The way WSL works depends on where Windows is running. In practice, most setups fall into one of these two categories:
- Windows Server running on Amazon EC2
- Windows running inside VMware virtual machines
The installation steps are similar, but the WSL version is different.
Installing WSL on Windows running on EC2
Windows on EC2 does not support nested virtualization, so WSL 2 cannot be used. On EC2, WSL runs in version 1.
Step 1: Enable WSL
Open PowerShell as Administrator:
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
shutdown /r /t 0
Step 2: Set WSL to version 1
After reboot:
wsl --set-default-version 1
Verify:
wsl --status
You should see:
Default Version: 1
Step 3: Install AlmaLinux (or a distro of your choice)
List available distributions:
wsl --list --online
Install the distribution you want. Examples:
wsl --install AlmaLinux-10
Start the distribution:
wsl -d AlmaLinux-10
Verify the WSL version:
wsl --list --verbose
Expected output:
AlmaLinux-10 Running 1
Installing WSL on Windows running in VMware VMs
This applies to Windows running on VMware ESXi, VMware Workstation, or VMware Fusion (Intel).
Here, nested virtualization must be enabled, and WSL 2 is used.
Step 1: Enable nested virtualization in VMware
Power off the VM.
In VM settings -> Processors, enable:
Virtualize Intel VT-x/EPT or AMD-V/RVI
For reliable results, also add the following to the VM’s .vmx file:
vhv.enable = "TRUE" hypervisor.cpuid.v0 = "FALSE"
Start the VM.
Step 2: Verify virtualization inside Windows
Open PowerShell as Administrator:
systeminfo | findstr /i "Virtualization"
You should see:
Virtualization Enabled In Firmware: Yes
Step 3: Install WSL
wsl --install
Reboot when prompted.
Verify:
wsl --status
You should see:
Default Version: 2
Step 4: Install AlmaLinux (or a distro of your choice)
List available distributions:
wsl --list --online
Install AlmaLinux:
wsl --install AlmaLinux-10
Start it:
wsl -d AlmaLinux-10
Check the version:
wsl --list --verbose
Expected output:
AlmaLinux-10 Running 2
