---
title: "How to Setup"
source: "https://wsldl-pg.github.io/ArchW-docs/How-to-Setup/"
author:
published:
created: 2026-08-23
description: "A ArchWSL for documentation"
tags:
  - "clippings"
  - "webclipper"
---
> [!info] Source
> URL: https://wsldl-pg.github.io/ArchW-docs/How-to-Setup/
> Title: How to Setup
> Clipped: 

## How to Set Up ArchWSL

## Requirements

- Windows 10 1709 Fall Creators Update 64bit or later.
- Windows Subsystem for Linux feature is enabled.

## Installation Instructions

There are three ways to install ArchWSL.

### Method 1: zip file

1. [Download](https://github.com/yuk7/ArchWSL/releases/latest) the installer zip.
2. Extract all files in zip file to the same directory. Please extract to a folder that you have write permission. For example, `C:\Program Files` cannot be used since the rootfs cannot be modified there.
3. Run `Arch.exe` to extract the rootfs and register to WSL

As a side note, the executable name is what is used as the WSL instance name. If you rename it, you can have multiple installs.

### Method 2: appx package

1. [Download the `.appx` and `.cer`](https://github.com/yuk7/ArchWSL/releases/latest)
2. Install `.cer` to the “Trusted Root Certificate Store” of the local machine. For details, please refer to the [Install Certificate page](https://wsldl-pg.github.io/ArchW-docs/Install-Certificate/). You will need administrator privileges to install the certificate.
3. Install the `.appx`

### Method 3: online installer

1. [Download `Arch_Online.zip`](https://github.com/yuk7/ArchWSL/releases/latest)
2. Extract all files in zip file to the same directory.
3. Run `Arch.exe` to download rootfs and register to WSL

This zip file is doesn’t include rootfs (~200 MB), hence its zip file is very small (~2 MB), but rootfs is donwloaded in the first run.

## Setup after install

### If you are a WSL1 user, you must change the glibc package. Please see Known issues.

### Setting the root password

```shell
>Arch.exe
[root@PC-NAME]# passwd
```

### Set up the default user

Please see ArchWiki [Sudo](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Sudo#Example_entries) and [User and groups](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Users_and_groups) pages.

```shell
>Arch.exe
[root@PC-NAME]# echo "%wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL" > /etc/sudoers.d/wheel
(setup sudoers file.)

[root@PC-NAME]# useradd -m -G wheel -s /bin/bash {username}
(add user)

[root@PC-NAME]# passwd {username}
(set default user password)

[root@PC-NAME]# exit

>Arch.exe config --default-user {username}
    (setting to default user)
```

If the default user has not been changed ([issue #7](https://github.com/yuk7/ArchWSL/issues/7)), please reboot the computer or alternatively, restart the LxssManager in an Admin command prompt.

To restart the `LxssManager`, run this:

```batch
net stop lxssmanager && net start lxssmanager
```

### Initialize keyring

Please excute these commands to initialize the keyring. (This step is necessary to use pacman.)

```shell
>Arch.exe
[user@PC-NAME]$ sudo pacman-key --init

[user@PC-NAME]$ sudo pacman-key --populate

[user@PC-NAME]$ sudo pacman -Sy archlinux-keyring

[user@PC-NAME]$ sudo pacman -Su
```

### Install patched glibc (need in WSL1)

Arch’s glibc is built for Linux kernel 4.4 and above and does not work with WSL1.

WSL1 users **should** always follow the steps in [Known issues](https://wsldl-pg.github.io/ArchW-docs/Known-issues/#wsl1--wsl2).

### Install systemctl alternative (Optional)

WSL does not have support for systemd however, there are several solutions. Please see [Known issues](https://wsldl-pg.github.io/ArchW-docs/Known-issues/#systemdsystemctl).