From the latest Insider builds, it’s found that Microsoft is making it easier for installing the WSL distributions. The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a package that will let users run Linux distributions on their Windows systems. It’s seen that any available distribution can be installed with just a single command in the PowerShell prompt.
Installing Linux in Windows 10 is Now Easier
Microsoft is making everything to make it productive and easier for using Windows 10. The company has improved designs, made navigation better, and even pushed dark mode to put less strain on users. Now, it’s cutting down the process of installing the desired Linux distribution on their Windows 10 systems easier.
As seen in the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview build of version 20246, Microsoft will let users install the WSL package with all necessary components in just a single command. Eliminating the hectic 7-step process as now, users in the upcoming Windows 10 versions can open the elevated PowerShell prompt and type a single command line to automate the entire download and install process.
Type the command line wsl –install, to start the downloading of the Linux package. Users are given the freedom of choosing from various Linux distributions too. While it didn’t support all the distributions as in Microsoft Store just yet, users can pick from the available Linux distributions. This can be seen by typing the wsl –list –online.
As of now, the available Linux distributions that can be installed using the PowerShell prompt are;
- Ubuntu
- Debian
- kali-linux
- openSUSE-42
- SLES-12
- Ubuntu-16.04
- Ubuntu-18.04
- Ubuntu-20.04
If users don’t mention which specific distribution has to be installed, the wsl –install command installs the Ubuntu by default. And to choose one specifically, users need to define it in the -d parameter like wsl –install -d <distribution>. Replace the <distribution> with any of the available distributions.
Via: Ghacks