Installation

Release Notes

WSL Dashboard provides three different forms of release files to suit different use cases:

Version type	Example filename	Description
Portable (EXE)	WSLDashboard.vX.Y.Z.Portable.x64.exe	Recommended. A single-file portable build — no installation required, run it directly. Settings are stored in ~\.wsldashboard.
Portable (ZIP)	WSLDashboard.vX.Y.Z.Portable.x64.zip	The compressed portable build, suitable for manual deployment or bundling into other toolkits.
Setup version	WSLDashboard.vX.Y.Z.Setup.x64.exe	A standard installer. Creates a Start Menu shortcut, a desktop icon, and registers a system uninstall entry.

TIP

How to choose?

• If you want something simple and quick, choose the Portable (EXE).
• If you want to find it in the Start Menu like a regular app, choose the Setup version.

Installation Methods

WSL Dashboard offers four installation methods; pick whichever you prefer:

Method 1: Official website download (recommended)

Visit the official download page and choose a mirror suited to your region.

Method 2: Install with winget

Install directly via the Windows Package Manager (winget):

winget search wsl-dashboard
winget install wsl-dashboard

The winget package identifier is Owu.WSLDashboard, with alias wsl-dashboard (case-insensitive); either works.

Method 3: Prebuilt binaries from GitHub Releases

Go to the GitHub Releases page and download the latest version. If you download an archive, simply extract it and run wsldashboard.exe — no installation required.

Method 4: Build from source

If you prefer to compile it yourself, make sure your development environment meets the following requirements:

• Rust toolchain: version 1.92 or later.
• Build target: x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.

Build steps

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/owu/wsl-dashboard.git
   cd wsl-dashboard

2. Run for development:

   cargo run .

3. Production build (using the provided script):

   .\build\portable\build.ps1

The build artifacts will be located in the target/release directory.

Portable Version Guide

The portable version requires no installation: just run wsldashboard.exe and you're good to go; settings are stored in ~\.wsldashboard. To uninstall, simply delete the files — no system residue is left behind. The portable version is functionally identical to the setup version, differing only in system integration items such as the Start Menu shortcut, desktop icon, and system uninstall entry.