# Amazon Linux 2022 on WSL2 Like almost any Linux distribution that has a container image available, you can run Amazon Linux 2022 on the Windows Subsystem for Linux. This guide assumes you've installed and configured WSL2 and already have something like Debian running under it. ## Download Until AL2022 is available at https://cdn.amazonlinux.com/os-images/latest/ (or more likely https://cdn.amazonlinux.com/os-images/2022/) we'll be pulling it from [Amazon ECR Public](https://gallery.ecr.aws/). When it *is* on the CDN you won't need another Linux and can instead download the archive directly. I found it convenient to use [Skopeo](https://github.com/containers/skopeo) (`sudo apt install skopeo`) rather than setup Docker. This downloads the latest 2022 image from ECR to `al2022/`: ``` skopeo copy docker://public.ecr.aws/amazonlinux/amazonlinux:2022 dir:al2022 ``` Notice the blob hash in the output: ``` Getting image source signatures Copying blob 3cef325a7204 done Copying config 353840340a done Writing manifest to image destination Storing signatures ``` Copy the blob out to somewhere Windows can see it (note that the hash changes when the image is updated): ``` cp al2022/3cef325a7204* /mnt/c/amazonlinux-2022.tar.gz ``` ## Import From PowerShell or Command Line, [import](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/use-custom-distro) the image into WSL (you may want to choose a different `InstallLocation` than I have here): ``` wsl --import AL2022 'C:\WSL\AL2022' 'C:\amazonlinux-2022.tar.gz' ``` Assuming that succeeded you can log in (as root): ``` wsl --distribution AL2022 ``` ## Configure If you want an unprivileged user instead, you'll need to add one and set a password (the `--groups wheel` option makes it so this user can use `sudo`): ``` useradd --comment User --create-home --user-group --groups wheel user passwd user ``` To configure WSL to use that user by default, you also need to create an `/etc/wsl.conf` file with the following content: ```ini [user] default = user ``` Log out, terminate the VM, and start it again. This time you should be logged in as the user you created earlier: ``` wsl --terminate AL2022 # Wait 8 seconds? wsl --distribution AL2022 ``` To get it to show up under [Windows Terminal](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/windows-terminal/9n0dx20hk701) you might need to stop WSL or reboot: ``` wsl --shutdown ``` ## Enjoy If you've got [WSLg](https://github.com/microsoft/wslg) installed you can even install a GUI application and run it from AL2022. Since it doesn't have many GUI applications yet, you could install and run one using [`flatpak`](https://flatpak.org/): ``` sudo dnf install flatpak flatpak install --user --from https://dl.flathub.org/repo/appstream/org.gnome.TwentyFortyEight.flatpakref flatpak run --user org.gnome.TwentyFortyEight ``` ![GNOME 2048 on AL2022 on WSL2](https://andrew.jorgensenfamily.us/files/2022/02/wsl2-al2022-2048.webp)