Setting Up Web Development Environment for Windows

Follow these tips to help you set up (or optimize) your development space on Windows.

Web development on Windows has come a long way. With tools like Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL 2), Windows Terminal and modern runtime managers, you can now set up a fast, reliable and unix-friendly workflow without leaving Windows.

In this guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to set up a modern web development environment. From installing WSL 2 and mapping your Linux file system to customizing your shell with Zsh and managing runtimes with Node Version Manager (NVM) and launching your first frontend project with Vite, we’re covering the full-stack of modern tooling for web development.

Whether you’re a new developer getting started or an experienced one setting up a fresh machine, this guide covers everything you need to set up a modern web development project.

Prerequisites

Operating System: Windows 10 (version 2004 or higher) or Windows 11
GitHub Account: Required for version control and syncing with repositories

Setting Up the Windows Development Environment [The Foundation]

In this section, we will guide you through the installation and configuration of essential tools that establish the foundation of a modern development environment workflow on Windows.

Setting Up and Configuring Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

One of the first and most important steps in setting up your Windows dev environment is installing Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). WSL lets you run a Linux environment directly on Windows—no virtual machine or dual-booting required.

I recommend using Ubuntu as your primary Linux distribution, but you’re free to try others. Most systems can run multiple Linux distributions concurrently without issues.

Installing and Configuring WSL2

WSL 2 is the latest version of the subsystem, offering a real Linux kernel and full system call compatibility. Previously, installation required several manual steps, but it is now easier than ever to install with a single command in PowerShell.

To Install WSL 2

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run the following command:

wsl --install

This command will do the following:

Enable required WSL and VM platform components
Download and install the latest Linux kernel
Set WSL 2 as the default version
Install Ubuntu as the default distribution (you may need to restart your system)

Once installation is complete, launch Ubuntu from the Start menu. It will take a few moments to initialize. Then, you will be prompted to create a UNIX username and password, which are separate from your Windows credentials.

It is also recommended that you regularly update and upgrade your packages. To do that, run the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Mapping Your Linux Drive

By default, Windows File Explorer shows your devices and drives. To streamline access, we’ll map the Ubuntu virtual drive as a network location.

Open \\wsl$\ location from the file explorer. This will display all your installed WSL distributions, then follow the instructions below:

Right-click on the Ubuntu folder, and select “Map network drive”:
Choose the drive letter (e.g., Z:).
Check Reconnect at sign-in.
Click Finish

Below is the step-by-step demo image:

Mapping your Linux Drive in Window

Your Linux home directory is now accessible from Windows as a network drive. From within the Linux terminal, you can access Windows files under /mnt/ (e.g., /mnt/c/Users/your_username).

This configuration enables easy file transfers between Windows and Linux via drag-and-drop or copy-and-paste.

Restarting WSL

If WSL runs into issues or stops working, you can restart it with:

wsl.exe --shutdown
wsl.exe

That should bring everything back to normal.

Important Considerations When Using WSL

If you’re building web projects using WSL, there are a few critical things to keep in mind to improve performance and cross-platform compatibility:

File system performance: For best performance, store your project files within the Linux file system (e.g., /home/username/). Avoid working directly from mounted Windows paths (/mnt/c/…) as this can slow down tools like Node.js, npm and webpack.
Line ending consistency: Linux uses LF, while Windows uses CRLF. To prevent broken scripts or weird Git diffs, add a .gitattributes file to your project to enforce consistent line endings.
Path format differences: Path syntax differs between systems—Windows uses paths like C:\Users\..., while Linux uses /home/username. Be mindful of this when setting environment variables, running scripts or configuring Docker.
Permissions and privileges: Some operations in WSL—such as installing packages, accessing system directories or opening privileged ports—may require elevated privileges. Use sudo where necessary, just like in a traditional Linux setup.

Setting Up Windows Terminal

You can launch the Linux terminal by either opening Ubuntu from the Start menu or running wsl from PowerShell or Command Prompt.

