How to run Linux commands on Windows

WSL needs Windows 11, or Windows 10 version 2004 or later, and virtualization turned on in the PC's firmware (it usually is).

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   Step 1: Run wsl --install

   Right-click Start, open Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin), and run:

   wsl --install

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   Step 2: Restart the PC

   Windows finishes turning on the features it needs when it starts again.

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   Step 3: Create your Linux user

   Ubuntu opens by itself after the restart (or open Ubuntu from Start). Pick a user name and password. They're only for Linux and don't have to match your Windows ones; you'll type the password for sudo.

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   Step 4: Update it

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

To pick another distribution, list them and install one by name:

wsl --list --online
wsl --install -d Debian

wsl                    # open a Linux shell in the current folder
wsl ls -la             # run one Linux command and come back to Windows
wsl -l -v              # installed distributions and their WSL version
wsl --update           # update WSL itself
wsl --shutdown         # stop every running distribution

• Your Windows drives are inside Linux at /mnt/c, /mnt/d and so on.
• Your Linux files show in File Explorer under Linux in the left pane, or at \\wsl.localhost\Ubuntu.
• Linux tools are fastest on files kept in your Linux home folder rather than under /mnt/c.

With WSL installed, run the script from a Linux shell, or straight from Command Prompt or PowerShell:

chmod +x backup.sh
./backup.sh

wsl bash ./backup.sh     # from Command Prompt or PowerShell

For Windows' own scripting, see how to write and run a Windows batch script and remote PowerShell.

Without WSL, Command Prompt has its own commands for the same jobs. PowerShell also accepts some Linux names, like ls, cat, cp, mv and rm, but their options differ. Windows 10 and 11 include ssh, scp, curl and tar as well.

WSL is great for tools and scripts on your own PC. To work on a Linux server or another Linux PC, connect to it instead:

• SSH: ssh user@server from PowerShell, or save the server in the RemoteAccessApp app and open it in a tab with SFTP next to it. See how to SSH into a Linux server from Windows.
• A Linux PC with RemoteAccessApp on it: open a terminal on it from your Windows PC, without a session or an SSH server. See a Linux terminal without a remote session.
• The whole Linux desktop: control a Linux PC from Windows.