Install Ubuntu Pro for WSL and add a Pro token¶
Ubuntu Pro
This page refers to features that require an Ubuntu Pro subscription.
To install Ubuntu Pro for WSL, you need Windows 11 (recommended) or Windows 10 with minimum version 21H2 on a physical machine
To configure your Ubuntu instances to Pro-attach, you must have an Ubuntu Pro token.
If necessary, you can verify that your firewall rules are correctly set up.
Install Ubuntu Pro for WSL¶
Pro for WSL can be installed from the Ubuntu website, the Microsoft Store, or using WinGet.
Go to ubuntu.com/desktop/wsl.
Click Download the Ubuntu Pro for WSL app.
Run the downloaded installer.
Search for “Ubuntu Pro” in the Microsoft Store.
Open the store page and install the app.
Run the following command in PowerShell to install the app:
> winget install Canonical.UbuntuProforWSL
Choose a configuration method¶
After installing Pro for WSL, the application can be configured in two ways:
The Windows registry: useful for automating deployment at scale
The application’s graphical interface: convenient option for individual users
Set up the key and values
First, ensure that Ubuntu Pro for WSL has run at least once after installation. This guarantees that the key and values necessary for configuration are set up in the registry.
Methods of modifying registry data
This guide uses the registry editor for setting the Pro token.
Advanced users of the registry can find relevant information in the Microsoft documentation for alternative methods to modify the registry data.
Add Pro token using the registry editor
To open the registry editor on a Windows machine, type
Win+R then enter regedit:
Navigate to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Canonical\UbuntuPro key.
Locate the UbuntuProToken value and enter your Pro token in the Value data field.
After configuration using the Windows Registry, the status in the Pro for WSL application will show that the Pro subscription is active and managed by the user’s organisation.
Unlike configuration through the graphical interface, when the registry is used to configure Pro for WSL there is no option for the user to detach the Pro subscription in the application:
Enter your Pro token
Enter your Ubuntu Pro token in the space provided:
Continue to the confirmation screen.
Confirm subscription is active
You should now see that your Pro subscription is active:
Opening the application again at any point will show this screen, confirm the subscription is active and enable detaching of the subscription.
For additional verification steps refer to our guide.