Mission Control for Your Linux Distributions on Windows
A modern, lightweight manager for Windows Subsystem for Linux. Monitor your distributions, install from OCI container registries, customize with themes, and automate with custom actions.
WSLUI Downloads
If you want to run Ubuntu Server under WSL2 and manage it with WSLUI, follow these steps.
1. Enable WSL
Open PowerShell as Administrator.
Check if WSL is installed:
wsl --status
If it is not installed:
wsl --install
Restart Windows if prompted.
Verify WSL is version 2:
wsl --set-default-version 2
2. Install Ubuntu
List available distributions:
wsl --list --online
Install Ubuntu Server (latest LTS):
wsl --install Ubuntu-24.04
or
wsl --install Ubuntu
Restart if required.
3. Create Your Linux User
Launch Ubuntu:
ubuntu2404
or
wsl
Create:
Username
Password
Update Ubuntu:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
4. Install Common Server Packages
sudo apt install -y \
build-essential \
curl \
wget \
git \
nano \
vim \
zip \
unzip \
software-properties-common
5. Install SSH Server
sudo apt install openssh-server -y
Start it:
sudo service ssh start
Verify:
sudo service ssh status
6. Install WSLUI
WSLUI is a graphical management tool for WSL distributions.
Download the latest release from its project page and install it on Windows. Once installed it can:
Start/stop WSL distributions
Open terminals
Configure memory and CPU limits
Manage multiple Linux distributions
Access Linux files
7. Configure .wslconfig
Create:
C:\Users\
Example:
[wsl2]
memory=8GB
processors=6
swap=4GB
localhostForwarding=true
nestedVirtualization=true
Restart WSL:
wsl --shutdown
8. Enable systemd
Edit:
sudo nano /etc/wsl.conf
Add:
[boot]
systemd=true
Restart WSL:
wsl --shutdown
Verify:
systemctl status
9. Install a LEMP Stack
sudo apt install nginx php-fpm php-cli php-mysql mariadb-server -y
Enable services:
sudo systemctl enable nginx
sudo systemctl enable mariadb
sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl start mariadb
10. Install Docker
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
Add yourself to the Docker group:
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
Restart WSL.
Install Docker Compose:
sudo apt install docker-compose-plugin -y
Test:
docker run hello-world
11. Useful WSL Commands
List distributions:
wsl -l -v
Shutdown WSL:
wsl --shutdown
Terminate Ubuntu:
wsl --terminate Ubuntu-24.04
Open Ubuntu:
wsl -d Ubuntu-24.04
Export a backup:
wsl --export Ubuntu-24.04 ubuntu.tar
Import:
wsl --import Ubuntu D:\WSL\Ubuntu ubuntu.tar
12. Verify Installation
Inside Ubuntu:
uname -a
lsb_release -a
systemctl status
docker --version
php -v
nginx -v
mysql --version
Recommended development stack
For full-stack development, a practical WSL2 setup includes:
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
systemd enabled
Docker Engine + Docker Compose
Nginx
PHP 8.3
MariaDB
Node.js 22 LTS
Git
Composer
Python 3.12+
Visual Studio Code with the WSL extension
WSLUI for convenient distribution management
This provides a fast Linux development environment on Windows while keeping your projects accessible from both operating systems.
Ubuntu Server under WSL2 and manage it with WSLUI, follow these steps.
Enable WSL
Open PowerShell as Administrator.
Check if WSL is installed:
wsl --status
If it is not installed:
wsl --install
Restart Windows if prompted.
Verify WSL is version 2:
wsl --set-default-version 2
Install Ubuntu
List available distributions:
wsl --list --online
Install Ubuntu Server (latest LTS):
wsl --install Ubuntu-24.04
or
wsl --install Ubuntu
Restart if required.
Create Your Linux User
Launch Ubuntu:
ubuntu2404
or
wsl
Create:
Username
Password
Update Ubuntu:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
Install Common Server Packages
sudo apt install -y \
build-essential \
curl \
wget \
git \
nano \
vim \
zip \
unzip \
software-properties-common
Install SSH Server
sudo apt install openssh-server -y
Start it:
sudo service ssh start
Verify:
sudo service ssh status
Install WSLUI
WSLUI is a graphical management tool for WSL distributions.
Download the latest release from its project page and install it on Windows. Once installed it can:
Start/stop WSL distributions
Open terminals
Configure memory and CPU limits
Manage multiple Linux distributions
Access Linux files
Configure .wslconfig
Create:
C:\Users\
Example:
[wsl2]
memory=8GB
processors=6
swap=4GB
localhostForwarding=true
nestedVirtualization=true
Restart WSL:
wsl --shutdown
Enable systemd
Edit:
sudo nano /etc/wsl.conf
Add:
[boot]
systemd=true
Restart WSL:
wsl --shutdown
Verify:
systemctl status
Install a LEMP Stack
sudo apt install nginx php-fpm php-cli php-mysql mariadb-server -y
Enable services:
sudo systemctl enable nginx
sudo systemctl enable mariadb
sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl start mariadb
Install Docker
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
Add yourself to the Docker group:
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
Restart WSL.
Install Docker Compose:
sudo apt install docker-compose-plugin -y
Test:
docker run hello-world
Useful WSL Commands
List distributions:
wsl -l -v
Shutdown WSL:
wsl --shutdown
Terminate Ubuntu:
wsl --terminate Ubuntu-24.04
Open Ubuntu:
wsl -d Ubuntu-24.04
Export a backup:
wsl --export Ubuntu-24.04 ubuntu.tar
Import:
wsl --import Ubuntu D:\WSL\Ubuntu ubuntu.tar
Verify Installation
Inside Ubuntu:
uname -a
lsb_release -a
systemctl status
docker --version
php -v
nginx -v
mysql --version
Recommended development stack
For full-stack development, a practical WSL2 setup includes:
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
systemd enabled
Docker Engine + Docker Compose
Nginx
PHP 8.3
MariaDB
Node.js 22 LTS
Git
Composer
Python 3.12+
Visual Studio Code with the WSL extension
WSLUI for convenient distribution management
https://wsl-ui.octasoft.co.uk/
This provides a fast Linux development environment on Windows while keeping your projects accessible from both operating systems.