How do I know what version of WSL I have?
So, what is WSL? WSL is a kernel compatibility layer to run Linux binaries on Windows. WSL converts the Linux calls into windows calls and executes them, though WSL 2 has its own specifically designed kernel that no longer needed call system translation. After enabling WSL in Windows and installing Linux distribution, you can use bash shell for all compatible utilities. It is quite helpful for developers and even for students who are interested to learn Linux on Windows.
WLS 2 is the successor of WSL 1, which comes with many new features, for example, an increase in performance and whole system call compatibility. Microsoft itself designed Linux kernel to optimize it for WSL 2, which allows running tons of new applications, and any future updates for Linux will immediately be available to use. To utilize the new features of WSL and gaining full system call compatibility, you must be aware of your WSL version. Whether your system needs an update or it already supports WSL 2, how do you know the version of WSL on your system? This guide is focusing on methods to check the WSL version on your system. So, let’s begin:
How to check the WSL version:
If you are using any version of Windows 10, then you have the support of WSL. Since many new features do not work in the older version of WSL, we need to update it to the latest version. There are few methods to recognize if your system supports WSL 2 or not. First of all, check the Windows 10 version and to check it, open the command prompt and type “ver”:
The version can also be checked by typing “System Information” in the Windows search bar:
If the build number is lower than “18917”, then you will have WSL 1 in your system. For example, in the above output, the build is “15063,” which means that PC has WSL 1.
If the build number is higher than “18917”, then your system supports WSL 2. To ensure that WSL 2 is enabled in your system, open the Windows command prompt and run the below-mentioned command:
Note that the above command only works on Windows build version “18362” and higher. If the output indicates the WSL version properly, that means WSL 2 is enabled in your system:
If you don’t get the above output, then use the following command to enable WSL 2:
If your system has problems with the above command, uninstall the Linux distribution from your system and run the update command again. After that, go to the Windows Store and install Linux distribution.
Though WSL 2 is the latest version, there are still some features that are only supported by WSL 1, such as quick access to files stored on Windows, serial port support, etc. So to set a specific version of WSL to a specific distribution, use the command:
Replace the “[distro_name]” with the Linux distribution name and mentioned the WSL version in the place of “[wsl_version_number].”
Conclusion:
WSL is a Windows feature that allows Windows 10 users to run Linux on Windows 10 natively. There are two main versions of WSL; WSL 2 is the updated version of WSL 1 and supports all system calls, and 20% faster than its predecessor. Although the WSL 2 is the current and overhauled version, some exceptions might make you use WSL 1. Which version you should use is a personal choice, but I would recommend going with WSL 2 because it is efficient and allows you to install Linux updates easily.
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Sam U
I am a professional graphics designer with over 6 years of experience. Currently doing research in virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality.
I hardly watch movies but love to read tech related books and articles.
How to check WSL version on Windows 10 or 11
You can easily determine the version of the Windows Subsystem for Linux version with this wsl.exe command.
On Windows 10 (and on Windows 11), as of this writing, two versions of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) are available, including versions 1 and 2.
WSL 1 was the original release and introduced the ability to run Linux distros natively alongside Windows 10. WSL 2 is the second version that now uses virtualization to run the Linux kernel inside a lightweight virtual machine, offering the same benefits as the first version, plus better system performance and full system call support compatibility.
If you recently upgraded from WSL1 to WSL2 and want to confirm the installation was completed successfully or wonder what version of the architecture you have, Windows 10 and 11 include a command to check whether you have WSL2 or WSL1 installed on your device.
In this guide, you will learn the steps to confirm the Windows Subsystem version for Linux installed on Windows 11 or 10.
To check the WSL version installed on Windows 10 or 11, use these steps:
Open Start.
Search for Command Prompt (or PowerShell), right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to check the version of WSL installed on the device and press Enter:
Under the “Version” collum, confirm the WSL version installed on Windows 11 or 10.
Once you complete the steps, if the output is 2, then WSL2 is installed on your machine. Since the command became available with version 2, if you get an error or there is no version number, you have WSL1 installed on Windows.
