Set up Linux Dev Environment On Windows 10 Machine With WSL2, Docker, and Visual Studio Code

Chloe Sun
6 min readNov 30, 2020
Source: Unsplash

WSL 2

Why Use Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL 2)?

According to Microsoft doc, “the Windows Subsystem for Linux lets developers run a GNU/Linux environment — including most command-line tools, utilities, and applications — directly on Windows, unmodified, without the overhead of a traditional virtual machine or dualboot setup.”

Unlike WSL 1, which uses a translation layer between Linux and Windows, the latest WSL 2 uses virtual machine technology to allow you to run a real Linux kernel directly on Windows 10. WSL 2 also allows you to run Docker natively on Windows 10.

Installation of WSL 2

You need to install WSL 1 and update to WSL 2, and here are the official instructions you’d need to follow. Just be aware to check if your Windows version meets the requirements for WSL 2.

Windows Requirements:

  • For x64 systems: Version 1903 or higher, with Build 18362 or higher.
  • For ARM64 systems: Version 2004 or higher, with Build 19041 or higher.
  • Builds lower than 18362 do not support WSL 2. Use the Windows Update Assistant to update your version of…

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Chloe Sun
Chloe Sun

Written by Chloe Sun

<Architect | Software Developer | Metaverse Enthusiast> Discord: Architecting the Metaverse https://discord.com/invite/mZjcEbgyEH

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