How to install Ubuntu on Windows

If you currently use Windows as your primary operating system, but feel that you are missing out on some important Linux features, it is possible to install Ubuntu on Windows through the WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) feature. WSL is essentially virtualization, but it allows Ubuntu to closely integrate with Windows, resulting in only a small overhead to run the additional operating system, and the ability to natively access the entire Windows file system within Ubuntu.

Microsoft accomplishes this close integration between Ubuntu and Windows by installing a modified Linux kernel that has been configured to run on Hyper-V architecture (Windows’ native virtualization system) and fine tuned it to operate on top of Windows seamlessly. This is a much different virtualization experience than you might have come to expect with other software like VMware or VirtualBox.