ok WSL will this be the one to go for then , I do have a nice graphics card and 64 gig of ram and a 12 core processor , so it would be nice to use all the toys properly if i’m going to get into this
Given your powerful hardware setup with a 12-core processor, 64 GB of RAM, and a capable graphics card, Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) sounds like an excellent choice for you. WSL allows you to leverage the power of your hardware more directly than a virtual machine, while providing compatibility with Linux applications like Quantum ESPRESSO.

Here’s how WSL stacks up in terms of taking advantage of your system’s capabilities:

1. Performance: WSL2, the latest version of WSL, offers near-native performance by running a full Linux kernel. This means computational tasks should run efficiently on your hardware.

2. Resource Utilization: WSL allows for dynamic resource usage, sharing memory, and CPU with the Windows host without the fixed allocation required by a VM. This means you can make full use of your hardware for intensive tasks.

3. Graphics Card: With the introduction of WSL2 and ongoing updates, there’s increasing support for GPU acceleration within WSL, which can be beneficial for computations that can leverage GPU power.

4. Familiarity with Linux: Using WSL gives you access to the Linux command line and utilities, making transitioning to other Linux-based computation environments in the future easier.

5. Integration: Files and projects can be accessed from both Windows and WSL, and you can even run Windows applications from the WSL command line and vice versa.

Setting up WSL2 on your Windows 10 machine includes the following steps:

1. Enable WSL and the Virtual Machine Platform features in Windows 10 through the Control Panel or via PowerShell commands.
2. Install WSL2 and update the WSL2 Linux kernel.
3. Set WSL2 as the default version when installing new Linux distributions.
4. Install your preferred Linux distribution from the Microsoft Store (e.g., Ubuntu, Debian, etc.).
5. Launch your Linux distribution, complete its setup, and install required packages, compilers, and libraries using the Linux distribution’s package manager (apt for Ubuntu/Debian, for example).
6. Compile and run Quantum ESPRESSO directly in the WSL2 environment.

For detailed instructions on installing WSL2 and using it to set up Quantum ESPRESSO, refer to the official Microsoft documentation: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install

Considering the high-end nature of your system and if your research or work requires potentially resource-intensive computational tasks, WSL2 would likely be the optimal choice to make the most of your system’s capabilities while providing a flexible Linux development environment.
ok step 1 , lets go through this first …
To enable Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and the necessary Virtual Machine Platform on your Windows 10 machine, follow these steps:

Enable WSL:

1. Open PowerShell as an Administrator (you can do this by searching for PowerShell, right-clicking it, and selecting “Run as administrator”).

2. Run the following command to enable the WSL feature:


   dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart



This command will enable the necessary Windows features for WSL. Note that the /norestart flag prevents your computer from restarting immediately; make sure to save your work before continuing to the next steps, as you will have to restart your computer eventually.

Enable the Virtual Machine Platform:

1. Still in the Administrator PowerShell, run the following command to enable the Virtual Machine Platform feature, which is required for WSL2:


   dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart



Set WSL2 as the Default Version:

1. Make sure you have the latest Windows updates installed, as this will also update the WSL2 Linux kernel.

2. After enabling the features, restart your computer to complete the installation.

3. Once your computer has restarted, open PowerShell as an Administrator again and set WSL2 as the default version with the following command:


   wsl --set-default-version 2



Download the WSL2 Linux Kernel Update Package:

1. If necessary, manually download and install the WSL2 Linux kernel update package from Microsoft:
   - Visit the official WSL2 kernel update page.
   - Click the link to download the update package.
   - Run the downloaded package and follow the instructions to install.

Install a Linux Distribution:

1. Open the Microsoft Store on your Windows machine.
2. Search for your preferred Linux distribution (e.g., Ubuntu, Debian, etc.).
3. Select the distribution and click “Get” to download and install it.

Once you’ve installed a Linux distribution, you’ll see it in your Start menu, and you can open it to access the Linux terminal on your Windows machine.

Please proceed with these steps, and if you encounter any issues along the way, let me know so I can assist you further.

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