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wsl.exe --install kali

CyberChef answered on September 20, 2023 Popularity 1/10 Helpfulness 8/10

answer wsl.exe --install kali

wsl.exe --install kali

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Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) has two different versions, “WSL 1” and “WSL 2”. WSL 2 is the preferred and default option when installing WSL. This is because WSL 2 uses the actual Linux kernel inside a Hyper-V virtual machine (managed by WSL). WSL 1 uses a “translation layer” which is similar to WINE.

We recommend using Windows 11 as it is simpler, however if you are using Window 10 it is still possible but requires additional steps in places. To make Windows 10 easier, having the machine as up-to-date as possible will help - as of the time of writing this, November 2022 patches.

If installing in a Virtual Machine, make sure to allow for “nested VM” (nested virtualization allows for a “VM in a VM”).

Quick Method
Our recommended method to get Kali running on WSL 2:

Open a administrator command prompt and run:
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all
Restart when prompt
Download and install the WSL 2 Linux Kernel from here: aka.ms/wsl2kernel
Restart
Open a command prompt and run:
wsl --set-default-version 2
Install from the Microsoft Store: Kali Linux
NOTE: If there is an existing Kali WSL 1, upgrade it by running: wsl --set-version kali-linux 2
Run kali to finish the initial setup of creating a new user
Windows Version
Windows 11 users have an easier time and can go straight to installing WSL, however if you are using Windows 10 you will need to check your OS build/version. The minimum requirements for WSL is different and needs either to match or be higher than:

WSL 1: Build: 16215, Version: 1703 (June 2017)
WSL 2 (x64): Build: 18362.1049, Version: 1903 (Codename: 19H1 - May 2019)
Recommended - Build: 19041, Version: 2004 (Codename: 20H1 - May 2020)
WSL 2 (ARM64): Build: 19041, Version: 2004 (Codename: 20H1 - May 2020)
The reason why Windows 10 20H1 is recommended, is due to the WSL helper-script already pre-installed, allowing for quick command line installation. By having an updated Windows 10 version, the WSL helper-script will also pull in updates from the Microsoft store. The reason why Windows 11 is preferred over Windows 10, is due to internal hardcoded URLs which have not yet been back ported which hopefully will be addressed soon.

Check Version
We can check our build version by pressing WIN+R and then typing in winver. We will be shown a pop-up like this:

Windows 10 Version

What we are looking for is the number after OS Build. Our build is 18363 (with a minor build: 418). This means we can use either WSL 1 or WSL 2 (but will require some manual steps)!

Install WSL 1
There is a hard requirement to enable WSL via Window’s “Optional Features”. However, you can optionally update WSL by using the Microsoft Store: Windows Subsystem for Linux, to expand its functionality and bug fixes.

There are a few ways to install WSL (WSL 1 or WSL 2):

WSL helper-script (Simplest)
Requires Windows 10 20H1 (Build: 19041, Version: 2004) or higher
Will also install WSL 2
November 2022 patches gives a better experience
Dism (Recommended)
PowerShell
Depending on your Windows version and patches, will have an affect on your installation experience.

Popularity 1/10 Helpfulness 8/10 Language shell

Source: www.kali.org

Tags: shell

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Contributed on Sep 20 2023

CyberChef

0 Answers Avg Quality 2/10

wsl.exe --install kali

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