The Tool Desk
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This guide walks through the basic setup process: checking Windows 10 requirements, enabling the required Windows features, setting WSL2 as the default version, installing Kali Linux, launching it for the first time, and running the initial updates.
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Check Windows 10 Requirements and Prerequisites
Before enabling WSL2 or installing Kali Linux, confirm that your Windows 10 system supports the required virtualization features. WSL2 uses a lightweight virtual machine architecture, so it needs a compatible Windows build and CPU virtualization enabled in firmware. Checking these items first helps avoid common installation errors such as WSL refusing to upgrade distributions to version 2 or Kali failing to start after installation.
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For Windows 10, WSL2 requires version 2004 or later with build 19041 or higher. To check your version, press Windows + R, type winver, and press Enter. In the dialog that appears, look for the Windows version and OS build. If your build is older than 19041, run Windows Update and install the latest available updates before continuing. Systems running older Windows 10 releases may still support WSL1, but they will not provide the full WSL2 experience.
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Minimum items to verify
- Windows edition: Windows 10 Home, Pro, Enterprise, or Education can run WSL2 when updated to a supported build.
- Windows build: Version 2004 or later, build 19041 or higher.
- CPU virtualization: Intel VT-x or AMD-V must be supported and enabled in BIOS or UEFI settings.
- Internet access: Needed to download the WSL components, Linux kernel update package if required, and Kali Linux.
- Administrator access: Required for enabling Windows features and changing WSL settings.
- Free disk space: Keep several gigabytes available for Kali, package updates, and tools you may install later.
Next, confirm that virtualization is enabled. Open Task Manager, go to the Performance tab, select CPU, and look for Virtualization. If it shows Enabled, you are ready to proceed. If it shows Disabled, restart your computer and enter the BIOS or UEFI setup. The exact key varies by manufacturer, but common options include F2, F10, F12, Esc, or Delete during startup. Look for a setting named Intel Virtualization Technology, VT-x, AMD-V, SVM Mode, or Virtualization Extensions, then enable it and save changes.
You should also make sure Windows Update is working properly before making WSL changes. Open Settings, go to Update & Security, then select Windows Update and install any pending updates. After updating, restart Windows if prompted. Once your Windows build, virtualization status, administrator access, and network connection are in place, the system is ready for the WSL and Virtual Machine Platform features required by Kali on WSL2.
Enable WSL and Virtual Machine Platform
After confirming that your Windows 10 installation supports WSL2, the next step is to enable the Windows components that make it work. WSL requires the Windows Subsystem for Linux feature, while WSL2 also needs Virtual Machine Platform. These features allow Windows to run a lightweight Linux environment with better compatibility than the original WSL version.
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dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
Next, enable the Virtual Machine Platform feature, which is required for WSL2 distributions:
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart
Once both commands finish, restart your computer. The restart is required so Windows can load the newly enabled components. If you skip this step, later commands may fail or WSL may still behave as though the features are disabled.
Enable the features through Windows settings
If you prefer a graphical method, you can enable the same components through the Windows Features dialog:
- Press Windows + R, type optionalfeatures, and press Enter.
- Check Windows Subsystem for Linux.
- Check Virtual Machine Platform.
- Select OK and allow Windows to apply the changes.
- Restart your PC when prompted.
Both the PowerShell and Windows Features methods accomplish the same result, so use whichever approach is more convenient. For most users, PowerShell is faster and easier to repeat if you are setting up mulle machines.
Confirm the features are enabled
After restarting, you can verify the feature state from an elevated PowerShell window. Run:
dism.exe /online /get-featureinfo /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux
dism.exe /online /get-featureinfo /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatformFor each command, look for State : Enabled. If either feature is still disabled, rerun the enable command, restart again, and check that virtualization is enabled in your system firmware settings. With these two Windows features active, your system is ready to configure WSL2 as the default version before installing Kali Linux.
Set WSL2 as the Default Version
After enabling the Windows Subsystem for Linux and Virtual Machine Platform features, configure Windows 10 so new Linux distributions install as WSL2 by default. WSL2 uses a lightweight virtual machine and a real Linux kernel, which gives Kali Linux better compatibility with Linux tools than the older WSL1 architecture.
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal as an administrator, then run the following command:
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wsl –set-default-version 2
If the command completes successfully, Windows will use WSL2 for any Linux distribution you install after this point, including Kali Linux from the Microsoft Store or from the command line. If you see a message saying that WSL2 requires an update to its kernel component, install the WSL2 Linux kernel update package from Microsoft, then run the command again.
