Setting up Arch Linux on WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) for web development, along with various tools and enhancements like Zsh, Oh-My-Zsh, autosuggestions, Homebrew, and other utilities, is a comprehensive process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to configure everything from scratch:
Step 1: Install Arch Linux on WSL
Enable WSL:
Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
Then, enable the Virtual Machine feature necessary for WSL 2:
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart
Restart your computer.
Download and Install Arch Linux:
You can download Arch Linux for WSL from a third-party source like WSL Arch Linux. Follow the instructions on the GitHub page to install it.
Step 2: Configure Arch Linux
Update the System:
Open Arch Linux from the start menu and run:
pacman -Syu
Step 3: Install Zsh, Oh-My-Zsh, and Plugins
Install Zsh:
Install Oh-My-Zsh:
Use the curl command to install:
sh -c “$(curl -fsSL https://raw.github.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)“
Install Zsh Autosuggestions:
Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-autosuggestions
Add zsh-autosuggestions to the plugins array in ~/.zshrc.
Step 4: Install Development Tools
Install Homebrew (Linuxbrew):
Install necessary packages:
pacman -S base-devel git
Install Homebrew:
/bin/bash -c “$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)“
Follow the on-screen instructions to add Homebrew to your path.
Install Node.js via NVM:
Install NVM:
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.1/install.sh | bash
Load NVM and install Node.js:
export NVM_DIR=“$([ -z “${XDG_CONFIG_HOME–}“ ] && printf %s “${HOME}/.nvm” || printf %s “${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/nvm”)“
[ -s “$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh” ] && . “$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh” # This loads nvm
nvm install node # Install latest Node.js version
Install Python & Streamlit:
Install Python:
pacman -S python python-pip
Install Streamlit:
pip install streamlit
Step 5: Install Additional Utilities
Install exa (a modern replacement for ls):
Install lolcat:
Install neofetch:
Step 6: Configure Your Environment
Configure .zshrc:
Add the following to ~/.zshrc to enable plugins and customize your shell:
plugins=(git zsh-autosuggestions)
alias ls=‘exa’
alias cat=‘lolcat’
Apply Configuration:
Source the Zsh configuration:
source ~/.zshrc
Step 7: Test Your Setup
Open a new terminal or type zsh to start using Zsh with your new configuration.
Test Streamlit:
Check Python installation:
You now have a fully functional web development environment on your Arch Linux WSL setup, complete with a modern shell and essential development tools. This setup is flexible and allows you to extend