For a more feature-rich experience with features such as tabs, split panes, theming and key bindings, consider using Windows Terminal. It’s modern, fast and works seamlessly with WSL. While alternatives like Cmder, ConEmu and Hyper exist, in my experience, Windows Terminal provides the most reliable and developer-friendly setup for daily use.

Installing and Customizing Windows Terminal

If you’re using Windows 11, it’s built in. If you’re using Windows 10, install it via Microsoft Store or PowerShell:

winget install --id=Microsoft.WindowsTerminal -e

I recommend customizing your terminal settings, such as setting the default profile and starting directory, to streamline your workflow. This means that every time you launch Windows Terminal, it opens directly into your WSL environment inside your Linux user’s home directory.

Follow these instructions to set up your Default Profile:

Open Windows Terminal.
Click the down arrow v next to the tab button and choose Settings.
Under Startup section, set Default profile to Ubuntu.

Below is the step-by-step demo image of the instruction above:

Setting Default Profile in Windows Terminal

Follow these instructions to set up Starting Directory:

In Settings, go to Profiles > Ubuntu.
Under the General tab, find Starting directory.
Enter the following: \\wsl$\Ubuntu\home\your_username. Make sure to replace your_username with your actual Ubuntu username.

You can leave the use parent process directory box unchecked.

Setting Starting Directory in Windows Terminal

You can also explore deeper customization via the JSON config file or by visiting Windows Terminal Themes for community themes.

Setting Up Git and GitHub

Git is essential for version control in development, while GitHub provides a platform to host, manage and collaborate on your code repositories.

Installing and Configuring Git

Git usually comes preinstalled on most Linux distributions via WSL. But to verify you have it (or the most up-to-date version), run the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install git

Next, set your global Git identity:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "youremail@example.com"

You can confirm the settings with:

git config --list

Generating SSH Keys for GitHub

Using SSH with GitHub allows you to authenticate securely without entering your username and password each time. To generate SSH keys for GitHub, follow these steps:

1. Generate a New SSH Key

Execute the following command (replace the placeholder with your GitHub email address):

ssh-keygen -t ed278490 -C "youremail@example.com"

-t ed25519 uses the modern and secure Ed25519 algorithm.
-C adds a label for your key (usually your email).

When prompted:

Press Enter to accept the default file location (~/.ssh/id_ed25519).
Choose a passphrase if you’d like to add security (optional but recommended).

2. Start the SSH Agent

Make sure the SSH agent is running:

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

3. Add Your Key to the SSH Agent

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

If you used a custom name or location for the key, update the path accordingly.

4. Add the Public Key to your Github Account

First, copy your public key to the clipboard:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Then:

Log in to GitHub.
Go to https://github.com/settings/keys.
Click “New SSH key.”
Paste the key, give it a descriptive title (e.g., “WSL Dev Machine”) and save.
Test Your SSH Connection. Run the following command to verify that everything is working:

ssh -T git@github.com

If setup is successful, you’ll see:

Hi your-username! You've successfully authenticated, but GitHub does not provide shell access.

Amplifying Your Shell with Zsh and Oh My Zsh

Zsh is a powerful, user-friendly alternative to Bash. When combined with Oh My Zsh, it delivers a highly customizable, feature-rich shell experience with themes, plugins and smart defaults.

Installing ZSH

sudo apt install zsh

Then, set Zsh as your default shell:

chsh -s $(which zsh)

You may need to restart your terminal or log out and back in for the change to take effect.

Installing Oh My Zsh

Oh My Zsh is a popular framework that makes managing your Zsh configuration easier, with support for themes, plugins, aliases and more.

First, install curl:

sudo apt install curl

Then install Oh My Zsh using the official install script:

sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

Once installed, your terminal will automatically switch to Zsh and load the new config. You can start customizing it via your ~/.zshrc file.

Adding Themes and Plugins (Optional but Fun)

This section is optional, but if you’re like me and enjoy a customized terminal, here’s where things get exciting.

