Setup & Config WSL2

Before using WSL Dashboard, your Windows system must have WSL 2 properly enabled and configured. This section will guide you through the necessary setup steps.

1. Check System Requirements

WSL 2 has minimum Windows version requirements. Press Win + R, type winver, and check your version:

• Windows 10: Version 1903 or later, with Build 18362 or higher.
• Windows 11: All versions are supported.

IMPORTANT

If your version is too old, please upgrade your system through Windows Update first.

2. Enable Hardware Virtualization

WSL 2 runs on virtualization technology, so Virtualization Technology must be enabled in your motherboard's BIOS/UEFI.

• How to check: Open "Task Manager" → "Performance" tab → "CPU".
• Check the status: Confirm that "Virtualization" in the lower-right corner shows "Enabled".
• How to enable: If it is not enabled, restart your computer, enter the BIOS/UEFI settings, and find an option similar to Intel VT-x or AMD-V and set it to Enabled.

3. Enable Windows Features

You need to enable the "Windows Subsystem for Linux" and "Virtual Machine Platform" features.

Method A: Via GUI (Recommended)

1. Press Win + S, search for and open "Turn Windows features on or off".
2. Check the following two items:
   • Windows Subsystem for Linux
   • Virtual Machine Platform
3. Click "OK" and restart your computer when prompted.

Method B: Via Command Line (Administrator)

Run PowerShell as Administrator and execute the following commands:

# Enable WSL
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart

# Enable Virtual Machine Platform
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

After execution, restart your computer manually.

4. Install / Update the WSL Kernel

Modern versions of Windows can get WSL updates through the Microsoft Store.

• Download link: Microsoft Store - Windows Subsystem for Linux
• Manual download: If you cannot use the Store, you can download the latest .msixbundle or .msi installer from WSL GitHub Releases for an offline installation.

5. Set WSL 2 as the Default Version

To ensure that newly installed distributions use WSL 2 by default, run the following in your terminal:

wsl --set-default-version 2

FAQ

• Error 0x80370102: This is typically caused by virtualization not being enabled in the BIOS, or a conflict with Hyper-V.
• Switching between WSL 1 and WSL 2: You can use wsl --set-version <DistroName> 2 to upgrade an existing WSL 1 instance to WSL 2.