How to Set Up Ubuntu on Windows 10 with WSL: A Step‑by‑Step Guide

First, open the Windows Control Panel, locate "Turn Windows features on or off," and enable the option "Windows Subsystem for Linux" (WSL). After confirming, restart the computer to apply the change.

Next, open Microsoft Store, search for "Linux" or "Ubuntu," and install the Ubuntu app (or other available distributions such as openSUSE Leap 42 or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12). The store page provides a free download.

Launch the installed Ubuntu app; the first run will prompt you to create a Unix username and password. The installation completes within minutes.

Once Ubuntu is ready, update the package lists and upgrade existing packages with the following commands: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade To add Go development tools, install the Go compiler and documentation utilities via apt:

sudo apt install golang-go && sudo apt install golang-golang-x-tools

After installation, you can verify the setup and explore common commands, such as checking the Go version, listing installed packages, or running godoc to view documentation.

Using WSL eliminates the need for separate virtual machines, providing a lightweight Linux environment directly within Windows 10, which simplifies cross‑platform development and testing.