Setting Up a Development Environment on Windows 11 and 10: A Complete Guide

Introduction / Why This Is Needed

Setting up a development workspace on Windows is a task almost every programmer has to tackle. A properly configured environment saves hours of time in the future, eliminating headaches with dependencies, paths, and configurations. After completing this guide, you will have a full-fledged, modern environment comparable to macOS or Linux, for working on projects in Python, JavaScript/Node.js, .NET, Go, Rust, and many other languages. You will be able to run Docker containers, use Linux tools via WSL2, and commit code to Git.

Requirements / Preparation

Before you begin, ensure that:

1. You have Windows 10 (version 2004, build 19041 or higher) or Windows 11.
2. You have administrator privileges on the computer (required for installing components and software).
3. You have at least 10 GB of free space on the system drive (20+ GB recommended).
4. You have an internet connection to download installers and components.
5. Virtualization is enabled in BIOS/UEFI (Intel VT-x / AMD-V). It is usually enabled in the motherboard's security/processor settings.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Enabling Virtualization and Windows Components

WSL2 and Hyper-V require processor-level virtualization support and the enabling of corresponding OS components.

1. Check if virtualization is enabled: Open Task Manager → Performance tab → CPU. In the bottom right, look for the line "Virtualization: Enabled". If it says "Disabled", restart your computer, enter BIOS/UEFI, and find the option Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x) or SVM Mode (AMD-V) and enable it.
2. Enable Windows components via PowerShell (Administrator):

   dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
   dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart
   

   
   These commands activate the Linux Subsystem and the virtualization platform.
3. Restart your computer. This is a mandatory step to apply the changes.

Step 2: Installing WSL2 and a Linux Distribution

1. Set WSL2 as the default version: In PowerShell (Administrator), run:

   wsl --set-default-version 2
   

2. Install a Linux distribution (Ubuntu):
   • Open the Microsoft Store.
   • Search for "Ubuntu" (an LTS version like Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is recommended).
   • Click "Install".
   • After installation, click "Launch".
   • On first launch, you will need to create a user account (not root) and set a password. Remember the password.
3. Update Ubuntu packages: Open Ubuntu (via the Start menu or search) and run:

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
   

Step 3: Installing Git for Windows

Git is a version control system essential for any developer.

1. Download the installer from the official website.
2. Run the installer. On the "Select Components" screen, it is recommended to keep the following options checked:
   • Git Bash Here (console with Git commands).
   • Git GUI Here (graphical client).
   • Git LFS (Large File Support).
   • *Associate .git configuration files...**.
3. On the "Choosing the default editor used by Git" screen, select your primary editor (VS Code, Notepad++, or leave it as Vim).
4. On the "Adjusting your PATH environment" screen, select "Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software" (recommended). This allows you to call git from any console (PowerShell, CMD, WSL).
5. Complete the installation.

Verification: Open PowerShell or Git Bash and run git --version. The version should be displayed (e.g., git version 2.45.0.windows.1).

Step 4: Installing Docker Desktop

Docker Desktop provides a convenient GUI for working with containers and integrates with WSL2.

1. Download the Docker Desktop installer for Windows from the official website.
2. Run the installer. Follow the instructions, leaving the default settings.
3. Critical step: During installation, the system will prompt you to enable WSL2 integration. Be sure to check the box for your installed Ubuntu (e.g., Ubuntu-22.04). This allows Docker to run on top of WSL2.
4. After installation, restart your computer.
5. Launch Docker Desktop from the Start menu. On first launch, it will finish setup and request WSL privileges. Agree.
6. Wait until the Docker icon in the system tray (next to the clock) turns white (operational).

Verification: Open PowerShell or WSL (Ubuntu) and run docker --version and docker run hello-world. If the hello-world command completes successfully, Docker is working.

Step 5: Installing Programming Languages and Package Managers

Install the runtimes you need. It is recommended to install both for Windows (for native .exe) and in WSL (Ubuntu) for compatibility.