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Check WSL Version in Windows 11, 10, and 7
WSL means Windows Subsystem for Linux. In this post, we show you how to check WSL version quickly. WSL is a great windows initiative program that allows users to use a Linux file system and run Linux command-line and Graphical User Interface (GUI) programs to run directly on Windows without using any third-party virtualization software. This is an excellent tool for those who want to learn about the Linux working environment but can not afford to change their primary operating system to learn Linux. There are other administrative use cases of WSL as well.
Bash script running in Ubuntu-like environment in WSL inside Windows 10. (Wikipedia)
What is WSL?
WSL is an abbreviation for Windows Subsystem for Linux. It allows Linux binary(bin) executable files to run natively on Windows environments. For frequent Linux users, it saves the hassle to either virtualize a Linux environment or dual boot their system with both Linux and Windows. Users are advised to check WSL version as Microsoft consistently adds new features to make this platform as Linux-like as possible. To know more about the windows subsystem for Linux, like its installation process, working mechanism, check WSL versions and latest information, visit its official documentation site from Microsoft.
How to check WSL version
Knowing the correct version of your WSL installation can be pretty important as a different version of WSL provides a different set of features and compatibility. Here we provide you with basic methods to help you check WSL version on your system. The followings are the ways to check WSL version.
Checking through Command-line
You could quickly check the version of your current Windows Subsystem installation for Linux through the command line. Follow the given instruction to check WSL version in the command prompt.
- Press Windows + R.
- Type cmd in the search inbox and hit Enter.
- In the terminal type ‘wsl –list –verbose‘ command to check you WSL version.
- Under the version column of the output, check your WSL version number.
Checking through the WSL shell
You could also check your WSL version while inside the WSL environment. You only have to type a few commands in your terminal and check your kernel version. If it is above a particular version, it is WSL2, or if it is not, it is WSL1. Follow the given instruction to check your kernel and WSL version in the WSL environment itself.
- Open your terminal emulator.
- Run the uname -r command.
- Check your kernel version in the ouput of the command.
If your kernel version is more significant than 4.19, you are running WSL2. Otherwise, it is WSL1.
Check WSL version through windows build number
Your Windows build number can also help you identify your WSL version as WSL2 is only supported above a certain Windows build version. Follow the given instructions to check your windows installation build number and then use it to identify your Windows Subsystem for the Linux version.
- Press Windows + R.
- Type cmd in the search inbox and hit Enter.
- Command prompt would open.
- In the cmd shell type ‘ver‘.
- This would output your windows build version.
Windows build number
You could also check your build number using the System Information utility to check your build number. Follow the given steps to open system info and then compare the build number to check WSL version.
- Open Start menu.
- Type system information in the search box and Hit Enter.
- System Information window would open.
- In the system summary tab, in the item column check your version.
- In the vlaue column of the version row, you would find your build number.
Opening System Information
Windows build number in system info.
If your build number is more significant than 18917, your system supports WSL2, but if it is less than 18917, your system will support only WSL1. If your system supports WSL2, but it has only WSL1 installed in it, you could follow the procedure mentioned on Microsoft’s official WSL documentation website to update WSL1 to WSL2.
WSL1 vs WSL2
If you did check WSL version and found your WSL versions to be WSL1, you should know that you are not running the latest version of the WSL. As of now, there are only two versions of the WSL released by Microsoft, WSL1 and WSL2. While both versions serve the same purpose: to provide an executable environment for Linux-specific software to run on Windows natively, the underlying and approach and architecture that both versions employ are different. An overview of the difference between WSL1 and WSL2 is provided below.
WSL1 does not have a full Linux kernel underneath it, and it runs on a compatibility layer between the Linux environment and the Windows kernel. Hence, one might argue that it is not entirely Linux. It is a kind of compatible emulation of Linux on top of windows. However, most Linux binary executables run without any problem in the WSL1 environment. It doesn’t provide full system call support for the Linux kernel.