Install Powerlevel10k Theme

Powerlevel10k is a fast, responsive and visually rich Zsh theme with Git integration, segment prompts, icons and more.

Clone the theme into your Oh My Zsh custom themes directory:

git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-$HOME/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/themes/powerlevel10k

Then open your ~/.zshrc file and update the theme setting:

ZSH_THEME="powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k"

Install Useful Plugins

zsh-autosuggestion: This plugin provides real-time command suggestions as you type:

git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions \
${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-autosuggestions

zsh-syntax-highlighting: This plugin adds syntax highlighting to commands in your terminal:

git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting.git \
 ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-syntax-highlighting

Enable the Plugins

Edit your ~/.zshrc file and add the plugins to the list:

plugins=(git zsh-autosuggestions zsh-syntax-highlighting)

Then apply the changes:

source ~/.zshrc

Configure PowerLevel10K

To customize the look and feel of your terminal, run:

p10k configure

This launches an interactive wizard where you can choose your preferred prompt style, icons, layout and more.

You can always rerun the configuration later with the same command.

Want more? Check out the Awesome Zsh Plugins repo for a curated list of themes, plugins and other Zsh goodies.

Installing Node.js

Node.js is essential for modern JavaScript development. It brings server-side capabilities to JavaScript, allowing you to build servers, APIs, backend services and tools using the same language that powers the browser.

Installing NVM (Node Version Manager)

When working on multiple projects, you’ll often need to switch between different versions of Node.js. Node Version Manager (NVM) makes this easy by allowing you to install, manage and switch between Node.js versions directly from the command line.

To install NVM, run the following command in your terminal:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash

After installation, activate NVM with:

export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"

Add the two lines above to your ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc so NVM loads automatically whenever a new shell session starts.

Installing Node.js via NVM

Run the following command to install the latest LTS (Long-Term Support) version of Node.js:

nvm install --lts

Set it as the default version:

nvm alias default node

Verify that Node and npm are available:

node --version
npm --version

LTS versions are stable, well-supported and recommended for most development and production workflows.

Installing and Using pnpm (Optional)

If you care about performance and disk space efficiency, consider using pnpm. It’s a modern alternative to npm and yarn that installs packages faster by using a content-addressable storage mechanism.

Run the following command to initialize a new project:

 pnpm init

Use the following command to install dependencies:

pnpm install package-name

To install a package globally:

pnpm install package-name

Using Package Managers on Windows: Chocolatey & Scoop

Package managers streamline software installation, updates and maintenance—much like apt on Linux or brew on macOS. On Windows, the two most popular options are Chocolatey and Scoop.

Chocolatey

Chocolatey is a powerful, full-featured package manager for Windows. It supports system-wide installations and thousands of packages, including CLI tools, applications and services.

Installing Chocolatey

Open PowerShell as Administrator
Run the following:

Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force;
[System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072;
iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://community.chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))

Using Chocolatey

Install a package:

choco install <package-name> -y

Upgrade all installed packages:

choco upgrade all -y

Scoop

Scoop is a simpler, developer-friendly package manager that installs tools into your user profile—no admin rights needed. Ideal for CLI tools and programming languages.

Installing Scoop

Open PowerShell (non-admin).
Allow script execution:

Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

Install Scoop:

iwr -useb get.scoop.sh | iex

Using Scoop

Install a Package:

scoop install <package-name>

Update all installed packages:

scoop update *

Recommendation: Both Chocolatey and Scoop are excellent. Use Chocolatey for system-wide installations (apps, services) and Scoop for developer tools and CLI utilities. You can even use them side by side without conflict.

At this point, you can start your web development project with any web programming stack of your choice. Refer to the Further Resources section for reference.

Setting Up Your First Web Project with Vite

In the previous section, we covered some of the core tools you need to kick off any web development project on Windows. In this section, we’ll walk through how to quickly scaffold a modern frontend project using Vite.

