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Windows Central
Windows Central
Technology
Richard Devine

How to completely remove a Linux distro from the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

Linux Windows WSL Microsoft Store Ubuntu Windows Central
Ubunutu 24.04 running on WSL 2 on Windows 11 inside Windows Terminal. .

In recent years, setting up the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 has become significantly more straightforward. It's available to install through the Microsoft Store or a single command in PowerShell, and changes have even been made to reduce the reliance on the former for installing new images. All after WSL 2 brought a true Linux kernel to proceedings, over the virtualized efforts of the first version.

One of the significant advantages of WSL is the ability to configure a complete Linux distribution and seamlessly incorporate it into your Windows workflow. Unlike a traditional virtual machine, WSL interacts directly with your Windows installation. If any issues arise, you can easily reset it and begin anew. Also, unlike a VM, WSL can access your existing Windows file system, and can be used as the backend for your Windows version of VS Code.

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