# Using SWI-Prolog on Linux on a Windows machine **URL:** \ **Category:** Split Topic\ **Created:** [October 30, 2020, 8:36pm UTC](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/t/using-swi-prolog-on-linux-on-a-windows-machine/3137 "2020-10-30T20:36:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EricGT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f1d935/32.png) [@EricGT](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/u/EricGT)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2020, 8:36pm UTC](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/t/using-swi-prolog-on-linux-on-a-windows-machine/3137/1 "2020-10-30T20:36:17Z")
> [@Need help installing library(real)](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/t/need-help-installing-library-real/3134/3): > > Do you, or someone else, have a hint on what I can do without having to use “virtual box” or “dual boot” (too complex for me …). 1. Have you tried using [WSL](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/about) 2? With WSL 2 you install a version of [Ubuntu](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/ubuntu/9nblggh4msv6?activetab=pivot:overviewtab) and then install SWI-Prolog ([PPA](https://www.swi-prolog.org/build/PPA.html)) on top of that. I have done this many times and had no problems. 2. Currently I am learning how to build my own WSL Distro of SWI-Prolog. ([ref](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/t/building-swi-prolog-on-ubuntu-20-04-from-source-how-sensitive-is-cmake-to-dcmake-install-prefix/3115)) 3. Install Docker Desktop for Windows and use SWI-Prolog from [Docker Hub](https://hub.docker.com/_/swipl). Note this is currently at version `8.2.2` which is not the latest build of SWI-Prolog. Note: For any of the three options above, if you want to use a SWI-Prolog GUI tool such as gtrace/0 then you will also need to install an X Windows server ([VcXsrv](https://sourceforge.net/projects/vcxsrv/)). If you are a developer then take a look at also using [Windows Terminal](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/windows-terminal/9n0dx20hk701?activetab=pivot:overviewtab) and [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) with the [remote extensions](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/remote/remote-overview). HTH ---
**Author:** ![JAB](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/swi-prolog.discourse.group/jab/32/2978_2.png) [@JAB](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/u/JAB)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2020, 10:40pm UTC](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/t/using-swi-prolog-on-linux-on-a-windows-machine/3137/2 "2020-10-30T22:40:48Z")
Dear Eric You are right about wsl, but I have a desktop and a laptop running win10 and a whole set of data and tools. Swi+real (before 8.2) worked well with R and it would be a lot of work to move everything to wsl or Ubuntu. Swi 8.2 + real works well with R 4.03 on a fresh pc under win10. I can’t believe that an update over previously installed version doesn’t work. I just try to make it work on my laptop without buying a new one… Please help Thank you in advance Jab pja@a2m2.ch [mobile] ---
**Author:** ![EricGT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f1d935/32.png) [@EricGT](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/u/EricGT)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 10:54am UTC](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/t/using-swi-prolog-on-linux-on-a-windows-machine/3137/3 "2020-10-31T10:54:39Z")
I have not tried this. Instead of using WSL 2 with Ubuntu, you might be able to pull down a [Windows Image](https://hub.docker.com/_/microsoft-windows) from Docker Hub and build SWI-Prolog and R on top of that. HTH * * * **EDIT** You might have to use the [Windows image](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualization/windowscontainers/about/#container-images) with in a Windows container as opposed to a WSL 2 mode or Linux container in Hyper-V mode. ([ref](https://docs.docker.com/docker-for-windows/#resources)). In other words, if you try to run a Windows image on an Ubuntu base machine it would fail, but with a Windows image on a Windows machine, the Windows image is using the license of Windows on the base machine and so allowed. ---
**Author:** ![mgondan1](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/swi-prolog.discourse.group/mgondan1/32/803_2.png) [@mgondan1](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/u/mgondan1)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 11:13am UTC](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/t/using-swi-prolog-on-linux-on-a-windows-machine/3137/4 "2020-10-31T11:13:50Z")
I can confirm that Real under Windows is no joy (tried it about 1 year ago), so I ended up with the “linux” swipl under WSL2, plus R support from package rserve\_client.