🏞️ STREAMING DATA ONLY: Windows and WSL¶
Windows users need WSL before installing Kafka. Complete this page before following the Kafka setup steps.
What is WSL?¶
WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) lets you run a Linux terminal directly on Windows. Kafka runs natively on Linux and macOS. On Windows, it runs inside WSL.
Do You Already Have WSL?¶
Open PowerShell and run:
If you see a version and distribution name, WSL is already installed. Skip to Verify WSL Works below.
If you see an error, continue with the installation steps.
Install WSL¶
In PowerShell (run as Administrator):
Restart your machine when prompted.
Verify WSL Works¶
Open PowerShell and start a WSL session:
Your prompt should change to show a Linux shell (something like username@machine:~$).
Type exit to return to PowerShell.
Two Terminal Types in VS Code¶
Once your project is open in VS Code, you will use two types of terminals:
| Terminal | Used for |
|---|---|
| PowerShell | Running Python (uv run ...), Git, all project commands |
| WSL (bash) | Starting and stopping Kafka, managing topics |
How to Open a WSL Terminal in VS Code¶
To open a WSL terminal in VS Code, either:
- Click the
+arrow in the terminal panel and select WSL from the dropdown.
OR
- Open a PowerShell terminal and run:
After Completing This Page¶
Return to Install Kafka and continue.