WSL - Windows Subsystem for Linux

From Bard.

WSL Management Commands:

Installation and Setup:

  • wsl --install: Installs the default Linux distribution (Ubuntu).

  • wsl --install -d <Distribution Name>: Installs a specific distribution from the list of available options.

  • wsl --list --online: Displays a list of available Linux distributions for installation.

  • wsl --set-default <Distribution Name>: Sets the default WSL distribution to use when launching WSL without specifying a distribution.

  • wsl --set-version <Distribution Name> <Version Number>: Sets the WSL version (1 or 2) for a specific distribution.

Managing Distributions:

  • wsl -l -v: Lists installed distributions and their WSL versions.

  • wsl --unregister <Distribution Name>: Unregisters and removes a distribution.

  • wsl --export <Distribution Name> <FileName>: Exports a distribution as a tar file.

  • wsl --import <Distribution Name> <InstallLocation> <FileName>: Imports a distribution from a tar file.

Running and Interacting:

  • wsl: Launches the default WSL distribution.

  • wsl <Distribution Name>: Launches a specific WSL distribution.

  • wsl -u <Username>: Launches a distribution as a specific user.

  • wsl --exec <Command>: Executes a Linux command without launching a distribution shell.

Additional Options:

  • wsl --shutdown: Shuts down all running WSL distributions.

  • wsl --status: Shows the status of running WSL distributions.

  • wsl --help: Displays help information for WSL commands.

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