This guide shows how to install Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2).

WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) allows running Linux directly in Windows:

• Complete Linux environment
• Access to Windows files under /mnt/c/, /mnt/d/, etc.
• Ideal for Linux builds and Docker

# As Administrator in PowerShell:
wsl --install -d Ubuntu-22.04

This installs:

• WSL2 components
• Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
• Linux kernel

# Enable WSL and Virtual Machine Platform
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

Restart computer.

wsl --set-default-version 2

Ubuntu (recommended):

wsl --install -d Ubuntu-22.04

Fedora (alternative):

# Fedora manually from Microsoft Store or:
winget install WhitewaterFoundry.Fedora.39.WSL

On first start, Ubuntu asks for:

• Username (e.g. dev)
• Password

After WSL installation, build tools need to be installed:

# Open WSL
wsl
 
# Update system
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
 
# Install build tools
sudo apt install -y \
    build-essential \
    perl \
    nasm \
    git \
    cmake \
    pkg-config

# Open WSL
wsl
 
# Install build tools
sudo dnf install -y \
    gcc \
    gcc-c++ \
    make \
    perl \
    nasm \
    git \
    cmake

# Check compiler
gcc --version
# Should show: gcc (Ubuntu 11.x.x) ...
 
# Check Perl
perl -v
# Should show: This is perl 5...
 
# Check NASM
nasm -v
# Should show: NASM version 2.x

All Windows drives are mounted:

# C: drive
ls /mnt/c/
 
# D: drive (our projects)
ls /mnt/d/Projects/openssl-3.6.0/

\\wsl$\Ubuntu-22.04\home\<user>\

In Explorer: Type \\wsl$ in the address bar.

Recommendation for build:

# Copy sources to Linux
cp -r /mnt/d/Projects/openssl-3.6.0/src ~/openssl-src
 
# Build in Linux filesystem
cd ~/openssl-src
./Configure linux-x86_64 --prefix=~/openssl-build
make -j$(nproc)
 
# Copy result to Windows
cp -r ~/openssl-build /mnt/d/Projects/openssl-3.6.0/linux-build/

# Update WSL kernel
wsl --update

Enable in BIOS:

• Intel: „Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)“
• AMD: „SVM Mode“

Work in Linux filesystem (~/) instead of under /mnt/.

• Install Emscripten SDK
• Linux Build
• Back to Preparation

Wolfgang van der Stille @ EMSR DATA d.o.o. - Post-Quantum Cryptography Professional