Installing WSL on Windows and Setting Up ERPNext (Step-by-Step Guide)

If you're a developer or system admin looking to run ERPNext on a Windows machine, using WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) here is one of the most seamless ways to do it.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to:

- Install WSL on Windows
- Set up a Linux environment
- Install Bench and ERPNext
- Start a development server

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1. Install WSL on Windows

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

wsl --install
This installs:

WSL 2

Ubuntu (default Linux distro)

Required kernel updates

After installation, restart your machine, then open Ubuntu from the Start menu.

2. Set Up Ubuntu in WSL
When Ubuntu opens for the first time:

Create a username and password (Linux user)

Update your system:

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sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
Install required dependencies:

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sudo apt install python3-dev python3-pip python3-setuptools python3-venv \
redis-server curl git gcc g++ make mariadb-server -y
 3. Create a Python Virtual Environment for Bench
WSL follows PEP 668, so you’ll want to isolate Python packages.

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sudo apt install python3-venv -y
python3 -m venv ~/.bench-env
source ~/.bench-env/bin/activate
Install Bench:

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pip install frappe-bench
 4. Create Your ERPNext Workspace
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bench init erpnext-dev --frappe-branch version-14
cd erpnext-dev
Download the ERPNext app:

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bench get-app erpnext --branch version-14
 5. Create and Set Up a Site
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bench new-site demo-erp
When prompted:

Set a MySQL root password

Set the ERPNext admin password

Install the ERPNext app on your site:

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bench --site demo-erp install-app erpnext
🚀 6. Start the Development Server
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bench start
Open your browser and visit:

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http://localhost:8000
Log in with:

Username: Administrator

Password: the one you set during site creation

 Tips for Daily Use
Reactivate Virtual Environment
Each time you open Ubuntu:

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source ~/.bench-env/bin/activate
cd ~/erpnext-dev
bench start
 You’re Done!
You’ve successfully:

Installed WSL

Set up a virtual Python environment

Installed ERPNext

Launched your local ERP system!

Now you’re ready to build modules, experiment, or run a full ERP on your Windows machine using Linux via WSL.