Setting Up Vite

Vite is a modern frontend build tool created by Evan You, designed to power the next generation of web applications. It offers features like instant server start, optimized builds, lightning-fast Hot Module Replacement (HMR) and out-of-the-box support for TypeScript, JSX, CSS and popular frameworks like React, Vue and more. With Vite, you can skip tedious manual setup and jump straight into building modern JavaScript applications.

To scaffold a new Vite project, run the following command:

npm create vite@latest  my-first-project

This command will walk you through the project setup interactively.

Then Vite will prompt you select a framework:

> npx
> "create-vite" my-first-project

│
◆  Select a framework:
│  ● Vanilla
│  ○ Vue
│  ○ React
│  ○ Preact
│  ○ Lit
│  ○ Svelte
│  ○ Solid
│  ○ Qwik
│  ○ Angular
│  ○ Marko
│  ○ Others
└

Vite can be used to bootstrap a range of frontend frameworks and libraries, so select Vanilla since we are scaffolding a plain vanilla web project.

Vite will ask you to choose a language, either JavaScript or TypeScript. You can choose whichever one you prefer for your project.

Use your arrow keys to make your selection. Here, JavaScript is selected:

◆  Select a variant:
│  ○ TypeScript
│  ○ TypeScript + SWC
│  ● JavaScript
│  ○ JavaScript + SWC
│  ○ React Router v7 ↗
│  ○ TanStack Router ↗
│  ○ RedwoodSDK ↗

You can see other options with SWC. SWC (Speedy Web Compiler) is a JavaScript/TypeScript compiler used in Vite for transforming JavaScript and TypeScript code. It’s a fast, low-level JavaScript and TypeScript compiler built with Rust, designed to deliver faster build times and better performance.

After setting up the framework, you will see an output that the project has been scaffolded in your project folder. Vite will then instruct you to install dependencies using npm (or the package manager you’re using):

◇  Scaffolding project in /Users/mac/my-first-project...
│
└  Done. Now run:
cd my-first-project
npm install
npm run dev

Navigate to your project folder as directed:

$ cd my-first-project

Then install the dependencies for this project:

$ npm install

Next, start the development server to verify everything is working. Use the following command to run the development server:

$ npm run dev

This command will then run your project in development mode. It will prompt the following outputs:

VITE v6.3.5  ready in 1227 ms
➜  Local:   http://localhost:5173/
➜  Network: use --host to expose
➜  press h + enter to show help

Next, click on the link (http://localhost:5173/) to open the project in your browser:

Scaffolding a JavaScript Vanilla project in Window

You can decide to use any code editor of your choice at this stage, but Visual Studio Code is my preferred code editor.

Setting Up Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) has become one of the most popular code editors for web development, thanks to its simplicity, speed and rich plugin ecosystem that supports virtually any type of web project.

Installing Visual Studio Code

You can download VS Code from the official website.

Configuring VS Code for WSL

We will install and configure a Remote Development Extension Pack. It’s an extension that allows you to open any folder in a container, on a remote machine or WSL—while enjoying the full power of VS Code.

How to install the Remote Developer Extension:

Open VS Code.
Go to the Extension view (ctrl + shift + X).
Search for Remote Development.
Click Install.

Open WSL project in VS Code. This extension allows you to launch VS Code right from your WSL terminal by using just the code command. In your WSL terminal, navigate to your project directory and run the following command to open the entire directory of your project inside VS Code.

cd my-first-project
code .

Top VS Code Essential Extensions for Web Development

There are numerous extensions in VS Code for web development. Here are my top five:

Web Dev: A bundle of popular tools for frontend development—includes Live Server, ESLint, JavaScript (ES6) Code Snippets and more. Instead of installing each tool individually, you can install this pack to streamline your setup.
Prettier: Prettier is an opinionated code formatter for enforcing consistent style.
GitLens: Supercharges Git integration inside VS Code. See line-by-line commit history, authorship and make Git workflows easier and more visual.
Bracket Pair Colorizer: This extension enhances code readability by colorising matching brackets, making it easier to navigate and understand nested structures.
Code Spell Checker: Helps catch typos in variable names, comments and documentation. Especially useful for maintaining code quality in larger codebases.

