WSL2 or dual boot for web development on Windows?
asked 2 months ago578 viewsen
I'm on Windows and many tutorials assume Linux or macOS. Should I install WSL2, dual boot Ubuntu, or just stay on Windows?
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1 Answer
WSL2 is the best of both for most people: a real Linux kernel and Ubuntu running alongside Windows, with near-native performance for dev work.
wsl --install -d UbuntuTips for a smooth setup: - Keep your projects inside the Linux filesystem (~/code, not /mnt/c/...). File operations like npm install and git are many times faster there. - VS Code + the WSL extension: run code . from the Ubuntu terminal and the editor runs Windows-side against Linux files. - Docker Desktop integrates with WSL2, or install Docker Engine directly inside WSL. - Install Node, Python and so on inside WSL with version managers (nvm/fnm, uv).
Dual boot is only worth it if you want Linux as your primary OS, or need direct hardware access (some GPU/ML setups, though WSL2 supports CUDA too). Staying on pure Windows works for .NET and many stacks, but you'll hit more friction with Linux-centric tooling and tutorials.
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