see this message after running the command: WSL 2 requires an update to its kernel component. For information please visit https://aka.ms/wsl2kernel. You still need to install the MSI Linux kernel update package.

Additionally, if you want to make WSL 2 your default architecture you can do so with this command:

This will set the version of any new distribution installed to WSL 2.

Troubleshooting installation

Below are related errors and suggested fixes. Refer to the WSL troubleshooting page for other common errors and their solutions.

• Installation failed with error 0x80070003

  • The Windows Subsystem for Linux only runs on your system drive (usually this is your C: drive). Make sure that distributions are stored on your system drive:
  • Open Settings -> **System --> Storage -> More Storage Settings: Change where new content is saved

• WslRegisterDistribution failed with error 0x8007019e

  • The Windows Subsystem for Linux optional component is not enabled:
  • Open Control Panel -> Programs and Features -> Turn Windows Feature on or off -> Check Windows Subsystem for Linux or using the PowerShell cmdlet mentioned at the beginning of this article.

• Installation failed with error 0x80070003 or error 0x80370102

  • Please make sure that virtualization is enabled inside of your computer's BIOS. The instructions on how to do this will vary from computer to computer, and will most likely be under CPU related options.

• Error when trying to upgrade: Invalid command line option: wsl --set-version Ubuntu 2

  • Enure that you have the Windows Subsystem for Linux enabled, and that you're using Windows Build version 18362 or higher. To enable WSL run this command in a PowerShell prompt with admin privileges: Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux.

• The requested operation could not be completed due to a virtual disk system limitation. Virtual hard disk files must be uncompressed and unencrypted and must not be sparse.

  • Deselect “Compress contents” (as well as “Encrypt contents” if that’s checked) by opening the profile folder for your Linux distribution. It should be located in a folder on your Windows file system, something like: USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalPackagesCanonicalGroupLimited...
  • In this Linux distro profile, there should be a LocalState folder. Right-click this folder to display a menu of options. Select Properties > Advanced and then ensure that the “Compress contents to save disk space” and “Encrypt contents to secure data” checkboxes are unselected (not checked). If you are asked whether to apply this to just to the current folder or to all subfolders and files, select “just this folder” because you are only clearing the compress flag. After this, the wsl --set-version command should work.

Note

In my case, the LocalState folder for my Ubuntu 18.04 distribution was located at C:Users<my-user-name>AppDataLocalPackagesCanonicalGroupLimited.Ubuntu18.04onWindows_79rhkp1fndgsc

Check WSL Docs GitHub thread #4103 where this issue is being tracked for updated information.

• The term 'wsl' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program.

  • Ensure that the Windows Subsystem for Linux Optional Component is installed. Additionally, if you are using an ARM64 device and running this command from PowerShell, you will receive this error. Instead run wsl.exe from PowerShell Core, or Command Prompt.

• Error: This update only applies to machines with the Windows Subsystem for Linux.

  • To install the Linux kernel update MSI package, WSL is required and should be enabled first. If it fails, it you will see the message: This update only applies to machines with the Windows Subsystem for Linux.
  • There are three possible reason you see this message:

  1. You are still in old version of Windows which doesn't support WSL 2. See step #2 for version requirements and links to update.

  2. WSL is not enabled. You will need to return to step #1 and ensure that the optional WSL feature is enabled on your machine.

  3. After you enabled WSL, a reboot is required for it to take effect, reboot your machine and try again.

• Error: WSL 2 requires an update to its kernel component. For information please visit https://aka.ms/wsl2kernel .

  • If the Linux kernel package is missing in the %SystemRoot%system32lxsstools folder, you will encounter this error. Resolve it by installing the Linux kernel update MSI package in step #4 of these installation instructions. You may need to uninstall the MSI from 'Add or Remove Programs', and install it again.

I've written about WSL2 and it's glorious wonders many times. As its release (presumably) grows closer - as of this writing it's on Windows Insiders Slow and Fast - I wanted to update a few posts. I've blogged about a few cool thing around WSL and Docker

Here's a little HanselFAQ and some resources.

I want to run Linux on Windows

You can certainly use HyperV or VirtualBox and run a standard Virtual Machine. Download an ISO and mount it and run 'a square within a square.' It won't be seamlessly integrated within Windows - it'll be like the movie Inception - but it's time-tested.

