WSL configuration ad usage

Advanced Oracle Linux 9 Configuration in WSL2

1. Windows Environment Preparation

Before installation, virtualization features must be activated in Windows (PowerShell as Administrator).

powershell
Disable-NetAdapterBinding -Name "*" -ComponentID ms_tcpip6
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

After restarting the system, perform an update:

powershell
wsl --update --web-download
wsl --set-default-version 2

2. Global Engine Configuration (.wslconfig)

The .wslconfig file controls the parameters for all WSL2 machines. It should be created at: C:\Users\<your_username>\.wslconfig.

ini
[wsl2]

# Virtual disk size
defaultVhdSize = 40GB

# DNS Tunneling prevents network issues in different locations
dnsTunneling = true

# Mirrored networking mode (host IP inheritance)
networkingMode = mirrored

# Additional parameters for network stability
autoProxy = true

Important notes regarding host networking:

By using networkingMode = mirrored, the Linux machine receives the same IP addresses as your Windows host.

• This means no port forwarding is required.
• Limitation: If you use multiple WSL distributions simultaneously, they cannot use the same ports (address conflict, just like within a single operating system).

3. Installation and Import of OL9

The Oracle Linux 9 distribution is installed by importing a previously prepared rootfs archive.

powershell
wsl --import OL9 C:\wsl2\ol9 C:\path\to\file\oraclelinux-9-amd64-rootfs.tar --version 2

4. Machine Management

A collection of the most common commands for environment handling:

• Starting the machine:

powershell
wsl -d OL9

• Logging in as root:

powershell
wsl -d OL9 -u root

• Shutting down the machine (required to reload .wslconfig):

powershell
wsl --shutdown

• Checking status and version:

powershell
wsl --list --verbose

• Removing the distribution (clears registry, but not files):

powershell
wsl --unregister OL9

• Cleaning the folder (PowerShell):

powershell
Remove-Item -Path C:\wsl2\ol9 -Recurse -Force