Master WSL
The Fun Way

Get-ComputerInfo | Select-Object WindowsVersion, OsBuildNumber

# Enable WSL feature
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart

# Enable Virtual Machine Platform
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

wsl --install

# Set default WSL version for new installs
wsl --set-default-version 2

# Switch a specific distro to WSL 2
wsl --set-version Ubuntu 2

# Check current versions
wsl -l -v

# List all installed distros with version and status
wsl -l -v

# Launch a specific distro
wsl -d Debian

# Set the default distro
wsl --set-default Ubuntu

# Stop a specific distro
wsl -t Ubuntu

# Stop ALL distros (full shutdown)
wsl --shutdown

# Remove a distro (DELETES ALL DATA)
wsl --unregister OldDistro

# Export distro to a .tar.gz file
wsl --export Ubuntu C:\Backups\ubuntu-backup.tar.gz

# Import it back (or to a new machine)
wsl --import Ubuntu C:\WSL\Ubuntu C:\Backups\ubuntu-backup.tar.gz --version 2

# Convert Linux path to Windows path
wslpath -w ~/myproject
# → \\wsl.localhost\Ubuntu\home\user\myproject

# Convert Windows path to Linux path
wslpath -u 'C:\Users\Name\Downloads'
# → /mnt/c/Users/Name/Downloads

# Open current Linux folder in Windows Explorer
explorer.exe .

# Run any Linux command from PowerShell
wsl ls -la
wsl grep -r "TODO" ./src

# Pipe between PowerShell and Linux
Get-Content file.txt | wsl grep "pattern"
wsl cat /etc/hosts | Select-String "localhost"

# Open Windows Explorer in current dir
explorer.exe .

# Open a file in Windows Notepad
notepad.exe myfile.txt

# Copy text to Windows clipboard
echo "hello!" | clip.exe

# Run PowerShell from bash
powershell.exe -Command "Get-Date"

[wsl2]
# Max memory for the WSL VM (default: 50% of host RAM)
memory=8GB

# Swap space
swap=4GB

# Number of virtual processors (default: same as host)
processors=4

# Max VHD disk size
diskSizeGB=256

# Networking mode: 'nat' (default) or 'mirrored' (Win11 only)
networkingMode=nat

# DNS tunneling (useful with VPNs)
dnsTunneling=true

# Allow Windows Firewall rules to apply in WSL
firewall=true

# Return unused memory pages to Windows (helps with RAM usage)
pageReporting=true

# Enable GUI apps (WSLg)
guiApplications=true

# Enable nested virtualization (for running Docker-in-Docker)
nestedVirtualization=false

[boot]
# Enable systemd (recommended!)
systemd=true
# Run a command on WSL start
command=""

[automount]
# Auto-mount Windows drives (/mnt/c etc)
enabled=true
# Mount options
options="metadata,uid=1000,gid=1000,umask=022,fmask=11"

[network]
# Auto-generate /etc/hosts from Windows hosts file
generateHosts=true
# Auto-generate /etc/resolv.conf for DNS
generateResolvConf=true

[interop]
# Allow calling Windows executables from Linux
enabled=true
# Append Windows PATH to Linux PATH
appendWindowsPath=true

[user]
# Default user (important after wsl --import)
default=yourusername

# Find WSL's IP address
ip addr show eth0 | grep "inet "

# Find Windows host IP from inside WSL
ip route show default | awk '{print $3}'

# Manual DNS fix
sudo tee /etc/resolv.conf <<'EOF'
nameserver 1.1.1.1
nameserver 8.8.8.8
EOF

# Prevent WSL from overwriting it
sudo chattr +i /etc/resolv.conf

# Edit /etc/wsl.conf
sudo tee /etc/wsl.conf <<'EOF'
[boot]
systemd=true
EOF

# Then in PowerShell:
# wsl --shutdown
# Then relaunch your distro

# Verify systemd is PID 1
ps -p 1 -o comm=

# Common systemctl commands
sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl enable nginx   # Auto-start on WSL launch
sudo systemctl status nginx
journalctl -u nginx -f        # Follow logs

# Install dependencies
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y ca-certificates curl gnupg

# Add Docker's GPG key
sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg \
  | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg

