Installing Docker Desktop on Windows with WSL

On Windows, install Docker Desktop with the WSL 2 backend. Run docker from a WSL Ubuntu terminal, not from PowerShell, so paths and line endings match Linux images. Do not also install Docker Engine inside that Ubuntu distro while Desktop is running; the two stacks conflict. Official references: Docker Desktop for Windows, WSL integration, Install WSL.

1. Install WSL 2 and Ubuntu

In Windows PowerShell or Terminal as Administrator:

wsl --install

Reboot when Windows asks. The default distro is Ubuntu. Open Ubuntu from the Start menu once, and create your Linux username and password.

If WSL is already installed, update it, then confirm the distro is version 2:

wsl --update
wsl -l -v

2. Install Docker Desktop

Download and run Docker Desktop for Windows. Keep Use WSL 2 instead of Hyper-V selected. Start Docker Desktop from the Start menu and wait until it reports that the engine is running.

3. Enable Ubuntu integration

In Docker Desktop, open Settings → Resources → WSL integration. Enable integration for your Ubuntu distro, then Apply & Restart.

Leave the docker-desktop distros that Docker creates alone; they are not your working environment.

4. Confirm from Ubuntu

Open the Ubuntu terminal (Windows Terminal is fine if the profile is Ubuntu):

docker version
docker run --rm hello-world

You should see Client and Server details, then the hello-world message. Continue with running images.