WSL Configuration Guide

Optimize your WSL environment with advanced configuration options, performance tuning, and customization.

WSL Configuration (.wslconfig)

Create a .wslconfig file in your Windows user directory (C:\Users\<username>\.wslconfig) to configure global WSL settings.

.wslconfig

# WSL 2 Global Configuration

[wsl2]

memory=8GB # Limit memory usage

processors=4 # Limit CPU cores

swap=2GB # Set swap file size

swapFile=C:\\temp\\wsl-swap.vhdx

localhostForwarding=true

nestedVirtualization=true

pageReporting=true

guiApplications=true

Note: After creating or modifying .wslconfig, restart WSL withwsl --shutdown for changes to take effect.

Distribution Configuration (wsl.conf)

Create a /etc/wsl.conf file inside your Linux distribution to configure distribution-specific settings.

Ubuntu: /etc/wsl.conf

# Network configuration

[network]

generateHosts = true

generateResolvConf = true

hostname = wsl-ubuntu

# Boot configuration

[boot]

systemd = true

# Automount configuration

[automount]

enabled = true

root = /mnt/

options = "metadata,umask=22,fmask=11"

# Interop configuration

[interop]

enabled = true

appendWindowsPath = true

To create this file, run: sudo nano /etc/wsl.conf

Performance Optimization

File System Performance

✅ DO: Store Linux files in WSL file system

Keep your project files in the Linux file system for best performance:

/home/username/projects/my-app

❌ AVOID: Cross-file-system operations

Avoid running Linux tools on Windows files (slower performance):

/mnt/c/Users/username/Desktop/my-app

Memory Management

WSL 2 uses a dynamic memory allocation. You can limit memory usage and reclaim unused memory:

PowerShell

# Reclaim memory from WSL

PS>wsl --shutdown

PS>Get-Process vmmem | Stop-Process -Force

Disk Space Management

WSL disk images can grow large over time. Here's how to compact them:

PowerShell (Admin)

# Shutdown WSL first

PS>wsl --shutdown

# Compact the disk

PS>diskpart

select vdisk file="C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Packages\CanonicalGroupLimited.Ubuntu_79rhkp1fndgsc\LocalState\ext4.vhdx"

compact vdisk

exit

Networking Configuration

Port Forwarding

Access services running in WSL from Windows or external networks:

PowerShell (Admin)

# Forward port 3000 from WSL to Windows

PS>netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 listenport=3000 listenaddress=0.0.0.0 connectport=3000 connectaddress=172.x.x.x

# Get WSL IP address

PS>wsl hostname -I

DNS Configuration

If you're experiencing DNS issues, you can configure custom DNS servers:

Ubuntu

user@PC:~$ sudo nano /etc/resolv.conf

# Add these lines:

nameserver 8.8.8.8

nameserver 1.1.1.1

Shell Configuration

Install Zsh and Oh My Zsh

Enhance your shell experience with Zsh and Oh My Zsh:

Ubuntu

user@PC:~$ sudo apt install zsh

user@PC:~$ sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.github.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

Useful Aliases

Add these aliases to your ~/.bashrc or~/.zshrc:

~/.bashrc

# WSL Aliases

alias ll='ls -alF'

alias la='ls -A'

alias l='ls -CF'

alias ..='cd ..'

alias ...='cd ../..'

alias grep='grep --color=auto'

alias winhome='cd /mnt/c/Users/$USER'

alias desktop='cd /mnt/c/Users/$USER/Desktop'

alias documents='cd /mnt/c/Users/$USER/Documents'

Next Steps

Now that you've configured WSL, explore these next steps: