How to set default Linux distro WSL on Windows 11

You can set any Linux distro as the default on Windows 11, and in this guide, you will learn how.

By Mauro Huculak (@Pureinfotech) , Windows How-To Expert and IT Specialist with 21 years of experience.

February 20, 2023

2023-02-20T09:59:38-05:00

On Windows 11, you can run multiple Linux distros through the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). The only caveat is that the first distro installed on the system will become the default automatically.

Although this won’t prevent you from accessing the distro, when you run the “WSL” command, the default distribution will start automatically. However, the platform includes an option to change the default settings of any other distro available on Windows 11.

In this guide, you will learn the steps to make your preferred distro the new default on Windows 11.

Set default WSL Linux distro on Windows 11

To set any Linux distro as the default on WSL, use 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 view a list of all available distros and press Enter:
```
wsl --list
```
Quick tip: You can also use this variant wsl -l of the command.
Type the following command to set the Linux distro as the new default on WSL and press Enter:
```
wsl --setdefault DISTRO-NAME
```
In the command, replace “DISTRO-NAME” with the name of the distro to set it as default (see step 3). For instance, this command makes Ubuntu Linux the default distro on Windows 11:
```
wsl --setdefault Ubuntu
```
Quick tip: You can also use this variant wsl -s Ubuntu of the command.

Once you complete the steps, when you run the “WSL” command, the default distro will start automatically on Windows 11.