Install AlmaLinux on Windows with WSL CLI | Easy Guide

With the recent updates, you can now install AlmaLinux on Windows with WSL CLI. As you must know, AlmaLinux is a free, open-source, community-driven Linux distribution that is binary-compatible with RHEL. It is a great choice for a stable and secure Linux distribution.

Now you can run AlmaLinux on your Windows system by using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) without dual-booting or using a virtual machine. To see how you can do it, follow the guide steps below on the Orcacore website.

How to Install AlmaLinux on Windows Using WSL CLI: A Step-by-Step Guide

Previously, if you wanted to install AlmaLinux with WSL, you had to navigate through the Microsoft Store. But now you can install AlmaLinux directly from the command line and don’t need to search the store. Let’s see how you can easily do it. In this guide, we will use Windows 11 to show you the steps.

Step 1. Open PowerShell Admin on Windows

First, you must run PowerShell as an administrator. To do this, right-click on the Start menu and select “Windows Terminal (Admin)” or search for PowerShell, right-click, and choose “Run as administrator.”

Step 2. Install WSL on Windows

If you don’t install WSL on your system, you can run the following command from your PowerShell to get WSL:

wsl --install --no-distribution

Once it is completed, you will get the following output:

Step 3. List Available Distributions on WSL

At this point, you can run the following command to list available Linux distros on Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL):

wsl --list --online

In your output, you should see:

As you can see from the output, AlmaLinux 8 and AlmaLinux 9 are available to install with WSL.

Step 4. Install AlmaLinux on Windows with WSL CLI

Now you can easily run the following command to install AlmaLinux using WSL:

wsl --install AlmaLinux-9

Here we install AlmaLinux 9, you can replace it with your desired distro. Once your installation is completed, you will get the following output:

Step 5. Launch AlmaLinux through WSL CLI

After installation, you can start AlmaLinux by running the following command:

wsl -d AlmaLinux-9

You will be asked to create a UNIX user account. Enter a name and password, and you will get into your AlmaLinux CLI on WSL:

From there, you can perform your tasks on the AlmaLinux distro. For example, run the system update with the following command:

sudo dnf update -y

To log out of AlmaLinux, you can press CTRL+D. And that’s it! You’ve successfully installed AlmaLinux on your Windows machine using the WSL CLI.

Note: If you have issues with WSL, be sure you have the latest version. You can easily update WSL by using the command below:

wsl --update

Conclusion

Bringing AlmaLinux to your Windows setup is now much easier with the WSL CLI. Whether you’re a developer or a sysadmin, this new method makes everything easier to manage. Hope you enjoy it. Please subscribe to us on Facebook, X, and YouTube.

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FAQs

Alternative Solutions for Running AlmaLinux on Windows

While the WSL CLI method is straightforward and efficient, there are other established ways to run AlmaLinux on a Windows system. These methods offer different advantages and may be preferable depending on your specific needs and technical expertise. Here are two alternative solutions:

1. Using a Virtual Machine (VM) with VirtualBox or VMware

One of the most common and robust methods for running Linux distributions, including install AlmaLinux on Windows with WSL CLI, on Windows is to use a virtual machine. Software like Oracle VirtualBox (free and open-source) or VMware Workstation Player (free for personal use, paid for commercial use) allows you to create a virtualized environment where you can install AlmaLinux as a guest operating system.

Explanation:

Virtual machines work by emulating a complete hardware environment within your existing operating system (Windows in this case). This allows you to install a separate operating system (AlmaLinux) as if it were running on its own dedicated hardware. The VM software handles the resource allocation (CPU, RAM, storage, network) between the host (Windows) and the guest (AlmaLinux).

Steps:

1. Download and Install VirtualBox or VMware Workstation Player: Go to the official websites of VirtualBox or VMware and download the appropriate installer for your Windows version. Follow the installation instructions.
2. Download the AlmaLinux ISO Image: Visit the AlmaLinux website and download the ISO image for the desired version (e.g., AlmaLinux 9). Make sure to choose the appropriate architecture (usually x86_64 for modern PCs).
3. Create a New Virtual Machine: Open VirtualBox or VMware and create a new virtual machine. Configure the VM settings according to your system resources and desired performance. Key settings include:
   • Name: A descriptive name for your VM (e.g., "AlmaLinux 9").
   • Type: Linux.
   • Version: Red Hat (64-bit) or similar, if AlmaLinux is not explicitly listed.
   • Memory (RAM): Allocate at least 2GB of RAM (4GB or more is recommended for better performance).
   • Hard Disk: Create a virtual hard disk. Choose a dynamically allocated disk to save space. Allocate at least 20GB of storage.
4. Mount the AlmaLinux ISO Image: In the VM settings, go to the storage section and mount the downloaded AlmaLinux ISO image as a virtual DVD drive.
5. Start the Virtual Machine: Start the virtual machine. It will boot from the ISO image.
6. Install AlmaLinux: Follow the on-screen instructions to install AlmaLinux onto the virtual hard disk. The installation process is similar to installing AlmaLinux on a physical machine.
7. Install Guest Additions (VirtualBox) or VMware Tools (VMware): After the installation, install the Guest Additions (VirtualBox) or VMware Tools (VMware). These tools provide improved performance, better graphics support, and shared clipboard functionality between the host and guest operating systems.