Check your installed WSL versions
If you already have Linux distributions installed, you can check which WSL version each one is using with:
wsl –list –verbose
The output shows each installed distribution, its running state, and whether it is using version 1 or version 2. A typical result looks like this:
| Distribution | State | Version |
|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu | Stopped | 2 |
| kali-linux | Stopped | 2 |
If an existing distribution is still using WSL1, you can convert it to WSL2 by running:
wsl –set-version <distribution-name> 2
For example, if Kali is already installed and appears as kali-linux, use:
wsl –set-version kali-linux 2
The conversion can take several minutes depending on the size of the distribution. Do not close the terminal while it is running. Once it finishes, run wsl –list –verbose again to confirm that the version column shows 2.
Common setup commands
- wsl –set-default-version 2 sets WSL2 as the default for new installations.
- wsl –list –verbose displays installed distributions and their WSL versions.
- wsl –set-version kali-linux 2 converts an installed Kali instance to WSL2.
- wsl –shutdown stops all running WSL instances, which can help after configuration changes.
Once WSL2 is set as the default, you are ready to install Kali Linux. You can do this through the Microsoft Store for a graphical installation flow, or by using the wsl –install command if your Windows 10 build supports it.
Install Kali Linux on Windows 10
With WSL2 enabled and set as the default version, you can install Kali Linux directly from Microsoft’s distribution catalog. The simplest route is the Microsoft Store, but the command line method is often faster and easier to repeat on mulle machines. Both approaches install the same Kali WSL distribution and let Windows create a Linux filesystem that runs under WSL2.
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Option 1: Install Kali from the Microsoft Store
Open the Microsoft Store app from the Start menu and search for Kali Linux. Select the official Kali Linux listing published by Kali Linux, then choose Get or Install. Wait for the download and installation to finish. The package is usually small at first because it installs a base Kali environment; you can add tools later after the first launch.
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After installation, you can start Kali from the Store page by selecting Open, or from the Start menu by searching for Kali Linux. The first launch may take a minute while WSL unpacks and initializes the distribution. Do not close the terminal during this step, because Kali still needs to create its root filesystem before it is ready for use.
Option 2: Install Kali from PowerShell or Windows Terminal
If you prefer the command line, open PowerShell or Windows Terminal. You do not usually need an elevated administrator window for the distribution install itself, assuming WSL is already configured. First, check that Kali appears in the online distribution list:
- Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal.
- Run wsl –list –online to display available Linux distributions.
- Look for kali-linux in the list.
- Run wsl –install -d kali-linux to install Kali Linux.
If your Windows 10 build supports the newer WSL commands, the installation will download Kali and register it automatically. On older systems, the command may not be available or may behave differently; in that case, use the Microsoft Store method or update WSL from Microsoft’s documentation path. Once installed, Kali can be launched with wsl -d kali-linux or by selecting Kali Linux from the Start menu.
Confirm Kali is using WSL2
After the install completes, verify that Kali is running on WSL2 rather than WSL1. In PowerShell or Windows Terminal, run wsl -l -v. You should see kali-linux listed with version 2. If it shows version 1, convert it with wsl –set-version kali-linux 2. The conversion can take several minutes, depending on disk speed and the size of the Linux filesystem.
| Task | Command or Location |
|---|---|
| Find Kali in the Store | Microsoft Store → search for Kali Linux |
| List available WSL distributions | wsl –list –online |
| Install Kali from the command line | wsl –install -d kali-linux |
| Check WSL version | wsl -l -v |
| Launch Kali directly | wsl -d kali-linux |
At this point, Kali Linux is installed on Windows 10 and registered with WSL. The next step is to launch it for the first time, let initialization complete, and create your default Linux user account before updating packages and adding the tools you need.
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After Kali Linux finishes installing, launch it from the Start menu by searching for Kali Linux and selecting the app. If you installed it from the command line, you can also open Windows Terminal or PowerShell and run kali. The first launch may take a minute because WSL needs to unpack and initialize the Kali filesystem before presenting the setup prompts.
When Kali starts for the first time, it asks you to create a default Linux user account. This account is separate from your Windows account, so it can have a different username and password. Enter a lowercase username when prompted, then create a password. The password will not visibly appear as you type, which is normal for Linux terminals. Press Enter after typing it, then confirm it when asked.
Create your Kali user
- Open Kali Linux from the Start menu, or run
kaliin PowerShell or Windows Terminal. - Wait for the initial filesystem setup to complete.
