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� Windows Windows 10

How to Install and Use the Linux Bash Shell on Windows 10

CHRIS HOFFMAN @chrisbhoffman
MAR 5, 2018, 6:40 AM EDT | 7 MIN READ

The Windows Subsystem for Linux, introduced in the Anniversary Update, became a stable
feature in the Fall Creators Update. You can now run Ubuntu and openSUSE on Windows,

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with Fedora and more Linux distributions coming soon.

What You Need to Know About Windows 10’s Bash

Shell
RELATED: Everything You Can Do With Windows 10's New Bash Shell

This isn’t a virtual machine, a container, or Linux software compiled for Windows (like
Cygwin). Instead, Windows 10 offers a full Windows Subsystem intended for Linux for
running Linux software. It’s based on Microsoft’s abandoned Project Astoria work for
running Android apps on Windows.

Think of it as the opposite of Wine. While Wine allows you to run Windows applications
directly on Linux, the Windows Subsystem for Linux allows you to run Linux applications
directly on Windows.

Microsoft worked with Canonical to offer a full Ubuntu-based Bash shell environment that
runs atop this subsystem. Technically, this isn’t Linux at all. Linux is the underlying
operating system kernel, and that isn’t available here. Instead, this allows you to run the
Bash shell and the exact same binaries you’d normally run on Ubuntu Linux. Free software
purists often argue the average Linux operating system should be called “GNU/Linux”
because it’s really a lot of GNU software running on the Linux kernel. The Bash shell you’ll
get is really just all those GNU utilities and other software.

While this feature was originally called “Bash on Ubuntu on Windows,” it also allows you to
run Zsh and other command-line shells. It now supports other Linux distributions, too. You
can choose openSUSE Leap or SUSE Enterprise Server instead of Ubuntu, and Fedora is
also on its way.

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There are some limitations here. This doesn’t yet support background server software, and
it won’t o�cially work with graphical Linux desktop applications. Not every command-line
application works, either, as the feature isn’t perfect.

How to Install Bash on Windows 10

RELATED: How Do I Know if I'm Running 32-bit or 64-bit Windows?

This feature doesn’t work on the 32-bit version of Windows 10, so ensure you’re using the
64-bit version of Windows. It’s time to switch to the 64-bit version of Windows 10 if you’re
still using the 32-bit version, anyway.

Assuming you have 64-bit Windows, to get started, head to Control Panel > Programs >
Turn Windows Features On Or Off. Enable the “Windows Subsystem for Linux” option in the
list, and then click the “OK” button.

Click “Restart now” when you’re prompted to restart your computer. The feature won’t work
until you reboot.

Note: Starting with the Fall Creators Update, you no longer have to enable Developer Mode
in the Settings app to use this feature. You just need to install it from the Windows
Features window.

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After your computer restarts, open the Microsoft Store from the Start menu, and search for
“Linux” in the store. Click “Get the apps” under the “Linux on Windows?” banner.

Note: Starting with the Fall Creators Update, you can no longer install Ubuntu by running
the “bash” command. Instead, you have to install Ubuntu or another Linux distribution from
the Store app.

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RELATED: What's the Difference Between Ubuntu, openSUSE, and Fedora on Windows 10?

You’ll see a list of every Linux distribution currently available in the Windows Store. As of
the Fall Creators Update, this includes Ubuntu, openSUSE Leap, and openSUSE Enterprise,
with a promise that Fedora will arrive soon.

Update: Debian and Kali are now available in the Store, but aren’t listed here. Search for
“Debian Linux” or “Kali Linux” to �nd and install them.

To install a Linux distribution, click it, and then click the “Get” or “Install” button to install it
like any other Store application.

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If you’re not sure which Linux environment to install, we recommend Ubuntu. This popular
Linux distribution was previously the only option available, but other Linux systems are
now available for people who have more speci�c needs.

You can also install multiple Linux distributions and they’ll each get their own unique
shortcuts. You can even run multiple different Linux distributions at a time in different
windows.

How to Use The Bash Shell and Install Linux

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Software
RELATED: How to Install Linux Software in Windows 10's Ubuntu Bash Shell

You now have a full command-line bash shell based on Ubuntu, or whatever other Linux
distribution you installed.

Because they’re the same binaries, you can use Ubuntu’s apt or apt-get command to install
software from Ubuntu’s repositories if you’re using Ubuntu. Just use whatever command
you’d normally use on that Linux distribution. You’ll have access to all the Linux command
line software out there, although some applications may not yet work perfectly.

To open the Linux environment you installed, just open the Start menu and search for
whatever distribution you installed. For example, if you installed Ubuntu, launch the Ubuntu
shortcut.

You can pin this application shortcut to your Start menu, taskbar, or desktop for easier
access.

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The �rst time you launch the Linux environment, you’re be prompted to enter a UNIX
username and password. These don’t have to match your Windows username and
password, but will be used within the Linux environment.

