You can install Incus inside an Ubuntu WSL2 distribution and try launching a Linux system container, but the official Incus and Microsoft pages cited here do not establish that Incus’s daemon is supported or tested on WSL2. Treat this as a best-effort experiment: WSL2 supports systemd, but kernel, storage, or networking requirements may still prevent Incus from working. If setup fails for those reasons, use Incus on a native Linux host instead.
Can you run Incus in WSL2?
Incus documents a Linux-only daemon and installation packages for Linux distributions; Microsoft documents systemd support in WSL. Neither fact proves that Incus works fully inside WSL2. In particular, the cited documentation does not provide a WSL2-specific compatibility guarantee for the daemon, kernel capabilities, storage drivers, or managed networking. The steps below follow the documented Linux installation and first-container workflow, but success in WSL2 is not assured.
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Use an Ubuntu WSL2 distribution for this attempt. If Incus initialization or networking fails with kernel or environment errors, that may be a WSL limitation rather than a mistake in the commands. Do not assume that a working Incus bridge will provide LAN reachability or stable IP behavior in WSL2.
1. Install or verify Ubuntu on WSL2
Microsoft documents Windows 10 version 2004 (build 19041) or later and Windows 11 as the baseline for WSL installation. Open PowerShell as an administrator and install WSL with Ubuntu, then restart Windows if prompted:
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wsl --installIf WSL is already installed, check available distribution names and install Ubuntu if needed:
wsl --list --online
wsl --install -d UbuntuCheck the installed distribution and its WSL version:
wsl --list --verboseThe target Ubuntu entry should show version 2. If it shows version 1, convert it from PowerShell:
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wsl --set-version Ubuntu 2Use the exact distribution name shown by wsl --list --verbose if it differs from Ubuntu. For current installation details and Windows prerequisites, see Microsoft’s Install WSL guide.
2. Confirm systemd is active
Incus runs as a daemon, so check that systemd is managing services in Ubuntu. Microsoft says current Ubuntu installations made through wsl --install use systemd by default. In Ubuntu, run:
systemctl statusIf systemd is not active in another WSL2 distribution, check the WSL version from PowerShell:
wsl --versionMicrosoft’s documented systemd enablement method for other WSL2 distributions requires WSL 0.67.6 or newer. Edit /etc/wsl.conf inside the distribution and add:
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[boot]
systemd=trueFor Debian, Ubuntu, and Kali Rolling, Microsoft’s instructions also call for the systemd and systemd-sysv packages. After configuring the file, close the Linux distribution, run this in PowerShell, then reopen Ubuntu and verify with systemctl status:
wsl.exe --shutdownSee Microsoft’s Use systemd to manage Linux services with WSL instructions for distribution-specific details.
3. Install Incus in Ubuntu
First identify the Ubuntu release inside the distribution:
lsb_release -aThe Incus installation guide documents Ubuntu’s native incus package for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and later. On one of those releases, install it with:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install incusThe guide also lists Zabbly packages for specified Ubuntu LTS releases, with separate installation instructions. Check the current Incus installation guide and select a package route that matches your Ubuntu release. These package instructions do not certify that the Incus daemon will operate inside WSL2.
4. Set Incus access and initialize it
Incus distinguishes between ordinary user access and administrator access. The incus group provides narrower, per-user project access; incus-admin grants full control of Incus. The introductory tutorial uses incus-admin, which is convenient for a personal test but has broader privileges.
Add your current Ubuntu user to that group, then apply the membership to the current terminal with newgrp:
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sudo adduser "$USER" incus-admin
newgrp incus-adminInitialize Incus interactively so you can respond to its storage and network prompts:
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incus admin init --minimalUse the interactive route when you need to inspect or adapt the configuration. A managed bridge is a documented Linux networking option, but the cited documentation does not establish that bridge setup behaves the same way in WSL2. If initialization fails while creating storage or networking, record the error rather than assuming that repeating the same setup will resolve a host limitation. Consult the Incus networking overview for what its managed networks do on Linux.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.5. Create and inspect your first system container
Launch the Debian 12 system container used in the Incus introductory tutorial:
incus launch images:debian/12 firstThe first launch downloads and unpacks the image, so it can take longer than later launches from the same image. Check that the instance appears and inspect its details:
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsincus list
incus info firstFor a shell inside the container, use Incus’s exec workflow if the image provides a shell:
incus exec first -- /bin/shIf that shell path is unavailable in the image, check the image’s available commands rather than treating the result as proof that the Incus daemon failed. The Incus first-steps tutorial documents the launch and inspection workflow. This creates a system container, not a virtual machine; Incus treats a VM as a separate instance type, created with a --vm option in its documented example. See How to create instances for that distinction and instance options.
What to do if the WSL2 setup fails
Systemd support in WSL is not a guarantee that every Linux daemon or kernel-dependent feature will work there. Incus relies on Linux kernel capabilities and configurable storage and networking, while the cited official pages do not publish a WSL2-specific support matrix. Treat daemon startup, storage-driver, or bridge errors as possible compatibility constraints. For dependable Incus use, move the setup to a native Linux installation rather than promising that a WSL networking workaround will provide equivalent behavior.
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