Create a fresh WSL instance

• Download ubuntu-20.04-server-cloudimg-amd64-wsl.rootfs.tar.gz from https://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/releases/focal/release

• Install the .tar.gz image in a folder of your choice: wsl --import <Instance Name> <Folder> <.tar.gz file>

  • example (run in Windows command line):

    mkdir %userprofile%\wsl-developer
    wsl --import Development %userprofile%\wsl-developer ubuntu-20.04-server-cloudimg-amd64-wsl.rootfs.tar.gz

• Boot up the instance: wsl -d <Instance Name>

• Create a user with lower permissions for day-to-day use: adduser developer - create a password when asked

• Make this user a sudoer: usermod -aG sudo developer

• Add this user to the group www-data: usermod -aG www-data developer

• Edit the file /etc/wsl.conf:

  [user]
  default = developer
  
  [automount]
  # disable automounht to isolate WSL filesystem from Windows (/mnt/c will not be mounted)
  enabled = true
  # this will make /mnt/c be mounted with correct files permission (not 777 for everything)
  options = "metadata,umask=22,fmask=11"
  
  [network]
  generateHosts = false
  generateResolvConf = false

• Replace the originally linked resolv.conf with a new file:

  Unlink:

  [ -L /etc/resolv.conf ] && sudo unlink /etc/resolv.conf     # unlink if symlink
  [ -f /etc/resolv.conf ] && sudo rm /etc/resolv.conf         # remove if is file

  New resolv.conf:

  nameserver 10.5.50.31
  nameserver 1.1.1.1
  nameserver 8.8.8.8
  search lan tickle.local
  

  Should you need to restore the initial state of the linked resolv.conf file, this is what you need to do:

  # unlink or delete accordingly
  [ -L resolv.conf ] && sudo unlink resolv.conf
  [ -f resolv.conf ] && sudo rm resolv.conf
  # recreate the original link
  ln -s /etc/resolv.conf ../run/systemd/resolve/stub-resolv.conf

• Close the sesion with Ctrl+D. On windows command line, restart this WSL instance:

  wsl -t <Instance Name>
  wsl -d <Instance Name>
  

Now your WSL environment should be ready to use. Open it again using Windows Terminal (or your console application of choice). Your should be logged in as developer.