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(some explicit language is used, it's the name of a software package, not me swearing.)
What is WSL?
The wikipedia entry has some good info:
Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a compatibility layer for running Linux binary executables (in ELF format) natively on Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019. In May 2019, WSL 2 was announced, introducing important changes such as a real Linux kernel, through a subset of Hyper-V features. Since June 2019, WSL 2 is available to Windows 10 customers through the Windows Insider program, including the Home edition.
WSL provides a linux compatible kernel, without any linux kernel code, which runs a GNU user space on top of it. Giving you a bash shell in windows. You can install distros through the microsoft store. WSL 2 has a kernel running in a virtual machine.
How do I go about installing it?
It's crazy simple (you need Windows 10 64bit!):
- Go to "turn windows features on or off"
- Find Windows Subsystem for Linux
- Click it
- restart when prompted
- go into microsoft store and search for WSL or linux and install a distro! (I used Ubuntu). These are non graphical to start!
- (optional) get windows terminal (from github or microsoft store) for a better experience
- launch distro or windows terminal
- go through setup
- run wslfetch!
WSLFetch
What can I do?
Here's a few highlights (imo)
- running linux applications in a windows machine
- having fun in bash
- learning the terminal in a more comfortable environment
- It’s lighter than a virtual machine and consumes fewer resources (CPU, memory and storage).
- Easy to setup.
- Natively integrated with Windows OS and supported by Microsoft.
- No third party VM software is required.
- Fairly large community and good documentation available from Microsoft, which allows even developers who have never used Linux before to get started easily.
- Speeds up the development process in case of cross-platform projects.
- You can share Windows apps and Linux tools on the same set of files.
- In general, almost near native Linux distro performance.
- Very stable.
- Cost-efficient (no licence fee).
- Users can install the required packages (for example, if you are running the WSL Ubuntu image, you can install packages from the Ubuntu repository).
- It offers distribution support. With Ubuntu LTS (long-term support) releases, users will have five years of security patches and updates.
What about GUI stuff?
It's tricky to set up in WSL 1, not ideal. But WSL 2 offers native GUI support, but you need to be an Insider lol
Some cool stuff I got set up
- TheFuck - type fuck after a command gets messed up:
02:45:26 Amplifi@WSL ~ → sudo sapt install x
[sudo] password for Amplifi:
sudo: sapt: command not found
02:47:28 Amplifi@WSL ~ → fuck
sudo apt install x [enter/↑/↓/ctrl+c]
- Oh-my-bash - makes bash a bit prettier, I'm using the primer theme, I think
- cowsay - it's a lifesaver