Web development environment with WSL 2 and Docker. Part 1

1. What is heck this WSL .
   WSL abbreviation translated as a Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL ). And this allows you to enable Linux Bash on Windows 10. This is great if you want to use some Linux tools on your Windows 10 machine.
   
   How to use WSL 1, check Installation Guide
   With WSL 2, the architecture will change drastically and will bring increased file system performance and full system call compatibility.
   WSL 2 is now using virtualization technology (based on Hyper-V ) and a lightweight utility VM on a real Linux kernel.
   You can read more on Microsoft Docs Page for WSL 2
   
   
   

Requirements

To install WSL 2, you will nedd the following requirements:

• Windows 10 Build at list 18917 or higher
• WSL 2 generally available in Windows 10, version 2004.
• A computer that supports Hyper-V Virtualization.

Enable the WSL

To run the WSL on Windows 10 you will need to install the optional feature:

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux

Or, in the search bar, look for “Feature” and click the “Turn Windows features on or off“

Select “Virtual Machine Platform” & “Windows Subsystem for Linux“

And click “OK”. Windows will now install WSL. Once done, you will be propmt to restart Windows.

Or as an option, you can run the following PowerShell command to do this. You will need to start PowerShell as an Administrator.

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName VirtualMachinePlatform

In this step you will have WSL1 installed, not WSL 2, you need to download and install the WSL 2 Linux Kernel. Download and Install Guide.

Once done, you can specify to run every new distribution with WSl 2 by default (there is no point to use WSL 1 anymore)

wsl --set-default-version 2

Sometime, you will see this message :

Ok, now you are ready to install a Linux Distribution .

Go, to Microsoft Store, search fo “Linux”, it will give you all the Linux distribution available for WSl 2.

Chose, one on your case. When the distribution is installed , “Launch” it.

Choose an username and a password for your new WSL linux machine.