How to install Ubuntu using WSL on Windows 11

On Windows 11, you can install the Ubuntu Linux distribution using the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) in at least three ways, including using Command Prompt, the Microsoft Store, and the “.wsl” tar file format, and in this guide, I’ll show you how to complete the installation.

The easiest way to install Ubuntu on WSL for Windows 11 is by using the wsl command in Command Prompt since the tool allows you to download and set up an instance of the operating system with a single command, and you even get the option to install a specific version.

If you want to use a graphical interface, you can also download and install Ubuntu alongside Windows 11 using the Microsoft Store. However, you may also need to enable the “Virtual Machine Platform” and “Windows Subsystem for Linux” features before you can download the package from the store.

If you don’t want to rely on the Microsoft Store, the compatibility layer now supports installing Ubuntu using the new “.wsl” tar-based file format.

The new “.tar.wsl” container has been designed to allow organizations to customize and deploy the Linux distribution at scale without an internet connection. However, Canonical also offers a download that anyone can use to install Ubuntu on WSL outside the Microsoft Store.

In this guide, I’ll outline the ways to install Ubuntu on Windows 11 using the Windows Subsystem for Linux compatibility layer.

Install Ubuntu on Windows 11 using WSL from command
Install Ubuntu on Windows 11 using WSL from .wsl tar format
Install Ubuntu on Windows 11 using WSL from Microsoft Store

Install Ubuntu on Windows 11 using WSL from command

To install Ubuntu on Windows 11, follow these steps:

Open Start on Windows 11.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to install the WSL and Ubuntu Linux on Windows 11 and press Enter:
```
wsl --install
```
(Optional) Type the following command to install Ubuntu if you already have WSL installed, and press Enter:
```
wsl --install -d Ubuntu
```
(Optional) Type the following command to view all the available distros and press Enter:
```
wsl --list --online 
```
(Optional) Type the following command to install a specific version of Ubuntu on Windows 11 and press Enter:
```
wsl --install -d UBUNTU-VERSION
```
In the command, change “UBUNTU-VERSION” to the name of the version you want to install. This example installs version 24.04:
```
wsl --install -d Ubuntu-24.04
```
Restart your computer to finish the WSL and Ubuntu installation.
Continue with the Linux distro setup as necessary.

After you complete the steps, the Ubuntu distribution will be installed on your device.

Install Ubuntu on Windows 11 using WSL from .wsl tar format

To install Ubuntu on Windows 11 using the tar-based distribution architecture, follow these steps:

Download the Ubuntu.tar.wsl image on your computer.

Quick notes: This link downloads the Ubuntu image directly from the official “Canonical Ubuntu” repository.
Open Start.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to open the directory containing the “.wsl” file and press Enter:
```
cd C:\Users\USERNAME\Downloads
```
In the command, update the path to the directory where you downloaded the package.
Type the following command to install the WSL and Ubuntu Linux on Windows 11 and press Enter:
```
wsl --install --from-file Ubuntu2404-250130_x64.wsl
```
Restart your computer to finish the WSL and Ubuntu installation.
Continue with the Linux distro setup as necessary.

Once you complete the steps, the distribution will be installed using the tar file.

Install Ubuntu on Windows 11 using WSL from Microsoft Store

To install Ubuntu on WSL from the Microsoft Store on Windows 11, follow these steps:

Open the Ubuntu store page. For example, “Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.”
Click the “Get in Store app” button.
Click the Install button.
Click the Open button to start Ubuntu on Windows 11.
Continue with the on-screen directions to complete the setup.

After you complete the steps, you can start using the Linux terminal on Windows 11 to access apps, such as Git, Ruby, Python, grep, awk, sed, and many more tools. For command reference, you can use this Microsoft documentation page.

Regardless of the option you choose, the feature should download and enable the required components automatically. If you’re having issues installing the Linux distribution through WSL, you may have to enable the “Virtual Machine Platform” and “Windows Subsystem for Linux” features manually. You can do this from Settings > System > Optional features > More Windows Features (Turn Windows Features on or off).