The platform is simply referred to as Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) on Windows 11, although it is given a version number with each significant release.
The platform is now available in two versions. The first release of WSL, version 1, allowed Linux distributions to operate natively alongside Windows 10. The second version of WSL that runs the Linux kernel within a thin virtual machine is version 2. In summary, the virtualization technique gives full system call compatibility, enhances system performance, supports Linux GUI software, and has all the advantages of the original version.
The Windows Subsystem for Linux comes with a command to easily determine the version that is installed on the computer.
The procedures to verify the Windows Subsystem version for Linux installed on Windows 10 are covered in this article.
Check WSL version on Windows 11
Use these procedures to determine the WSL version that is installed on Windows 11:
Launch Windows 11.
Look up “Command Prompt,” then right-click on the first result and choose “Run as administrator.”
To verify whether WSL 1 or WSL 2 is installed on the device, use the following command and hit Enter:
Verify the installed version of WSL under the Version column.
WSL2 is installed on the PC if, after completing the steps, the command returns 2. WSL1 is installed if you receive an error or see no version number. This is because version 2 introduced the command to check the version.