Rayan Fernandes

React Full-Stack Developer

The Best of Both Worlds: Run Linux GUI Apps Seamlessly on Windows with WSL 🎉

Oct 24, 2023Thanks to Microsoft, developers can now truly live the dream: a smooth workflow with the power of Linux and the convenience of Windows — all in one place.

run-linux-in-windows-with-wsl

Thanks to Microsoft, developers can now truly live the dream: a smooth workflow with the power of Linux and the convenience of Windows — all in one place.

With WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), you can:

✅ Run full Linux distros ✅ Launch Linux GUI apps ✅ Browse Linux files in Windows Explorer ✅ Use VS Code directly inside your Linux environment

And the best part? It’s ridiculously simple to get started.

🛠️ Step 1: Install WSL

If you’re on Windows 10 (build 2004+) or Windows 11, just open PowerShell or Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

wsl --install

This command installs:

  • WSL 2
  • Ubuntu (by default)
  • The required Linux kernel

After installation, restart your system when prompted.

👤 Step 2: Set Up Your Linux User

Once Ubuntu starts up, you’ll be asked to create a username and password.

Want to change the default user later?

ubuntu config --default-user your_username

🔄 Imported Distros & Default Users

If you’ve cloned/imported a custom WSL distro using:

wsl --export
wsl --import

And you're always logged in as root or the wrong user, refer to this SuperUser thread for a fix: 🔗 Set default user for manually installed WSL distro

🧑‍💻 Step 3: Open VS Code in WSL

Once inside Ubuntu, type:

code .

wsl-for-code

If you've installed VS Code from the Microsoft Store, this will open your current Linux directory in a native VS Code window — no extra setup needed.

📂 Step 4: Browse Linux Files

Open File Explorer and enter:

\\wsl$\Ubuntu\

Navigate your Linux filesystem just like a normal folder. You can also create a /home/yourname/projects/ directory and see it reflected here.

🪟 Bonus: Run Linux GUI Apps!

Let’s try something fun — a graphical Linux app running on Windows.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mate-system-monitor
mate-system-monitor

This installs a task manager utility, and yes — it launches as a GUI app on your Windows desktop. 🎉

🔚 Wrap-up

With WSL2 + GUI support + VS Code integration, Microsoft has built a developer experience that’s hard to beat.

No dual-booting. No VMs. Just one command line away from a full Linux workstation — right inside Windows.

Have fun hacking!

© Rayan Fernandes. All Rights Reserved.