In this article, we’ll show you how to set up WSL and run Linux on Windows without needing a virtual machine. Thanks to the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), you can now run Linux commands and even full-fledged Linux applications on Windows without a virtual machine.

Under Hyper-V Requirements, if the result reads Yes, then you can run Hyper-V.If you want to utilize the power of the Linux operating system while still using Windows, there’s no need to install a virtual machine or dual-boot your computer.

Type the following command and press Enter: systeminfo.exe.

Search for Command Prompt and click the top result.

You can quickly verify your computer has the required support for Hyper-V using Systeminfo:

In addition, you have to make sure the Virtualization Technology and Hardware Enforced Data Execution Prevention options are enabled on your system BIOS.

Processor must support VM Monitor Mode Extension (VT-c on Intel chips).

64-bit CPU with Second Level Address Translation (SLAT).

Verifying Hyper-V supportĪlthough Hyper-V is part of Windows 10, there is a minimum hardware requirement a computer must meet to enable the feature. Hyper-V is a virtualization technology from Microsoft available on Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education, and it allows you to create one or multiple virtual machines to install and run different OSes on the same physical hardware.

However, it's possible to install version 16.04, which might be a more stable version of the open source project, and you can also install other distros, including: In this guide, we'll be using Ubuntu version 17.10, which you can download from the official Ubuntu website.

An ISO file to install your preferred Linux distribution.

Run linux vm on windows 10