Welcome! This guide is for anyone new to Web3 development who wants to set up their development environment on a Windows PC using WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux 2) and Ubuntu.
For macOS click here
WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) allows you to run a full Linux environment directly on Windows without the need for a virtual machine or dual-boot setup.
| Feature | WSL1 | WSL2 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Compatibility layer | Full Linux kernel with virtualization |
| Performance | Slower for many workflows | Much faster for file operations |
| Docker Support | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| System Calls | Partial support | Full support |
Use WSL2 — it provides better performance and full Linux compatibility.
Most Web3 tools and blockchain development environments (e.g., Hardhat, Solidity, Rust-based chains, etc.) are native to Linux. Ubuntu is one of the most popular and beginner-friendly Linux distributions, with massive community support.
- ✅ Linux CLI is faster and more powerful
- ✅ Native support for tools like
solc,nvm,rustup,go - ✅ Package managers (
apt,pip,cargo) simplify installation - ✅ No weird path or permission issues that occur on Windows
- ✅ Install Visual Studio Code (VSCode) before anything else on windows. Download: https://code.visualstudio.com/
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Install WSL2 Follow the instructions under the "Install WSL command" section: 👉 https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install
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Set Ubuntu as your distribution You'll be prompted to create a username and password when Ubuntu runs for the first time. (Password will not be visible while typing. Don't forget it!)
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Having trouble? Ping in the group with your error message and someone will help out.
You can browse Linux files from Windows File Explorer:
🗂️ Open Explorer → scroll down to Linux > Ubuntu
Open Ubuntu Terminal and run:
# Update package lists and upgrade installed packages
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
# Install essential build tools and libraries for compiling code
sudo apt install -y build-essential gdb cmake clang curl tree htop libssl-dev pkg-config
# Install Git for version control
sudo apt install -y git# Set your Git username (used in commit metadata)
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
# Set your Git email (used in commit metadata)
git config --global user.email "youremail@domain.com"# 🔸 RUST
# Download and run the official Rust installation script
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
# Load Rust environment into the current terminal session
source $HOME/.cargo/env
# 🔸 GO
# Download Go 1.22.3 tarball
wget https://go.dev/dl/go1.22.3.linux-amd64.tar.gz
# Extract and install Go to /usr/local
sudo tar -C /usr/local -xzf go1.22.3.linux-amd64.tar.gz
# Add Go to your PATH permanently
echo 'export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin' >> ~/.bashrc
# Reload shell configuration
source ~/.bashrc
# 🔸 NODEJS via NVM
# Install NVM (Node Version Manager)
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.3/install.sh | bash
# Load NVM into the current terminal session
. "$HOME/.nvm/nvm.sh"
# Install Node.js version 22 using NVM
nvm install 22
# Verify installed Node.js version
node -v
# Verify the currently active Node.js version in NVM
nvm current
# Check installed npm version
npm -v
# 🔸 Solidity Compiler
# Install solc-select via pip (tool to manage Solidity versions)
pip3 install solc-select
# Install Solidity compiler version 0.8.24
solc-select install 0.8.24
# Set Solidity compiler version 0.8.24 as default
solc-select use 0.8.24# Check C compiler version
gcc --version
# Check C++ compiler version
g++ --version
# Check Clang compiler version
clang --version
# Check Rust compiler and package manager versions
rustc --version
cargo --version
# Check Go version
go version
# Check Node.js and npm versions
node -v
npm -v
# Check Python version
python3 --version
# Check Solidity compiler version
solc --version| Extension | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Remote - WSL | Connect VSCode to WSL2 Ubuntu |
| GitLens | Git history, blame, insights |
| Code Spell Checker | Catch typos in code & comments |
| TODO Highlight | Highlight TODO, FIXME, etc. |
| Better Comments | Color-code and organize comments |
| C/C++ | IntelliSense, debugging |
| CMake Tools | CMake integration for C/C++ |
| CodeLLDB | Rust & C++ debugging support |
| Rust Analyzer | Rust IntelliSense, linting, autocomplete |
| Crates | Manage Cargo.toml dependencies visually |
| Go | IntelliSense, tests, formatting for Go |
| Solidity (by Juan Blanco) | Solidity syntax, compilation, and linting |
| Hardhat for VS Code (optional) | Smart contract workflow (JS/TS) |
| ESLint | JavaScript/TypeScript linting |
| Prettier | Auto-format code |
| npm Intellisense | Autocomplete for node_modules imports |
| Path Intellisense | Autocomplete for file paths |
| Python (by Microsoft) | IntelliSense, debugging, virtualenvs |
| Pylance | Fast and feature-rich Python support |
Once inside your Ubuntu terminal, run:
code .The first time you run this, it will set up the WSL integration and open VSCode in your Linux workspace.
You now have a powerful Web3-ready dev environment with access to:
- Linux tools
- Multiple programming languages
- Blockchain and smart contract tooling
- Visual Studio Code integrated with WSL2
Happy building! 🚀
- Hardhat is the solidity tooling environement in JS/TS.
- learn more about hardhat here: https://hardhat.org
# 1. Create a new folder for your project
mkdir my-hardhat-project && cd my-hardhat-project
# 2. Initialize a new Node.js project (generates package.json)
npm init -y
# 3. Install Hardhat locally
npm install --save-dev hardhat
# 4. Create a basic Hardhat project
npx hardhat
# When prompted:
# Choose "Create a basic sample project"
# Press Enter for the default options
# Approve installing dependencies when asked
# verify installtion
# Should print the Hardhat CLI help output
npx hardhat
# Run the default test file provided in the sample project
npx hardhat test- Foundry, a fast, portable, and modular toolkit for Ethereum application development.
- With Foundry, end to end smart contract developement happens in Solidity.
# 1. Download and run the installation script
curl -L https://foundry.paradigm.xyz | bash
# 2. Source the environment to get access to foundryup
. ~/.bashrc
# 3. Install Foundry tools (forge, cast, anvil)
foundryup
# verify installation
forge --version # Should show version info
cast --version
anvil --version
# initialize a new project
# Create a new Forge project
forge init my-foundry-project
# Move into the project directory
cd my-foundry-project
# Run the default tests
forge test