You can explore more extensions on the official Visual Studio Marketplace and tailor your setup based on your project’s needs.

Windows Productivity Apps and Browser Extensions for Web Development

In this section, I’ll highlight a few productivity tools for Windows, along with some of my favorite browser extensions that help streamline and enhance my web development workflow.

Chrome Browser Extensions

Google Chrome is my go-to browser for development, and these are some of the essential extensions I use to boost productivity:

React Developer Tools: A must-have if you’re working with React. It lets you inspect and debug React components, analyze state and props, and identify performance issues.
Web Developer: A powerful toolkit that allows you to disable images, scripts and styles; resize the viewport; and validate HTML and CSS. Perfect for testing and debugging.
JSON Viewer Pro: Automatically formats and highlights JSON data in the browser, making it easier to read and debug.
Lighthouse: Built by Google, this tool audits your web pages for performance, accessibility, SEO and best practices.
CSS Peeper: Lets you quickly inspect CSS styles on any website without digging through developer tools. Great for UI exploration or reverse-engineering layouts.

You can check for an extension suitable for you at the Chrome Web Store. Also, you can get the equivalent of the above-listed extensions for Firefox here.

Productivity Tools for Windows

Here are some of my favorite free productivity apps that I use regularly in my dev workflow:

Microsoft PowerToys: A collection of utilities that help power users tweak and optimize their Windows experience (e.g., FancyZones, file renamer, quick window resizing).
Notion: A project management and note-taking software.
Figma: A cloud-based UI/UX design tool that makes real-time collaboration with designers seamless.
Slack: A wide used team communication and collaboration platform. Ideal for both work and open-source/community development teams.

Using Chocolatey, you can download all these apps at once with the following command in PowerShell as an administrator:

choco install powertoys notion figma slack -y

Chocolatey automates the setup process, so you don’t have to download and install each tool manually.

Additional Development Environment Setup [Optional]

I added this section for developers who are either beginners, not frontend-focused or don’t primarily work with JavaScript. It provides a quick walkthrough for setting up Docker with WSL and configuring a Python development environment inside WSL.

Docker

According to the official documentation, Docker is an open platform for developing, shipping and running applications. It allows you to decouple your application from the underlying infrastructure, making it easier to build, test and deploy software quickly.

Installing Docker

Docker Desktop enables you to run containers natively on Windows using WSL 2. You can install Docker Desktop using one of two methods:

Option 1 – Install via Chocolatey:

choco install docker-desktop

Option 2 – Install from the official site: https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

After downloading, run the installer and ensure to check the box labeled “Use WSL 2 instead of Hyper-V” during setup. Once the installation is complete, restart your computer.

Verifying Docker Installation

To verify that Docker is installed correctly, open your terminal and run:

docker --version

Then run a test container to confirm everything is working:

docker run hello-world

You should see a success message indicating Docker is functioning correctly.

You’re now fully set up with Docker on Windows via WSL—native, fast and container-ready.

You can refer to Docker’s official documentation to learn more about how to use Docker effectively on Windows.

Wrapping Up

Congrats! That was a long read. But by now, you’re not just ready to code, you’re fully equipped for real-world web development on Windows. You’ve installed and configured WSL 2, customized your terminal with Zsh and Oh My Zsh, set up Git and secure GitHub workflows with SSH, installed Node.js via NVM and even scaffolded your first frontend project with Vite. All on Windows—without needing to leave your OS or spin up a VM.

If JavaScript is your main stack, this setup gives you everything you need to build and run modern frontend and backend applications using tools like React, Vue, Angular, Next.js, Express.js or Nest.js. And if you’re building with other stacks such as ASP.NET with Blazor, Python with Django, or Ruby on Rails, this environment setup still offers a solid foundation for web development on Windows. Just refer to the specific documentation for your chosen stack to complete your setup.

You have the tools and the setup, so now it’s time to create magic.

Happy coding!