WSL2, on the other hand, has a full-blown Linux kernel underneath it. It provides full Linux kernel features without any middle layer between windows and Linux kernel. All of the Linux system calls are entirely supported in WSL2. Some of the basic operations are like I/O are much faster in WSL2 than in WSL1.
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Итак, что такое WSL? WSL — это уровень совместимости ядра для запуска двоичных файлов Linux в Windows. WSL преобразует вызовы Linux в вызовы Windows и выполняет их, хотя WSL 2 имеет собственное специально разработанное ядро, которое больше не требует трансляции системы вызовов. После включения WSL в Windows и установки дистрибутива Linux вы можете использовать оболочку bash для всех совместимых утилит. Это очень полезно для разработчиков и даже для студентов, которые хотят изучать Linux в Windows.
WLS 2 является преемником WSL 1, который содержит множество новых функций, например, повышение производительности и совместимость с системными вызовами в целом. Сама Microsoft разработала ядро Linux, чтобы оптимизировать его для WSL 2, что позволяет запускать множество новых приложений, и любые будущие обновления для Linux будут доступны для использования немедленно. Чтобы использовать новые функции WSL и получить полную совместимость с системными вызовами, вы должны знать свою версию WSL. Независимо от того, нуждается ли ваша система в обновлении или она уже поддерживает WSL 2, как узнать версию WSL в вашей системе? В этом руководстве основное внимание уделяется методам проверки версии WSL в вашей системе. Итак, приступим:
Как проверить версию WSL:
Если вы используете любую версию Windows 10, значит, у вас есть поддержка WSL. Поскольку многие новые функции не работают в старой версии WSL, нам необходимо обновить ее до последней версии. Есть несколько способов узнать, поддерживает ли ваша система WSL 2 или нет. Прежде всего, проверьте версию Windows 10 и, чтобы проверить ее, откройте командную строку и введите «Вер»:
Версию также можно проверить, набрав «Системная информация» в строке поиска Windows:
Если номер сборки ниже, чем “18917”, тогда в вашей системе будет WSL 1. Например, в приведенном выше выводе сборка выглядит так: “15063,” что означает, что на ПК есть WSL 1.
Если номер сборки выше, чем “18917”, то ваша система поддерживает WSL 2. Чтобы убедиться, что WSL 2 включен в вашей системе, откройте командную строку Windows и выполните указанную ниже команду:
> WSL —список —подробный
Обратите внимание, что указанная выше команда работает только в версии сборки Windows. “18362” и выше. Если выходные данные правильно указывают версию WSL, это означает, что в вашей системе включен WSL 2:
Если вы не получаете вышеуказанный вывод, используйте следующую команду, чтобы включить WSL 2:
> WSL —set-default-version 2
Если в вашей системе есть проблемы с указанной выше командой, удалите дистрибутив Linux из вашей системы и снова запустите команду обновления. После этого зайдите в Магазин Windows и установите дистрибутив Linux.
Хотя WSL 2 является последней версией, все же есть некоторые функции, которые поддерживаются только WSL 1, такие как быстрый доступ к файлам, хранящимся в Windows, поддержка последовательного порта и т. Д. Итак, чтобы установить конкретную версию WSL для определенного дистрибутива, используйте команду:
> WSL —set-версия [ distro_name ] [ wsl_version_number ]
Заменить «[Имя_дистрибутива]» с именем дистрибутива Linux и упомянул версию WSL вместо «[Wsl_version_number]».
Вывод:
WSL — это функция Windows, которая позволяет пользователям Windows 10 изначально запускать Linux в Windows 10. Есть две основные версии WSL; WSL 2 — это обновленная версия WSL 1, которая поддерживает все системные вызовы и на 20% быстрее своего предшественника. Хотя WSL 2 является текущей и переработанной версией, некоторые исключения могут заставить вас использовать WSL 1. Какую версию вы должны использовать — это личный выбор, но я бы рекомендовал использовать WSL 2, потому что он эффективен и позволяет легко устанавливать обновления Linux.