Setup a LAMP Stack on Windows 11, with WSL2, Ubuntu 24.04, native systemd Services and VS Code optimizations

This project is intended to guide the developer through the installation, configuration and workflow optimization of a LAMP Stack that is targeted on Windows 11 (and also on Windows 10, see below), with WSL2 and Ubuntu 24.04, with a LAMP Stack implemented via native systemd services instead of containers/virtualization.

In a hurry? Skip to the Automated Installation instructions!

Why use WIN11 in the first place, and why native systemd services instead of containers?

During my years of on-field experience, I've created my own workflow that allows a developer to:

1. Use MS Windows, if he/she's comfortable with it
2. Use the Linux Terminal with all the performance optimizations made possible by WSL2, and specifically use Ubuntu as its userbase is consistent: if you encounter a problem, or need a specific package, there's a good probability that you will find informations on how to fix the issue or complete the task in a matter of minutes
3. Use native systemd services like Apache and MariaDB instead of relying on Containers like Docker. Although, in fact, Docker performance is nearly identical to native performance in Linux, (references: 1 and 2) my personal opinion is that, if a Client has its own VM or shared hosting or voodoo server where Dockerization is technically not feasible, then development workflow, staging and test should be as much as possible adherent to what will the production environment be. That said, this means having a set of tools to allow the developer to quicky deploy, test and benchmark on various types of PHP versions and configurations that will be available in the production server.

Anyways, this guide is not intended to force you to use native WSL Ubuntu systemd services. If you want to use Docker, you can (see here). The automated installer will ask you if you want to install Docker, and if you agree, it will install Docker Desktop for Windows, and you'll be able to use Docker as you would, with all the benefits of using it inside the WSL2 subsystem. In fact, as stated on the official Docker Documentation:

Docker Desktop WSL 2 backend on Windows Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) 2 is a full Linux kernel built by Microsoft, which lets Linux distributions run without managing virtual machines. With Docker Desktop running on WSL2, users can leverage Linux workspaces and avoid maintaining both Linux and Windows build scripts. In addition, WSL2 provides improvements to file system sharing and boot time. Docker Desktop uses the dynamic memory allocation feature in WSL2 to improve the resource consumption. This means Docker Desktop only uses the required amount of CPU and memory resources it needs, while allowing CPU and memory-intensive tasks such as building a container, to run much faster. Additionally, with WSL2, the time required to start a Docker daemon after a cold start is significantly faster.

Docker Desktop for Windows can be installed at any time. If you enable WSL2 after having Docker Desktop installed, you can still use Docker Desktop with WSL2, as it will automatically detect the WSL2 VM and use it as the backend (not personally tested, maybe it's only a matter of enabling the Use WSL 2 based engine option in the General settings of Docker Desktop).

What will the LAMP stack be?

TL;DR : PHP 5.6, 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3 and 8.4, Apache 2.4, MariaDB 11.4, PostgreSQL 16

The LAMP Stack will be configured in this way:

1. Use the ppa:ondrej/php PHP repo, that allows to install PHP versions from 5.6 from up to 8.4 (at the time of writing)
2. Use the ppa:ondrej/apache2 Apache repo
3. Use the mfonte/hte-cli tool to handle Apache Virtualhosts. This tool can be used to create, delete and list virtualhosts that are specifically optimized for local/test development.
4. Make Apache Virtualhosts work via PHP-FPM and enable the developer to use quick deploy commands to setup a native local VirtualHost located in the Ubuntu machine
5. Let the developer choose the target PHP version of the deployed VirtualHost (see here)
6. Use MariaDB 11.4 (EOL 29 May 2029) and optimize Mysql so that it will not create headaches (see here)
7. Use PostgreSQL 16 (EOL 09 Nov 2028) as an alternative to MariaDB, if the developer wants to use it

Can I use Docker instead of native systemd services?

Yes, you can. The automated installer will ask you if you want to install Docker. If you agree, it will install Docker Desktop for Windows, and you'll be able to use Docker as you would on a Linux machine.

As both the LAMP Stack and Docker installations are optional, you can decide whether to:

1. Install the LAMP Stack along with Docker (author's choice)
2. Install only the LAMP Stack
3. Install only Docker
4. Don't install anything - after all, you will still have a fully working WSL2 Ubuntu 24.04 machine. Then, it's all about you and the terminal!

Installation instructions

Installation instructions are the same for both Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Specifically, For Windows 10, it is required to have a minimum version 1903, and build 18362 or later. Check your Windows version by pressing the Windows logo key + R, type winver, and press OK. You should see a number greater than 1903.18362. If that's the case, then this script will work (tested!)

