How to create a Linux development environment on Windows 10

In my previous post, I explained Why Linux is the best development environment

Historically there were 3 ways to build a Linux development environment:

1. your personal computer (local machine)
2. computer in the cloud (cloud server)
3. virtual machine (VM) on your personal computer

As of 2016 Microsoft lets developers run Linux environment directly on Windows, unmodified, without the overhead of a virtual machine, cost of a cloud computer, or possibly corrupting your local machine. You can:

1. Choose your favorite Linux distributions from the Windows Store.
2. Run common command-line free software such as grep,sed,awk, or other ELF-64 binaries.
3. Run Bash shell scripts and Linux command-line applications including:
   • Tools: vim, emacs, tmux
   • Languages: Javascript/node.js, Ruby, Python, C/C++, C# & F#, Rust, Go, etc.
   • Services: sshd, MySQL, Apache, lighttpd
4. Install additional software using own Linux distribution package manager.
5. Invoke Windows applications using a Unix-like command-line shell.
6. Invoke GNU/Linux applications on Windows.

The following steps will create a Linux (Ubuntu) development environment, hosted on a Windows 10 machine.

Prerequisites

You must be on Windows 10 Pro 64bit build 1709.
1. Get the update here:https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Enable Windows Subsystem for Linux

Before installing any Linux distros for WSL, you must ensure that the “Windows Subsystem for Linux” optional feature is enabled:
Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
EptionalFeatnable-WindowsOure -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux
Restart your computer when prompted.

Installing Ubuntu 18.04 LTS on Windows

Open the Microsoft Store and choose your favorite Linux distribution.

Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

Create a UNIX Username and Password

Once the installation is complete, you will be prompted to create a new user account (and its password).

Update and Upgrade

Most distros ship with an empty/minimal package catalog. We strongly recommend regularly updating your package catalog, and upgrading your installed packages using your distro’s preferred package manager.

$ sudo apt-get update && sudo upgrade -y

Where to go from here:

How to create a Linux Azure CLI 2.0 Workstation.
Understanding the Linux Command Line
Essential Linux Command Line Tools
Why Python is the best development language