- Enter a new UNIX username, such as
kaliuseror your own preferred name. - Enter and confirm a password for that Linux user.
- Wait until the Kali shell prompt appears.
Once the prompt appears, you are logged in as your new non-root Kali user. You can confirm the current account by running whoami. For administrative tasks, use sudo before a command. For example, sudo apt update runs the package index refresh with elevated permissions. The first time you use sudo, Kali asks for the password you just created.
If you close the Kali window, your Linux environment remains installed and ready to use. Reopen it from the Start menu or run wsl -d kali-linux from a Windows terminal. If you have mulle WSL distributions installed, you can list them with wsl -l -v to confirm the Kali distribution name and verify that it is running under WSL2.
Update Kali and Install Essential Tools
After creating your Kali Linux user account, the first task is to refresh the package lists and bring the system up to date. Kali on WSL2 uses Debian-based package management, so you will use apt for most software installation and maintenance. Open your Kali terminal from the Start menu or Windows Terminal, then run the update and upgrade commands with administrator privileges inside Linux by using sudo.
Start by updating the package index, then apply available upgrades:
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- Run sudo apt full-upgrade -y to install available updates and handle dependency changes.
- Run sudo apt autoremove -y to remove packages that are no longer required.
If this is your first time using sudo in the session, Kali will ask for the password you created during user setup. The password will not visibly appear as you type, which is normal in Linux terminals. Once the update completes, you have a current base system that is ready for tools and customization.
Install a practical starter toolset
Kali images for WSL are usually lighter than a full desktop installation, so some tools may not be installed by default. You can install individual packages as needed rather than adding everything at once. For a general command-line setup, consider installing common utilities for networking, file downloads, version control, text editing, and archive handling.
- curl and wget for downloading files and testing web requests.
- git for cloning repositories and managing source code.
- vim or nano for editing configuration files in the terminal.
- net-tools, iproute2, and dnsutils for basic network inspection and DNS queries.
- unzip, zip, and tar for working with compressed archives.
You can install these in one command with sudo apt install -y curl wget git vim nano net-tools iproute2 dnsutils unzip zip tar. If you plan to use Kali for security labs, install tools only for environments you own or have permission to test. WSL2 is well suited for learning, scripting, scanning lab machines, and running many command-line utilities, but it is not a complete replacement for a dedicated Kali virtual machine when you need full hardware access, wireless adapter monitor mode, or kernel-level features.
Verify the installation and clean up
After installing tools, confirm that commands are available by checking their versions or help output. For example, use git –version, curl –version, or ip addr. If a command is missing, search for the package with apt search package-name and install the matching result.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need Windows 10 Pro to install WSL2 and Kali Linux?
No, WSL2 works on Windows 10 Home, Pro, Enterprise, and Education as long as your system meets the version requirements. You generally need Windows 10 version 2004 or later, with build 19041 or higher. You should also make sure virtualization is enabled in your BIOS or UEFI settings.
How do I check if WSL2 is installed correctly?
Open PowerShell and run wsl -l -v to list installed Linux distributions and their WSL version. If Kali shows version 2, it is running on WSL2. If it shows version 1, you can convert it with wsl --set-version kali-linux 2.
Can I install Kali Linux without using the Microsoft Store?
Yes, you can install Kali from the command line if your Windows version supports it. Open PowerShell and run wsl --install -d kali-linux. If that command is not available, update Windows and the WSL components first, or use the Microsoft Store method instead.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhat should I do after launching Kali Linux for the first time?
After the first launch, create your Linux username and password when prompted. Then update the package list and installed packages with sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y. You can also install common tools using sudo apt install kali-linux-default, depending on how many Kali tools you want.
Does Kali Linux on WSL2 include the full desktop and all penetration testing tools?
The default Kali WSL installation is usually minimal and does not include every tool or a full desktop environment. You can install additional tool collections with Kali metapackages such as kali-linux-default or kali-linux-large. Some tools that require direct hardware access, monitor mode Wi-Fi, or low-level networking may not work the same way they do on a full Kali installation or virtual machine.
Bottom Line
Installing WSL2 and Kali Linux on Windows 10 gives you a flexible Linux environment without needing a separate machine or full virtual machine setup. Once the required Windows features are enabled, WSL2 is set as the default, and Kali is installed, you can launch it directly from the Start menu or terminal.
After installation, run your initial updates, create your user account, and add only the tools you actually need. From there, you can begin using Kali for learning, testing, and security workflows while keeping your Windows setup intact.
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