WSL

WSL (WSL 2) - Windows Subsystem for Linux - is a compatibility layer for running Linux binary executables natively on Windows 10. Currently, it supports several Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, and SLES.

With WSL toolchain set up for your project, you can build using CMake and compilers from Linux, and run/debug on WSL, without leaving CLion running on your Windows machine.

Configure WSL

Download and install a WSL distribution (for instance, Ubuntu) from Microsoft Store.
For this step, be sure to use Windows 10 with the latest “Fall Creators Update” (minimum version 1709, build 16299.15). See the official guide Install the Windows Subsystem for Linux for instructions.
To work with WSL 2, your Windows version should be 10 build 18917 or later. Follow these instructions to switch the distributive.
Note that CLion does not support legacy WSL, which you may have installed before upgrading your system to the build 16299.15 or later of Windows 10. In this case, you need to update your WSL distribution.
Run Ubuntu.
Upon the first launch of Ubuntu, the system may prompt you to enable the Windows optional feature. In this case, you need to do the following:
- Open Windows PowerShell as Administrator and run
  Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux
- Restart your computer.

Configure a WSL toolchain for your project

In CLion, go to Settings / Preferences | Build, Execution, Deployment | Toolchains.
Click to create a new toolchain and select WSL.
In the Environment field, select one of the available WSL distributions. The list includes the distributions detected by wsl.exe --list, which includes the imported ones.
If CLion cannot find your WSL executable, the reason might be the WSL issue fixed in Windows 10 version 1803. Try updating your system to version 1803 or later.
Wait for all the tools to be detected and save the settings.
Now to start using the toolchain, do the following:
Set the WSL toolchain as default or create an associated CMake profile. Use that profile for build, run, and debug.
1. Switch to the WSL toolchain in Settings/Preferences | Build, Execution, Deployment | Makefile.
2. Call Tools | Makefile | Clean and Reload Makefile Project.
3. In the Makefile Application configuration, point Executable to the binary using the \mnt\.. notation (for example, \mnt\c\Users\jetbrains\CLionProjects\SimpleMakefile\runme).

Last modified: 27 October 2021