Enabling Linux Services on WSL

Introduction

To run services like systemd on WSL, you need to ensure that your WSL environment is correctly configured. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for enabling Linux services on WSL.

Prerequisites

Windows 10 (version 2004 and higher) or Windows 11
WSL 2 installed and set as the default version
Administrative privileges to update WSL and edit configuration files

Step 1: Update WSL

Ensure your WSL installation is up to date to enable full systemd support.

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as Administrator.
Run the following command to update WSL:
```
wsl --update
```

Step 2: Verify WSL Version

Ensure that your Linux distribution is using WSL 2, as systemd support is only available in WSL 2.

Check the version of your WSL distributions:
```
wsl --list --verbose
```
If your distribution is not using WSL 2, upgrade it:
```
wsl --set-version <DistroName> 2
```
Replace <DistroName> with the name of your Linux distribution (e.g., Ubuntu).

Step 3: Enable Systemd

Enable systemd to manage Linux services within WSL.

Open your Linux distribution (e.g., Ubuntu) in WSL.
Edit the WSL configuration file:
```
sudo nano /etc/wsl.conf
```
Add the following lines:
```
[boot]
systemd=true
```
Save and close the file (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X).
Restart WSL to apply the changes:
```
wsl --shutdown
```
Then reopen your Linux distribution.

Step 4: Verify Systemd is Enabled

Confirm that systemd is active in your WSL distribution.

Run the following command to check the status of systemd:
```
systemctl --version
```
If the command outputs the systemd version, it is successfully enabled.

Troubleshooting

Error: `systemctl: command not found`

Ensure you have edited the /etc/wsl.conf file correctly and added the [boot] section with systemd=true.
Restart WSL with:
```
wsl --shutdown
```