Installing and Using the Windows Subsystem for Linux

Installing and Using WSL                                                                             Owen Kunhardt


           Installing and Using the Windows Subsystem for Linux
Installing the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) on your computer allows you to run
Linux command line utilities directly on Windows. WSL only works on Windows 10 64-bit
Version 1709 or later. This guide shows you how to install and use the Ubuntu WSL. You
can use any Linux distribution in the Microsoft Store, but the steps for another distribution
are likely different. The Ubuntu terminal will allow you to use command-line tools such as
bash, git, ssh, and sftp. You can install other tools using apt.


1      Installing WSL
You can install WSL by doing the following:
    1. Search “Turn Windows features on or off” in the Windows search bar and open it.
    2. Look for “Windows Subsystem for Linux”, make sure the box is checked, and hit OK.
    3. Restart your computer.
    4. Open the Microsoft Store application and search “Ubuntu”.
    5. Click on Ubuntu, hit get, and wait for it to install. Note: You can use any version,
       but the one without the version number will give you the latest version of Ubuntu.
    6. Launch the Ubuntu application and allow first time setup.
    7. Create a username and password. Note: When entering a password, no characters will
       appear, but you are typing your password.
    8. Update Ubuntu with the command:

       sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

       You will have to enter your password. You should run this command periodically
       as Ubuntu will not update on its own.
You have successfully installed and setup WSL and can now use the terminal as you would
on Ubuntu.


2      Installing g++
g++ is a C++ compiler. You can install g++ in Ubuntu by doing the following:
    1. Open the Ubuntu terminal
    2. Install g++ with the command:

       sudo apt install g++

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Installing and Using WSL                                                                             Owen Kunhardt


You have successfully installed g++ and can now use it to compile your C++ programs in
WSL.


3      Installing make
In order to use makefiles, you must install make. You can install make in Ubuntu by doing
the following:
     1. Open the Ubuntu terminal

     2. Install make with the command:

       sudo apt install make
You have successfully installed make and can now use makefiles in WSL.


4      Accessing Your Windows Files
Accessing where your Window files are stored through WSL may be a little tricky. To access
your files in Windows, you must first change into the directory /mnt, which you can do with
the command:

cd /mnt

You can now use cd (change directory) to access your files in Windows. If any file or
folder contains a space in it, you must put it in quotation marks e.g. “CS Projects”. You
can list the contents of your directory with the command:

ls

For example, if your files are stored in your documents folder, you can access them by
typing the command:

cd /mnt/c/Users/username/Documents

You want to enter the username set for your account after Users. This is likely different
than the username you created for Ubuntu.

If you don’t know your username, search cmd in the Windows search bar and open it. Then
type the command:

echo %username%

This should be the username you want to put for username in the example command. If
your username contains a space, you must put it in quotation marks e.g. “Alan Turing”.

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Last Updated: February 7, 2021
Installing and Using WSL                                                                             Owen Kunhardt


5      Writing Scripts
Writing a script can make doing a repetitive task quicker to do. For example, a script make
it quicker to execute a long change directory command. You can write a simple script with
the following steps:

    1. Open the Ubuntu terminal

    2. Open a new file with the command:

       vi script name.sh

       where script name is what you want your new script to be named or the name of
       an existing script you want to edit.

    3. Press “i” for insert to write to the file.

    4. Type:

       #!/bin/bash

       This is how bash scripts must start, to signify that we are using bash commands.

    5. Type what commands you want the script to run.
       For example, if you wanted it to your documents folder, you would type:

       cd /mnt/c/Users/username/Documents

    6. When finished, press “ESC” to leave insert mode.

    7. Save the file and quit vi by typing:

       :wq

    8. Give the script permission to run with the command:

       chmod +x script name.sh

    9. Execute your script by typing:

       ./script name.sh

       If your script contains the command cd, you must run it with the following:

       .    ./script name.sh

       Without the extra dot, changing directories will not take effect in your terminal.


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Last Updated: February 7, 2021
Installing and Using WSL                                                                             Owen Kunhardt


6      Troubleshooting
If you are having issues with WSL please consult the following document:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/troubleshooting


7      Questions and Feedback
If you have questions about or feedback for this guide, please email them to projects AT
owenkunhardt DOT com.




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Last Updated: February 7, 2021