Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL): A Convenient Way to Run Linux Tools on a Windows 10 system

Linux is a popular operating system and is especially useful for projects involving command-line scripts and programming languages such as Python. Many tools and examples that are of interest to those wishing to explore, experiment, and develop projects for digital humanities or data analysis and other tasks are based on Linux. Mac laptops support Linux fairly easily, and there are many online resources that a Mac user may find helpful. However, until recently, people who have only Windows computers have had a relatively difficult time in accessing programs and techniques that require a Linux operating system.

In the recent past, a common way to operate a Linux system on a Windows computer, while continuing to be able to access Windows (i.e., without having to reboot the computer into a Linux mode) was through installing VirtualBox, followed by installing a Linux operating system into the VirtualBox environment. At that point, under VirtualBox, it was not always easy or straightforward to configure the Linux system to access network resources that are accessible to the Windows system. However, an alternative is available, via the Windows Subsystem for Linux.

This short tutorial demonstrates how to run Linux through the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) on a Windows 10 (or above) computer.

#Learning outcome

After viewing this training resource, users will be able to:

• set-up a working version of Ubuntu Linux distribution running on a Windows computer