Python

• For Windows: Download the installer from python.org. On the first installation screen, be sure to check the box "Add python.exe to PATH".
• For WSL (Ubuntu): In the Ubuntu terminal, run sudo apt install python3 python3-pip python3-venv -y.
• Verification: python --version (Windows) or python3 --version (WSL).

Node.js (npm)

• For Windows: Download the LTS version installer from nodejs.org. The installer will automatically add node and npm to PATH.
• For WSL (Ubuntu): It is better to use nvm for version management:

  curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash
  source ~/.bashrc
  nvm install --lts
  

• Verification: node --version, npm --version.

Go, Rust, Java, etc.

Install from official websites, following the instructions for Windows. For tools actively used in the terminal (Go, Rust), also install them in WSL for better performance.

Step 6: Installing and Configuring the IDE

Visual Studio Code (recommended for most)

1. Download the installer from code.visualstudio.com.
2. Install it, checking all offered options (adding to PATH, file associations).
3. After launching, install key extensions:
   • Python (Microsoft)
   • Docker (Microsoft)
   • ESLint (for JavaScript/TypeScript)
   • Remote - WSL (Microsoft) — mandatory! Allows you to open folders from WSL directly in VS Code with correct paths and interpreters.
   • GitLens (for working with Git)
4. Configure settings.json (Ctrl+Shift+P → "Preferences: Open Settings (JSON)") for convenience:

   {
       "terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.windows": "Git Bash",
       "editor.tabSize": 4,
       "files.autoSave": "afterDelay"
   }
   

Visual Studio Community 2022 (for .NET/C++)

1. Download from visualstudio.microsoft.com.
2. Run the Visual Studio Installer.
3. Select a Workload:
   • .NET desktop development (for C#, F#, VB.NET).
   • Desktop development with C++ (if needed).
   • Python development (if you work with Python in VS).
   • Node.js development (if you work with Node.js in VS).
4. On the "Individual components" tab, you can add Git for Windows if it is not already installed.
5. Begin the installation (takes 30-60 minutes and a lot of space).

Verification

1. WSL: Open Ubuntu from the Start menu. Run lsb_release -a. Information about Ubuntu should be displayed.
2. Git: In PowerShell, run git --version.
3. Docker: In PowerShell, run docker ps (should show an empty list of containers without errors).
4. Languages: Check the versions of installed Python, Node.js, and others.
5. IDE: Launch VS Code and ensure the extensions are active. Try opening a folder from WSL: in VS Code (F1) → WSL: New Window. In the opened WSL window, open the folder /home/<your_user>/projects.

Potential Issues

Error: "WSL 2 requires an update to its kernel"

Cause: Outdated version of the Linux kernel for WSL2. Solution: Download and install the latest WSL2 Linux kernel update package from the official Microsoft page.

Error: "Docker Desktop requires a newer WSL kernel version"

Cause: Same as above. Docker Desktop checks the kernel version. Solution: Install the kernel update as described above, then restart Docker Desktop.

Error: "Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///var/run/docker.sock"

Cause: The Docker daemon is not running in WSL2 or the user lacks permissions. Solution:

1. Ensure Docker Desktop is running (icon in the tray).
2. In WSL (Ubuntu), run sudo service docker start.
3. To avoid constant sudo, add the current user to the docker group: sudo usermod -aG docker $USER. Log out of the terminal and log back in.

Error: "The command 'git' could not be found"

Cause: Git is not installed or its path is not added to the PATH environment variable. Solution: Reinstall Git for Windows, and on the "Adjusting your PATH" screen, select "Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software". Restart the terminal (PowerShell/WSL).

Slow WSL2 Filesystem Performance

Cause: Accessing files located on the Windows partition (/mnt/c/...) from WSL2 is slow due to the bridge between systems. Solution: Store your projects inside the WSL2 filesystem, i.e., in Ubuntu's home directory (~/projects), not on the Windows drive. To access them from Windows, use \\wsl$\Ubuntu\home\<user>\projects in File Explorer. For work in VS Code, use the Remote - WSL extension.