Advantages:

• Complete Isolation: VMs provide complete isolation between the host and guest operating systems. This can be beneficial for security or when testing software that might affect the host system.
• Full Operating System: You have a full installation of AlmaLinux, allowing you to install any software and configure the system as needed.
• GUI Support: You can run AlmaLinux with a full graphical user interface (GUI), such as GNOME or KDE.

Disadvantages:

• Resource Intensive: VMs can be resource-intensive, requiring significant CPU, RAM, and storage.
• Performance Overhead: There is some performance overhead associated with running an operating system within a virtualized environment.
• More Complex Setup: Setting up a VM can be more complex than using WSL.

2. Using a Docker Container

Docker is a platform for developing, shipping, and running applications in isolated containers. You can use Docker to run AlmaLinux without needing a full virtual machine. This is another solution to install AlmaLinux on Windows with WSL CLI.

Explanation:

Docker containers are lightweight, stand-alone, executable packages that include everything needed to run a piece of software, including code, runtime, system tools, system libraries, and settings. Unlike VMs, containers share the host operating system’s kernel, making them much more efficient and faster to start.

Steps:

1. Install Docker Desktop for Windows: Download and install Docker Desktop for Windows from the official Docker website. This will install the Docker engine and command-line tools.
2. Pull the AlmaLinux Docker Image: Open a command prompt or PowerShell and run the following command to pull the official AlmaLinux Docker image from Docker Hub:

docker pull almalinux

3. Run the AlmaLinux Container: Once the image is downloaded, you can run a container based on it using the following command:

docker run -it almalinux bash

This command does the following:

• docker run: Starts a new container.
• -it: Allocates a pseudo-TTY connected to the container and keeps STDIN open, allowing you to interact with the container.
• almalinux: Specifies the image to use (the AlmaLinux image we pulled earlier).
• bash: Specifies the command to run inside the container (in this case, a Bash shell).

4. Interact with AlmaLinux: You will now be inside the AlmaLinux container’s Bash shell. You can run commands, install software, and perform other tasks as if you were on a regular AlmaLinux system.

Example: Running a simple command within the container

[root@<container_id> /]# cat /etc/os-release
NAME="AlmaLinux"
VERSION="9.3 (Shamrock)"
ID="almalinux"
ID_LIKE="rhel centos fedora"
VERSION_ID="9.3"
PLATFORM_ID="platform:el9"
PRETTY_NAME="AlmaLinux 9.3 (Shamrock)"
ANSI_COLOR="0;34"
LOGO="fedora-logo-svg"
CPE_NAME="cpe:/o:almalinux:almalinux:9::baseos"
HOME_URL="https://almalinux.org/"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.almalinux.org/"
REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT="AlmaLinux"
REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT_VERSION="9"

5. Exit the Container: To exit the container, type exit and press Enter. The container will stop.

Advantages:

• Lightweight and Efficient: Containers are much more lightweight and efficient than VMs, requiring fewer resources and starting up faster.
• Isolation: Containers provide isolation between applications, preventing conflicts and ensuring consistency.
• Reproducibility: Containers ensure that applications run the same way regardless of the environment.

Disadvantages:

• Limited Operating System: You only get the core AlmaLinux environment. Running GUI applications directly within the container can be more complex.
• Docker Knowledge Required: Using Docker requires some familiarity with containerization concepts and Docker commands.
• WSL2 Requirement: Docker Desktop for Windows typically relies on WSL2 for its Linux kernel integration, so you might still need to enable WSL.

These alternative solutions provide different ways to install AlmaLinux on Windows with WSL CLI. Choose the method that best suits your needs, technical skills, and available resources. While the WSL CLI method is very convenient, VMs offer a full OS experience, and Docker provides lightweight containerization.