The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) in Windows 11 allows you to run several Linux distributions. The sole warning is that the system will automatically default to the first distribution that was installed.
The default distribution will launch automatically when you run the WSL command, however this won’t stop you from accessing the distribution. Nonetheless, the platform offers the ability to modify the default configuration of any other Windows 11 distribution.
This post will teach you how to set your favorite distribution as the new Windows 11 default.
Set default WSL Linux distro on Windows 11
Use these procedures to make any Linux distribution the default on WSL:
Launch Windows 11.
Look up “Command Prompt,” then right-click on the first result and choose “Run as administrator.”
To see a list of all available distributions, type the following command and hit Enter:
To make the Linux distribution the new default on WSL, type the following command and hit Enter:
Replace DISTRO-NAME in the command with the distro’s name to make it the default (see step 3). For example, this command sets Ubuntu Linux as Windows 11’s default distribution:
When you run the WSL command after completing the procedures, Windows 11’s default distribution will launch immediately.