# Add the repository
echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg] \
  https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" \
  | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list

# Install Docker
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

# Run Docker without sudo
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker

# Start on boot (requires systemd)
sudo systemctl enable --now docker

# Generate ed25519 key (recommended)
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]"

# Or RSA (for older systems)
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "[email protected]"

# Start ssh-agent and add your key
eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

# Copy public key for GitHub
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

# Install keychain, then add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
sudo apt install -y keychain
echo 'eval $(keychain --eval --quiet ~/.ssh/id_ed25519)' >> ~/.bashrc

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "[email protected]"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main
git config --global core.autocrlf input    # Critical for cross-platform
git config --global core.editor "code --wait"
git config --global pull.rebase false

# Use Windows Credential Manager for HTTPS auth
git config --global credential.helper "/mnt/c/Program\\ Files/Git/mingw64/bin/git-credential-manager.exe"

# Increase inotify watchers (for Vite, Webpack, etc.)
echo fs.inotify.max_user_watches=524288 | sudo tee /etc/sysctl.d/99-wsl.conf
sudo sysctl --system

# Reduce swap pressure
echo vm.swappiness=10 | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.d/99-wsl.conf

# Release cached memory
sudo sh -c 'echo 3 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches'

# Benchmark disk speed
dd if=/dev/zero of=/tmp/test bs=1M count=1024 oflag=direct 2>&1 | tail -1

# Download Alpine minirootfs
wget https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/latest-stable/releases/x86_64/alpine-minirootfs-3.21.0-x86_64.tar.gz

# In PowerShell: import it
# wsl --import Alpine C:\WSL\Alpine .\alpine-minirootfs-3.21.0-x86_64.tar.gz --version 2
# wsl -d Alpine

# Build and export a Docker image as a WSL distro
docker build -t my-distro .
docker run --name tmp-distro my-distro true
docker export tmp-distro | gzip > my-distro.tar.gz
docker rm tmp-distro

# In PowerShell
# wsl --import MyDistro C:\WSL\MyDistro .\my-distro.tar.gz --version 2

# Install some Linux GUI apps
sudo apt install -y gedit gimp vlc x11-apps

# Launch them — they appear as Windows windows!
gimp &
xclock &   # Classic X11 test

# Test audio
sudo apt install -y pulseaudio-utils
paplay /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Left.wav

[wsl2]
networkingMode=mirrored
dnsTunneling=true

hostname -I         # Should match Windows IP
python3 -m http.server 8080 &
# Access localhost:8080 from Windows browser instantly

# Total disk usage
df -h /

# What's using the most space?
du -sh /* 2>/dev/null | sort -rh | head -20

# Find large files
find / -size +500M -not -path "/proc/*" 2>/dev/null

# Clean apt cache
sudo apt clean && sudo apt autoremove -y

# Sparse VHD automatically returns freed space to Windows
wsl --manage Ubuntu --set-sparse true

wsl --shutdown
wsl --update
wsl

# Test connectivity
ping -c 3 8.8.8.8

# If ping works but DNS fails, fix resolv.conf
echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" | sudo tee /etc/resolv.conf
sudo chattr +i /etc/resolv.conf

# Or try switching to mirrored networking in .wslconfig

# Switch to legacy iptables
sudo update-alternatives --set iptables /usr/sbin/iptables-legacy
sudo update-alternatives --set ip6tables /usr/sbin/ip6tables-legacy
sudo service docker restart

# Kernel messages (including WSL-specific)
dmesg | tail -50

# systemd journal (if systemd enabled)
journalctl -xe
journalctl -u docker --since "10 minutes ago"

# WSL status overview
wsl --version
wsl --status
wsl -l -v

Get-WinEvent -LogName Microsoft-Windows-Lxss-Manager/Operational -MaxEvents 20 |
  Select-Object TimeCreated, Message | Format-List

# Back up first!
wsl --export Ubuntu C:\backup-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd).tar.gz

# Delete and reinstall
wsl --unregister Ubuntu
wsl --install -d Ubuntu

# Disable WSL features
dism.exe /online /disable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux
dism.exe /online /disable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform

# Restart, then re-enable
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

# Restart again, then
wsl --update
wsl --install