In this video I show you what WSL 2 is and how I use it for my data science workflow. This tool has completely changed how I do my work both as a data scientist and as a content creator.
Install WSL 2 here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install
Based on a poll I ran a few months ago, the vast majority of you aren't familiar with what WSL 2 is. Today I'm going to explain what exactly windows subsystem for linux 2 is and why it can be useful to you as a data scientist.
WSL2 lets me do is use both operating systems on the same computer without having to dual boot. Essentially, I can open a linux terminal on my windows machine, use all the linux commands, and have virtually all the same benefits of both windows and linux. Also… it is free, I know I’m going to be getting that question a lot in the comments.
WSL2 lets you use access the same file system from both windows and linux. To me, this is a massive deal. If I’m making a tutorial, say with NVIDIA’s RAPIDS that only works on linux, I can do the coding, record the screen, and edit the video all without switching between computers or turning them off and on.
This also opens up a huge suite of tools for you to use. For example, if wanted to explore data using one of the most popular BI tools out there, you wouldn’t have to figure out how to configure them on linux. This makes your work and your options more flexible.