In this hands-on workshop we explore how WSL works (WSL1 → WSL2 → WSLg), when to choose it vs VMs or pure containers, and how to build a fast, reproducible dev setup on Windows with a complete Linux toolset. We’ll install and tune WSL, run services with systemd, launch GUI apps, wire up Docker Desktop’s WSL backend, and package/import a custom WSL distro you can share with teammates. We close with a live demo of a production-style loop (Rider/VS Code, FAKE, dotnet, Docker Compose, Beyond Compare, Claude Code) running from WSL. Attendees leave with a working setup, a cheat sheet, and the confidence to make WSL their daily driver.

• Audience: Devs/SREs/IT who use Windows but want Linux tooling.
• Prereqs: Terminal basics; Windows 11 preferred (Windows 10 supported); virtualization enabled; local admin.
• Hands-on: BYO laptop recommended; instructor backup lab VMs available; offline assets provided.