/wsl-ubuntu-setup-guide

"A complete guide to setting up WSL on Windows 11, installing Ubuntu, and using Zsh with Oh My Zsh + Powerlevel10k for a customized terminal experience. Also includes Neovim setup for an improved coding workflow inside WSL."

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Complete Guide: Setting Up WSL, Ubuntu, and Zsh in VS Code

1. Install Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Ubuntu

Enable WSL and Virtual Machine Platform

  1. Open PowerShell as Administrator and run: 
    wsl --install
  2. Restart your computer if prompted.

Install Ubuntu

  1. Open PowerShell and install Ubuntu: 
    wsl --install -d Ubuntu
  2. Once installed, search for Ubuntu in the Start Menu and open it.
  3. Set up your UNIX username and password (this is different from your Windows account).

2. Update Ubuntu and Install Essential Packages

After opening Ubuntu, update and upgrade packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install essential tools:

sudo apt install -y curl git zsh wget

3. Install and Set Up Zsh with Oh My Zsh

Install Oh My Zsh

sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

Press Y when asked to change your default shell.

Install Plugins for Zsh

Enhance your Zsh experience with the following plugins:

git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting.git ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-$HOME/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-syntax-highlighting
git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-$HOME/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-autosuggestions

Edit the Zsh configuration file:

nano ~/.zshrc

Find the plugins= line and modify it:

plugins=(git zsh-syntax-highlighting zsh-autosuggestions)

Save and exit (Ctrl + X, then Y, then Enter), then apply the changes:

source ~/.zshrc

4. Install Powerlevel10k for a Beautiful Terminal

Download Powerlevel10k Theme

git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-$HOME/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/themes/powerlevel10k

Set Powerlevel10k as the Default Theme

  1. Open the Zsh configuration file: 
    nano ~/.zshrc
  2. Find the line: 
    ZSH_THEME="robbyrussell"
    Replace it with: 
    ZSH_THEME="powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k"
  3. Save and exit.
  4. Apply changes: 
    source ~/.zshrc
  5. Restart your terminal to begin Powerlevel10k configuration and follow the prompts.

5. Install Neovim for an Improved Terminal Editor

Install Neovim

sudo apt install -y neovim

Set Neovim as the Default Editor

echo "export EDITOR=nvim" >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Enhance Neovim with Plugins

  1. Install vim-plug (plugin manager for Neovim):

    curl -fLo ~/.local/share/nvim/site/autoload/plug.vim --create-dirs \
    https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junegunn/vim-plug/master/plug.vim

  2. Open Neovim and edit the config file:

    nvim ~/.config/nvim/init.vim

  3. Add the following basic plugin setup:

    call plug#begin()
Plug 'morhetz/gruvbox'
Plug 'tpope/vim-sensible'
Plug 'junegunn/fzf.vim'
call plug#end()

syntax on
colorscheme gruvbox
set number

  4. Save and exit (Esc, then type :wq).

  5. Install the plugins inside Neovim:

    :PlugInstall

  6. Restart Neovim for changes to take effect.

6. Sync VS Code Extensions Between Windows and WSL

To use the same extensions in both environments:

  1. Open VS Code on Windows.
  2. Sign in to your GitHub or Microsoft account to enable Settings Sync.
  3. Open VS Code inside WSL using: 
    <<<<<<<<< Temporary merge branch 1
=========
git config --global user.name "YourName"
git config --global user.email "youremail@example.com"
  4. Check if Git is installed: 
    git --version
  5. Clone a GitHub repository: 
    git clone https://github.com/yourusername/yourrepository.git

8. Useful Commands to Test Your Setup

  • Check Ubuntu version: 
    lsb_release -a
  • List files in home directory: 
    ls -la ~
  • Check installed Node.js version: 
    node -v
  • Display system info using Neofetch: 
    sudo apt install -y neofetch
neofetch

9. Accessing Ubuntu Files from Windows

Your Ubuntu files are stored inside WSL. You can access them in Windows File Explorer by typing:

\\wsl.localhost\Ubuntu\home\<your-UNIX-username>

Or navigate to:

C:\Users\YourWindowsUsername\AppData\Local\Packages\CanonicalGroupLimited...\LocalState\rootfs\home\<your-UNIX-username>

10. Moving Old Projects to WSL

  1. Move your old project folders to:

    /home/<your-ubuntu-username>/

  2. Open VS Code and navigate to the folder inside WSL.

  3. Run it in Ubuntu terminal using:

    cd ~/your-project-folder
>>>>>>>>> Temporary merge branch 2
code .

  4. Sign in again and enable syncing.

  5. Your extensions and settings should now be synced!

7. Difference Between Zsh and Neovim

  • Zsh is an interactive shell for running commands, while Neovim is a powerful text editor.
  • Zsh helps with command-line efficiency, auto-suggestions, and plugins.
  • Neovim is optimized for coding, with syntax highlighting, plugins, and customization.
  • Using Both: You can configure Neovim as your Zsh editor by setting: 
    export EDITOR=nvim
    This allows you to edit files inside your terminal seamlessly.

Pros: ✅ Neovim as default editor in Zsh streamlines workflow. ✅ Zsh enhances command-line experience.

C:\Users\YourWindowsUsername\AppData\Local\Packages\CanonicalGroupLimited...\LocalState\rootfs\home\<your-UNIX-username>

======= Cons: ❌ Using both might be overwhelming for beginners. ❌ Requires time to configure properly.

✅ Now you have the perfect dual-terminal setup: Windows for daily tasks & Ubuntu for development! 🚀

Ps.

Since I have been often using multiple terminal tabs for your full-stack development, tmux is a great addition. Here’s why: It is part of my learning experiences of things are 😁

Split Your Terminal Efficiently

You can divide your terminal into multiple panes and navigate between them easily. Example use case: Have backend logs on one side and your frontend dev server on another.

Persistent Sessions

If you close your terminal by mistake, your running processes (like servers, databases, etc.) won’t die! You can reattach to them.

Better Navigation & Productivity

You don’t have to constantly open and close new terminal tabs. Instead, just split panes inside tmux and jump between them with key bindings.

Since you already have Zsh + Oh My Zsh + Powerlevel10k, I’d add tmux and configure it to work seamlessly with your current setup.

1️⃣ Install tmux

sudo apt update && sudo apt install tmux -y

2️⃣ Configure tmux for a Better Experience Create a ~/.tmux.conf file to customize it:

nano ~/.tmux.conf

Paste the following configuration:

# Set better keybindings

set -g mouse on # Enable mouse support for easier pane resizing
unbind C-b # Unbind default tmux prefix (Ctrl+b)
set -g prefix C-a # Set "Ctrl + a" as the new prefix (easier to use)
bind C-a send-prefix # Let you send Ctrl+A to applications if needed

# Split panes with shortcuts

bind | split-window -h # Ctrl+A then | → Split horizontally
bind - split-window -v # Ctrl+A then - → Split vertically

# Switch panes with arrow keys

bind -r Left select-pane -L
bind -r Right select-pane -R
bind -r Up select-pane -U
bind -r Down select-pane -D

# Resize panes with Shift + Arrow keys

bind -r S-Left resize-pane -L 5
bind -r S-Right resize-pane -R 5
bind -r S-Up resize-pane -U 5
bind -r S-Down resize-pane -D 5

# Reload config with Ctrl+A then r

bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf \; display-message "Tmux config reloaded!"

Save & exit (Ctrl+X → Y → Enter).

3️⃣ Reload tmux Configuration

tmux source ~/.tmux.conf

4️⃣ Start a New tmux Session

tmux

Explanation

  • Mouse Support: set -g mouse on

    • Enables mouse support for easier pane resizing and navigation.

  • Prefix Key: set -g prefix C-a

    • Changes the default prefix key from Ctrl+b to Ctrl+a for easier access.
    • unbind C-b unbinds the default prefix key.

  • Send Prefix: bind C-a send-prefix

    • Allows you to send Ctrl+a to applications if needed.

  • Split Panes:

    • bind | split-window -h: Ctrl+a then | splits the window horizontally.
    • bind - split-window -v: Ctrl+a then - splits the window vertically.

  • Switch Panes:

    • bind -r Left select-pane -L: Ctrl+a then Left Arrow switches to the left pane.
    • bind -r Right select-pane -R: Ctrl+a then Right Arrow switches to the right pane.
    • bind -r Up select-pane -U: Ctrl+a then Up Arrow switches to the upper pane.
    • bind -r Down select-pane -D: Ctrl+a then Down Arrow switches to the lower pane.

  • Resize Panes:

    • bind -r S-Left resize-pane -L 5: Shift + Left Arrow resizes the pane to the left by 5 units.
    • bind -r S-Right resize-pane -R 5: Shift + Right Arrow resizes the pane to the right by 5 units.
    • bind -r S-Up resize-pane -U 5: Shift + Up Arrow resizes the pane upwards by 5 units.
    • bind -r S-Down resize-pane -D 5: Shift + Down Arrow resizes the pane downwards by 5 units.

  • Reload Configuration:

    • bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf \; display-message "Tmux config reloaded!": Ctrl+a then r reloads the tmux configuration file and displays a message.

Now, try these:

  • Split panes:
    • Ctrl + A then | (vertical split)
    • Ctrl + A then - (horizontal split)
  • Switch between panes: Ctrl + A then arrow keys
  • Resize panes: Shift + Arrow keys
  • Detach from tmux (without closing it): Ctrl + A then D
  • Reattach to your session after closing the terminal: 
    tmux attach-session -t 0