Linux command prompt for Windows

Brief: Want to use Linux commands but don’t want to leave Windows? Here are several ways to run Linux bash commands in Windows.

Using Linux commands inside Windows

1. Use Linux Bash Shell on Windows 10

Did you know that you can run a Linux distribution inside Windows 10? The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) allows you to run Linux inside Windows. The upcoming version of WSL will be using the real Linux kernel inside Windows.

This WSL, also called Bash on Windows, gives you a Linux distribution in command line mode running as a regular Windows application. Don’t be scared with the command line mode because your purpose is to run Linux commands. That’s all you need.

Ubuntu Linux inside Windows

You can find some popular Linux distributions like Ubuntu, Kali Linux, openSUSE etc in Windows Store. You just have to download and install it like any other Windows application. Once installed, you can run all the Linux commands you want.

Linux distributions in Windows 10 Store

2. Use Git Bash to run Bash commands on Windows

You probably know what Git is. It’s a version control system developed by Linux creator Linus Torvalds.

Git for Windows is a set of tools that allows you to use Git in both command line and graphical interfaces. One of the tools included in Git for Windows is Git Bash.

Git Bash application provides and emulation layer for Git command line. Apart from Git commands, Git Bash also supports many Bash utilities such as ssh, scp, cat, find etc.

Git Bash

Download Git for Windows

3. Using Linux commands in Windows with Cygwin

If you want to run Linux commands in Windows, Cygwin is a recommended tool. Cygwin was created in 1995 to provide a POSIX-compatible environment that runs natively on Windows. Cygwin is a free and open source software maintained by Red Hat employees and many other volunteers.

For two decades, Windows users use Cygwin for running and practicing Linux/Bash commands. Even I used Cygwin to learn Linux commands more than a decade ago.

Cygwin | Image Credit

You can download Cygwin from its official website below. I also advise you to refer to this Cygwin cheat sheet to get started with it.

Download Cygwin

4. Use Linux in virtual machine

Another way is to use a virtualization software and install Linux in it. This way, you install a Linux distribution (with graphical interface) inside Windows and run it like a regular Windows application.

This method requires that your system has a good amount of RAM, at least 4 GB but better if you have over 8 GB of RAM. The good thing here is that you get the real feel of using a desktop Linux. If you like the interface, you may later decide to switch to Linux completely.

Ubuntu Running in Virtual Machine Inside Windows

There are two popular tools for creating virtual machines on Windows, Oracle VirtualBox and VMware Workstation Player. You can use either of the two. Personally, I prefer VirtualBox.