To download and install Ubuntu Linux on Windows 10 you need to do the following: Open the Control Panel in Windows 10 and click 'Programs'. Find and select 'Turn Windows features on or off'. Select 'Windows Subsystem for Linux' and click 'OK'. Reboot your PC to start using Ubuntu on Windows 10. To install Ubuntu Linux on a Windows computer, you'll need to create an installation key by downloading the Ubuntu installation file and burning it to a USB drive, after which point you can reboot your computer into the BIOS and select the USB drive to boot from it.
Install the Windows Subsystem for Linux
Before installing any Linux distros for WSL, you must ensure that the 'Windows Subsystem for Linux' optional feature is enabled:
Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
Restart your computer when prompted.
Install your Linux Distribution of Choice
To download and install your preferred distro(s), you have three choices:
- Download and install from the Microsoft Store (see below)
- Download and install from the Command-Line/Script (read the manual installation instructions)
- Download and manually unpack and install (for Windows Server - instructions here)
Windows 10 Fall Creators Update and later: Install from the Microsoft Store
Free Linux Download
This section is for Windows build 16215 or later. Follow these steps to check your build.
Open the Microsoft Store and choose your favorite Linux distribution.
The following links will open the Microsoft store page for each distribution:
From the distro's page, select 'Get'
Complete initialization of your distro
How To Install Linux On Windows 10 Pc
Now that your Linux distro is installed, you must initialize your new distro instance once, before it can be used.
Troubleshooting:
Below are related errors and suggested fixes. Refer to the WSL troubleshooting page for other common errors and their solutions.
How To Install Linux On Windows 8.1
Installation failed with error 0x80070003
- The Windows Subsystem for Linux only runs on your system drive (usually this is your
C:drive). Make sure that distros are stored on your system drive: - Open Settings -> Storage -> More Storage Settings: Change where new content is saved
- The Windows Subsystem for Linux only runs on your system drive (usually this is your
WslRegisterDistribution failed with error 0x8007019e
The Windows Subsystem for Linux optional component is not enabled:
Open Control Panel -> Programs and Features -> Turn Windows Feature on or off -> Check Windows Subsystem for Linux or using the PowerShell cmdlet mentioned at the begining of this article.