Introduction and aim

We will need to have a working Linux distribution for this class. Since most of you have been exposed to the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) version 2 in previous classes, we will adopt WSL2 as the subsystem of use for our purposes in the class. In this document, we give you some pointers to install a working copy of the Ubuntu distribution as part of WSL2, clone the class repository, connect VSCode to the Ubuntu distribution, and some tips and tricks to access and manage your file.

Please make sure that you are running WSL2 and not WSL1. If you still need to run WSL1 for another class, then you can easily specify which version of WSL you want for each virtual machine you run.

1. Initial WSL2 installation

CSSE majors: you should already have WSL2 installed from taking CSSE132. If not, follow the instructions here: install WSL2.

CPE majors: you probably have WSL1 installed, which is the wrong version. You need to upgrade your WSL1 to WSL2. If you do not have WSL installed at all, follow the above link for the CSSE majors.

Issues with these instructions? `Catastrophic failure`?

If you run into any issues during the installation process, please make a post on the CampusWire forum detailing the errors you faced along with the version of wsl2 that you can trying to install. One of your instructors (or fellow classmates) will reply to help you out as soon as possible.

2. Installing needed Linux software

In Windows, start the Ubuntu app.
In the Ubuntu shell that appears, run the following two commands:

  sudo apt update

  sudo apt install -y build-essential git \
        gdb \
        python3 \
        python-is-python3 \
        ipython3 \
        gdb-multiarch \
        qemu-system-misc \
        gcc-riscv64-linux-gnu \
        binutils-riscv64-linux-gnu

3. Open the current directory in Windows Explorer

Run the following command to verify that you can access your Linux files from Windows:

explorer.exe .

A new File Explorer window should show up in Windows that contains the content of your Ubuntu work. You can then drag those files into the GradeScope dropbox as normal. Run this command from Ubuntu whenever you want to turn in your homework to GradeScope.

4. Next steps

Return to the course home page by clicking CSSE332 in the top left. Complete the rest of the setup.