Better yet, install WSL or WSL2. It'll take 5-10 minutes tops if your Windows 10 is somewhat up to date.

• How to install WSL on Windows 10
  • WSL doesn't include a Linux kernel. Its Linux file system access is kinda slow, but it accesses Windows files super fast. If you use Cygwin, you'll love this, because it's really Linux, just the kernel is emulated.
• How to install WSL2 on Windows 10
  • WSL2 ships an actual Linux kernel and its Linux file system is 5x-10x faster than WSL. WSL2 uses a tiny utility VM that expands contracts its memory and you can manage distros with the wsl command line.
  • Do all your development work inside here, while still using VS Code on Windows. It's amazing. Watch me set up a friend with WSL2, LIVE on YouTube.

I want to SSH into Linux stuff from Windows

There's 15 years of websites telling you to install Putty but you might not need it. OpenSSH has been shipping in Windows 10 for over two years. You can add them with Windows Features, or if you like, grab a release and put it on your PATH.

You can also do things like set up keys to use Windows 10's built-in OpenSSH to automatically SSH into a remote Linux machine. I also like to setup Signed Git Commits with a YubiKey NEO and GPG and Keybase on Windows.

I need a better Terminal in Windows

The new Windows Terminal is for you. Download Windows Terminal now for free. It's open source. You can then run the Win64/Win32 ssh from above, or run any Linux distros SSH. Have fun. It's time.

NOTE: Have you already downloaded the Terminal, maybe a while back? Enough has changed that you should delete your profiles.json and start over.

You can download the Windows Terminal from the Microsoft Store or from the GitHub releases page. There's also an unofficial Chocolatey release. I recommend the Store version if possible.

My prompt and fonts are ugly

Make them pretty. You deserve the best. Go get Cascadia Code's CascadiaPL.ttf and PowerLine and buckle up buttercup. Get a nice theme and maybe a GIF background.

I want to use Docker on Windows and I want it to not suck

Surprise, it's actually awesome. You may have had some challenges with Docker a few years ago on Windows and gave up, but come back. There's been a huge (and fascinating) architecture of Docker on Windows. It's very nicely integrated if you have WSL2.

If you have WSL2 set up nicely, then get Docker Desktop WSL2. This version of Docker for Windows uses WSL2 as its engine allowing you to share your docker context across Windows and Linux on the same machine! As the maker intended!

WSL 2 introduces a significant architectural change as it is a full Linux kernel built by Microsoft, allowing Linux containers to run natively without emulation. With Docker Desktop running on WSL 2, users can leverage Linux workspaces and avoid having to maintain both Linux and Windows build scripts.

So that means

1. Install Windows 10 Insider Preview build 19018 or higher
2. Enable WSL 2 feature on Windows. For detailed instructions, refer to the Microsoft documentation.
3. Download Docker Desktop Edge 2.1.6.0 or a later release.

Ensure your default WSL instances is WSL2. You can do that with wsl -l -v, and then wsl --set-version <distro> 2

Windows 10 Docker Linux Container 10

Then within Docker Desktop for Windows you've got two things to check. First, are you using WSL2 as your backend?

And then, the often missed setup, check under Resources | WSL Integration and tell Docker which WSL2 distros you want to use to access Docker. If you're paying attention you may notice that Docker Desktop tries to prompt you with a notification in Action Center but you might miss it.

NOTE: If you used an early Tech Preview, you might have an extra now-vestigial Docker context named 'wsl.' You want to use the Default one, not the WSL one.

This isn't intuitive or obvious and you might get weird errors like these

or

Run Docker On Windows 10 Linux Subsystem

You can see if you have an extra context from before like below. That 'wsl' one is older (if you have it) and you want to use default in both Windows and WSL2.

Windows 10 Docker Linux Image

I actually removed that one to avoid confusion with docker context rm wsl.

Here's Ubuntu on my Windows machine

And here's my Windows machine. Note that docker images in both instances returns the same list. They are the same Docker backend!

I want to code in VS Code on Windows but compile on Linux

At this point once I've set things up I can go bananas. I can do Container-based development, where I use VS Code to run all my developer tools and builds insider a container...maybe I never event install Go or PHP or .NET Core. It's all just inside a container.

Oh, by the way, please Subscribe to my YouTube! I talk a lot about this stuff over there.

Windows 10 Docker Linux Containers

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Windows 10 Docker Kali Linux

About Scott

Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author.

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