Run Ubuntu in Windows

Here is a simple way to run Ubuntu in your Windows instance.

First, we need Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) configured before proceeding to install Ubuntu. WSL is powerful feature in Windows that enables you run Linux instances without using any virtualization technology such as VMWare or VirtualBox.

Open Windows PowerShell in Administrator mode.

At the command prompt type:

PS C:\Users\rayc\Documents> wsl --install
Installing: Virtual Machine Platform
Virtual Machine Platform has been installed.
Installing: Windows Subsystem for Linux
Windows Subsystem for Linux has been installed.
Installing: Windows Subsystem for Linux
Windows Subsystem for Linux has been installed.
Installing: Ubuntu
Ubuntu has been installed.
The requested operation is successful. Changes will not be effective until the system is rebooted.

After reboot, open Microsoft App store and search for Ubuntu and choose the distribution you prefer. As of this write-up, I selected Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS.

Once finished loading, you should find the Ubuntu icon on the recently installed app menu then proceed on loading.

You will then be presented with the configuration wizard.

And now, you have install and configured Ubuntu operating system within your Windows instance.