> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.kynesys.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# WSL 2 Setup

> Install and configure WSL 2 on Windows 10 and 11 — the recommended host for both Docker Compose and bare-metal Demos node setups.

# WSL 2 Setup on Windows (10 and 11 only)

<Note>
  WSL 2 is the recommended host for **both** the Docker Compose path and the bare-metal `./run` path on Windows. Install it once and use the same Ubuntu distro for whichever track you pick on the [Run the Project (Windows)](/cookbook/project-setup/run-the-project-windows/overview) page.
</Note>

1. Run the Windows **PowerShell as Administrator**
2. Enable **WSL** by running the command:

   `dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart`
3. Enable the Virtual Machine Platform by running the following command:

   `dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart`
4. Restart the computer to apply the changes
5. Install the **WSL2** Update package (**Note: If you are using Windows 11 skip this step**)
   1. Download the **WSL2** [Linux kernel update](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-manual) package.
   2. Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.
6. Open **PowerShell as Administrator** again
7. Run the following command to set **WSL2** as the default version:

   `wsl --set-default-version 2`
8. Install [Ubuntu](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9pdxgncfsczv?hl=en-us\&gl=US) from the Microsoft Store.
9. Click Install and follow the on-screen instructions. (**Note: Make sure to keep the set password**)
10. You're all set, to make sure that you are successfully done you can run the following command:

    `wsl --list --verbose`

    You should see this

    ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXd8XCoT-kBT_xlw4fX2axwSoS1QWkIhk2NOMH7Ms5-XRLX62XFk1B_efGlQVDyLwTJGKw19yrlUstM-1OI0EzZPJWL-PRM19SLUVeK1303T4kIAha2u-9dgcs4MfPPo_TQBE0pU9Q?key=RkbH77fVOlsq6AUc04iv4DYy)

## Next step

Continue with the [Run the Project (Windows)](/cookbook/project-setup/run-the-project-windows/overview) guide. The Track 1 (Docker Compose) flow is the recommended path; once Docker Desktop is configured to use the WSL 2 backend with integration enabled for your Ubuntu distro, the standard `docker compose up` workflow runs identically to a native Linux host.