For example, if you enter “bob” and “letmein” as your credentials, your username in the
Linux environment will be “bob” and the password you use inside the Linux environment
will be “letmein”—no matter what your Windows username and password are.

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RELATED: How to Set Your Default Linux Distribution on Windows 10

You can launch your installed Linux environment by running the wsl command. If you have
multiple Linux distributions installed, you can choose the default Linux environment this
command launches.

If you have Ubuntu installed, you can also run the ubuntu command to install it. For
openSUSE Leap 42, use  opensuse-42 . For SUSE Linux Enterprise Sever 12, use sles-12 .
These commands are listed on each Linux distribution’s page on the Windows Store.

You can still launch your default Linux environment by running the bash command, but
Microsoft says this is deprecated. This means the bash command may stop functioning in
the future.

If you’re experienced using a Bash shell on Linux, Mac OS X, or other platforms, you’ll be
right at home.

On Ubuntu, you need to pre�x a command with  sudo to run it with root permissions. The
“root” user on UNIX platforms has full system access, like the “Administrator” user on
Windows. Your Windows �le system is located at /mnt/c in the Bash shell environment.

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Use the same Linux terminal commands you’d use to get around. If you’re used to the
standard Windows Command Prompt with its DOS commands, here are a few basic
commands common to both Bash and Windows:

• Change Directory: cd in Bash, cd or  chdir in DOS

• List Contents of Directory:  ls in Bash, dir in DOS

• Move or Rename a File: mv in Bash, move and  rename in DOS

• Copy a File: cp in Bash,  copy in DOS

• Delete a File: rm in Bash,  del or erase in DOS

• Create a Directory:  mkdir in Bash, mkdir in DOS

• Use a Text Editor: vi or nano in Bash,  edit in DOS

RELATED: Beginner Geek: How to Start Using the Linux Terminal

It’s important to remember that, unlike Windows, the Bash shell and its Linux-imitating
environment are case-sensitive. In other words, “File.txt” with a capital letter is different
from “�le.txt” without a capital.

For more instructions, consult our beginner’s guide to the Linux command-line and other
similar introductions to the Bash shell, Ubuntu command line, and Linux terminal online.

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You’ll need to use the apt command to install and update the Ubuntu environment’s
software.  Be sure to pre�x these commands with sudo , which makes them run as root–
the Linux equivalent of Administrator. Here are the apt-get commands you’ll need to know:

• Download Updated Information About Available Packages: sudo apt update

• Install an Application Package:  sudo apt install packagename (Replace

“packagename” with the package’s name.)

• Uninstall an Application Package:  sudo apt remove packagename (Replace

“packagename” with the package’s name.)

• Search for Available Packages:  sudo apt search word (Replace “word” with a word you
want to search package names and descriptions for.)

• Download and Install the Latest Versions of Your Installed Packages: sudo apt
upgrade

If you installed a SUSE Linux distribution, you can use the zypper command to install
software instead.

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After you’ve downloaded and installed an application, you can type its name at the prompt,
and then press Enter to run it. Check that particular application’s documentation for more
details.

Bonus: Install the Ubuntu Font for a True Ubuntu

Experience
If you want a more accurate Ubuntu experience on Windows 10, you can also install the
Ubuntu fonts and enable them in the terminal. You don’t have to do this, as the default
Windows command prompt font looks pretty good to us, but it’s an option.

Here’s what it looks like:

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To install the font, �rst download the Ubuntu Font Family from Ubuntu’s website. Open the
downloaded .zip �le and locate the “UbuntuMono-R.ttf” �le. This is the Ubuntu monospace
font, which is the only one used in the terminal. It’s the only font you need to install.

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Double-click the “UbuntuMono-R.ttf” �le and you’ll see a preview of the font. Click “Install”
to install it to your system.

RELATED: Learning to Use the Registry Editor Like a Pro

To make the Ubuntu monospace font become an option in the console, you’ll need to add a
setting to the Windows registry.

Open a registry editor by pressing Windows+R on your keyboard, typing regedit , and then
pressing Enter. Navigate to the following key or copy and paste it into the Registry Editor’s
address bar:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Console\TrueTypeFont

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Right-click in the right pane and select New > String Value. Name the new value 000 .

Double-click the “000” string you just created, and then enter Ubuntu Mono as its value data.

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Launch an Ubuntu window, right-click the title bar, and then select the “Properties”
command. Click the “Font” tab, and then select “Ubuntu Mono” in the font list.

Software you install in the Bash shell is restricted to the Bash shell. You can access these
programs from the Command Prompt, PowerShell, or elsewhere in Windows, but only if
you run the bash -c command.

CHRIS HOFFMAN
Chris Hoffman is Editor-in-Chief of How-To Geek. He's written about
technology for over a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years.
Chris has written for The New York Times and Reader's Digest, been
interviewed as a technology expert on TV stations like Miami's NBC 6, and

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had his work covered by news outlets like the BBC. Since 2011, Chris has written over 2,000
articles that have been read nearly one billion times---and that's just here at How-To Geek.
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