Manage your Windows Subsystem for Linux distributions directly from the VS Code sidebar.
Features
Sidebar View
Click the WSL icon in the Activity Bar to see all installed distributions with their name (★ for default), state (Running / Stopped), and WSL version (1 / 2).
Lifecycle
Action
Description
Start
Start a distribution
Stop
Stop a distribution
Shutdown All
Stop all running WSL instances
Distribution Management
Action
Description
Install
Install a new distribution from the online catalog with a custom instance name
Remove
Unregister a distribution (with double confirmation)
Set as Default
Change the default distribution
Convert WSL Version
Switch between WSL 1 and WSL 2
Backup & Restore
Action
Description
Export
Export to tar or VHD format
Import
Import from a tar or VHD file
Development
Action
Description
Open Terminal
Launch the distribution in the VS Code integrated terminal
Open in VS Code (WSL)
Connect via WSL remote
Edit .wslconfig
Edit global WSL settings
Edit wsl.conf
Edit per-distribution settings
Usage
From the Sidebar
Click the WSL icon in the Activity Bar
Right-click a distribution to open the context menu
From the Command Palette
Ctrl+Shift+P → type WSL Manager: and select an action.
Inline Actions
Hover over a distribution to reveal quick-action buttons for terminal and start/stop.
