Set up Linux via WSL on Windows 10... does it truly run as Linux?
Set up Linux via WSL on Windows 10... does it truly run as Linux?
It supports playing games and running Steam directly. It doesn’t need to run in a virtual machine. You can install Linux on the C drive, which is where Windows is installed. There should be no major issues. Switching between Windows and Linux after installation is possible, and they can operate simultaneously.
WSL1 runs without a traditional Linux kernel, while WSL2 acts as a virtual machine with deeper integration into Windows features. You can place it on the same storage as your Windows OS, but it behaves more like a software or VM than a standard Linux setup. If you already have Windows 10, you might want to explore WSL yourself instead of relying on it. It doesn’t officially support GUI apps on Windows 10, though it’s possible. Based on what you mentioned, you likely aim for a full Linux experience rather than using WSL.
I followed this tutorial to set up a Linux desktop on WSL. It’s quite straightforward. You can launch apps with a graphical interface easily using WSL.
I aimed to skip dual booting—it seems tricky with the boot manager, possible issues, and I need to partition a drive. But I realize it might be better if I go all in with Linux instead of WSL. Honestly, I don’t really need that setup; I just want to play one game. I’m not sure it’ll work on Windows 10, especially the newer versions. Installing Proton or Steam and downloading the game wouldn’t be feasible there. I think it would be simpler to try Linux than wrestling with the latest Windows 10 version. I found a tutorial that sounds easy, but it doesn’t really address compatibility concerns.
You can set up Linux on your C: drive if there’s enough space. During installation it will ask what you’d like to do, usually suggesting "Install alongside." This choice reduces unused areas on the drive without deleting any data, only possibly relocating files temporarily. If no room remains, it will halt and notify you that installation can’t proceed. Dual-booting offers benefits, especially for gaming, by eliminating the system load from another OS. While WSL and virtual machines help reduce overhead, they don’t fully remove it. For more details, check these reliable sources:
1. https://www.howtogeek.com/devops/what-is...ou-use-it/
2. https://adamtheautomator.com/windows-sub...for-linux/
3. https://www.sitepoint.com/wsl2/
Also, you can play Steam games on WSL: https://medium.com/geekculture/gaming-on...67459f6977
this sounds concerning... i have a unique setup (an emulated game that only runs on the OS drive). i'm not sure why, but i believe it could fail if anything changes, such as moving folders or files. my os drive has 700GB free, which should be sufficient. alternatively, i could use a secondary drive with 300GB available, though it would become nearly full since uncharted already uses about 124GB. still, it might be the safer choice. however, what i haven't understood from what i've read is that installing proton via a command line would make it function similarly to steam on windows—allowing me to launch and play games. this suggests i likely only need basic linux utilities and drivers, which seems simpler.
Windows 10 remains stable for another three years, offering features similar to its earlier versions and including two years of security patches. It doesn’t support running games via WSL, though you can use graphical applications without the 3D acceleration benefits. Dual booting works best with multiple drives; using a single drive often leads to failures, as I experienced five times—four times it corrupted the installation.