1.1 Open PowerShell as Administrator

Open a PowerShell prompt as an Administrator (we recommend using Windows Terminal):

1. Press Windows + X
2. Select "Windows Terminal (Admin)" or "PowerShell (Admin)"
3. Click "Yes" when prompted for administrator access

1.2 Install WSL

Run the following command to install WSL:

wsl --install

1.3 Handle Execution Policy (if needed)

If you see a red error about execution policy being restricted, run:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser Unrestricted

Then try the wsl --install command again.

Method 1: Using Microsoft Store (Recommended)

1. Open the Microsoft Store
2. Search for "Ubuntu 24.04 LTS"
3. Click "Get" to install
4. Once installed, click "Open" or search for Ubuntu in your Windows search bar

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS in the Microsoft Store

Method 2: Using WSL Commands

First, check available distributions by running:

wsl --list --online

You'll see output like:

The following is a list of valid distributions that can be installed.
The default distribution is denoted by '*'.
Install using 'wsl --install -d <Distro>'.

  NAME                                   FRIENDLY NAME
* Ubuntu                                 Ubuntu
  Debian                                 Debian GNU/Linux
  kali-linux                             Kali Linux Rolling
  Ubuntu-18.04                           Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
  Ubuntu-20.04                           Ubuntu 20.04 LTS
  Ubuntu-22.04                           Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
  Ubuntu-24.04                           Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

Install Ubuntu 24.04 LTS by running:

wsl --install -d Ubuntu-24.04

You'll see an installation progress indicator in the terminal.

Verify Your Installation

Check all installed distributions and their WSL version:

wsl -l -v

You should see output similar to:

  NAME            STATE           VERSION
* Ubuntu-24.04    Stopped         2

3.1 Launch Ubuntu

To open an Ubuntu 24.04 terminal, run the following command in PowerShell:

ubuntu2404.exe

Or simply search for "Ubuntu" in your Windows search bar and click on it.

Ubuntu in Windows search results

3.2 Create Your Linux User Account

Once Ubuntu finishes its initial setup, you will be prompted to:

1. Create a username (lowercase, no spaces)
2. Create a password (it won't show while typing - this is normal)
3. Confirm your password

3.3 Update Ubuntu

It's always good practice to install the latest updates. Run these commands in your Ubuntu terminal:

sudo apt update

sudo apt full-upgrade -y

Enter your password when prompted.

4.1 Switch to Linux Home Directory

In your Ubuntu terminal, ensure you're in the Linux filesystem:

cd ~

4.2 Install Node.js via NVM (Recommended)

Install Node Version Manager for better Node.js management:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.3/install.sh | bash

Activate NVM without restarting:

. "$HOME/.nvm/nvm.sh"

Install Node.js version 20 (LTS):

nvm install 20

4.3 Verify Installation

Check that Node.js and npm are properly installed:

node --version && npm --version

You should see versions like v20.x.x and 10.x.x