Automated Install

If you want to automatically install everything, open a PowerShell window with elevated privileges (Run as Admin)

Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser -Force; $desktopPath = [Environment]::GetFolderPath('Desktop'); $url = 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mauriziofonte/win11-wsl2-ubuntu22-setup/main/install/win11.ps1'; $outputPath = Join-Path -Path $desktopPath -ChildPath 'install-ubuntu22-wsl2.ps1'; (New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadFile($url, $outputPath); & $outputPath

The Automated Installer will do everything for you. Here's a comprehensive list of all the steps that the installer will do:

1. Verifies Internet Connection: Automatically checks and waits for an active internet connection before proceeding.
2. Verifies if you're actually running on Windows 11: Ensures the script is running on Windows 11, with an option to skip this check (run the script with -SkipWindowsVersionCheck if you want to run it on Windows 10 aswell).
3. Pre-Setup Checks and Operations:
   • Checks if the target distribution (Ubuntu-24.04) is already installed. Exits if found and not in force mode.
   • Enables WSL and Virtual Machine Platform Windows features.
   • Schedules the script for auto-run after reboot by creating a CMD batch file in the Startup folder.
4. Automated Reboot: If necessary, initiates an automatic system restart to continue the setup after enabling WSL and Virtual Machine Platform features.
   • Post-Reboot Operations:
   • Downloads and installs the Linux Kernel Update if not already installed, in silent mode.
   • Updates WSL and sets the default version to 2.
   • Installs the target WSL distribution (hardcoded to Ubuntu-24.04) if not already present on the system.
5. User Interaction:
   • Docker Installation:
     • Asks the user if he/she wants to install Docker.
     • Downloads and installs Docker Desktop in quiet mode if the user agrees.
     • Informs the user to log off at the end of the automated installer to let the Docker Setup complete its tasks.
   • LAMP Stack Installation:
     • Asks the user if he/she wants to install a full-fledged LAMP stack.
     • Proceeds with the installation if the user agrees.
6. Desktop Icons Creation: Automatically creates desktop icons for the Ubuntu terminal and home folder.

Tips:

1. If you want to run the automated install on Windows 10, just append -SkipWindowsVersionCheck at the end of the one-liner install
2. If you want to test a Dry Run of the script (no modifications made to your PC), just append -DryRun at the end of the one-liner install

The LAMP Stack installer can also be run on a pre-existing Ubuntu or Debian machine

The automated install Powershell script will execute a specific Bash Script that takes care of configuring the Ubuntu machine, after the WSL2 VM has been installed.

Anyway, if you already have a working Ubuntu/Debian WSL2 VM, in order to install and configure the LAMP Stack, you can run the following command in the terminal:

wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mauriziofonte/win11-wsl2-ubuntu22-setup/main/install/lamp-stack.sh | bash

The same command can be lauched on a Ubuntu/Debian VM hosted on a Cloud Service, but, you'll need to adjust the Apache Configuration so that:

1. it binds to non-localhost ports (/etc/apache2/ports.conf)
2. it runs with the correct User and Group (/etc/apache2/envvars)
3. if you intend to expose the Apache Webserver to the whole internet: HARDEN THE SECURITY. This applies to both Apache and PHP configs.

Manual Install

Manual installation instuctions are provided in two languages:

• Manual installation instructions in English
• Manual installation instructions in Italian

Uninstall

To completely remove Ubuntu 24.04 from your computer, open a PowerShell window and run:

wsl --unregister Ubuntu-24.04

If you used the automated install method, you'll also need to remove a specific HKCU Registry Key. To do so, open a PowerShell window with elevated privileges (Run as Admin) and run:

Remove-Item -Path "HKCU:\Software\WSL2Setup" -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Out-Null

Keeping the Ubuntu's VHDX image small

The Ubuntu image will grow fast as you install packages and create files, and Windows will not shrink it automatically. This will lead, over time, to a huge VHDX file that will take up a lot of space on your hard drive, even if the actual space used by the Ubuntu installation is much smaller.

In order to keep things clean & tidy, you can use this utility: wsl2-compact

I suggest to use the installation option 1: As a PowerShell module. This will allow you to run the wslcompact command from the PowerShell window, and it will also allow you to run the wslcompact command from the Windows Terminal.

Attention: always refer to the latest version of the README file of the wsl2-compact repository, as the installation method may change over time.

Mantainers

Currently, the sole maintainer is @mauriziofonte - more maintainers are quite welcome, as the guides are lenghty, and the automated installer is quite complex!

License

Released under MIT License. Refer to LICENSE file.

Disclaimer

The information provided in this repository is for general informational purposes only. All information is provided in good faith, however I make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this repository.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHALL I HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OF THE INFORMATIONS, GUIDES, HOW-TOS, AND SCRIPTS PROVIDED IN THIS REPOSITORY OR RELIANCE ON ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THIS REPOSITORY. YOUR USE OF THIS WORK AND YOUR RELIANCE ON ANY INFORMATION IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

This repository contains links to other websites or content belonging to or originating from third parties or links to websites and features in banners or other advertising. Such external links are not investigated, monitored, or checked for accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness.