How to Run Multiple Instances of the Same Linux Distro on WSL

Running multiple instances of the same Linux distribution on Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is possible and can be quite useful for testing, development, or isolating different environments. Each instance runs independently, so you can configure, install software, and set up environments as needed. Each instance will have its own filesystem and configuration.

PS C:\> wsl -l -v
  NAME      STATE           VERSION
* Ubuntu    Stopped         2
PS C:\>
PS C:\> wsl --install -d ubuntu
Ubuntu is already installed.
Launching Ubuntu...
To run a command as administrator (user "root"), use "sudo <command>".
See "man sudo_root" for details.

bonben@win11-e2208:~$

Install WSL and Your Desired Linux Distribution

Before you can create multiple instances, ensure that WSL is installed and you have your desired Linux distribution installed (e.g., Ubuntu).

Right-click on the Windows Start icon then open PowerShell (Terminal) as administrator.

Run the following command:

wsl --install

This command will install the default WSL distro, typically Ubuntu. This will be your base distribution.. If WSL is already installed, you can skip this step.

PS C:\> wsl --install
Installing: Virtual Machine Platform
Virtual Machine Platform has been installed.
Installing: Windows Subsystem for Linux
Windows Subsystem for Linux has been installed.
Installing: Ubuntu
Ubuntu has been installed.
The requested operation is successful. 
Changes will not be effective until the system is rebooted.

Export the Base Distribution

Once your distribution is installed, you need to export it so that you can create multiple instances from this base.

PS C:\> wsl -l -v
  NAME      STATE           VERSION
* Ubuntu    Stopped         2

Open a PowerShell terminal and run the following command, replacing with the name of your installed distribution (e.g., Ubuntu):

wsl --export ubuntu 'D:\backup\mydistro.tar'

This command will export your current WSL distribution to a .tar file at the specified path.

Import the Distribution as a New Instance

Now that you have the exported .tar file, you can import it as a new instance. Run the following command to import the .tar file as a new WSL instance:

wsl --import <NewDistroName> 'C:\path\to\new\instance\' 'C:\path\to\backup\mydistro.tar'

<NewDistroName>: The name you want to give the new instance (e.g., Ubuntu-Instance2).
C:\path\to\new\instance\: The directory where the new instance’s filesystem will be stored.
C:\path\to\backup\mydistro.tar: The path to the exported .tar file.

# Example
wsl --import Ubuntu-Instance2 'D:\wsl\Ubuntu-Instance2' 'D:\backup\mydistro.tar'

After importing, you will have multiple instances of the same Linux distribution. You can manage these instances with the following commands:

wsl -l -v

This will show you all the installed WSL distributions, including the new instance you just created.

PS C:\> wsl -l -v
  NAME                STATE           VERSION
* Ubuntu              Stopped         2
  Ubuntu-Instance2    Stopped         2

To start a specific instance, replace <NewDistroName> with the name of the instance you want to run.

wsl -d <NewDistroName>

To terminate a running instance, run the below command. This will stop the specified WSL instance.

wsl --terminate <DistroName>

If you no longer need an instance, you can unregister it. This will delete the instance and its filesystem.

wsl --unregister <DistroName>

Not a reader? Watch this related video tutorial:

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