Summary
Installing PrestaShop on Windows using WSL gives you a complete local ecommerce development environment powered by Ubuntu Linux, Apache, MariaDB, and PHP. This setup lets you build, test, and run your online store directly from your Windows PC using professional web tools.
This guide showed you how to install PrestaShop on Windows using WSL, covering all the essential steps to get your online store running. You learned to set up Ubuntu, install Apache and MariaDB, configure PHP, and complete the PrestaShop setup.
-
- Enabled WSL and Virtual Machine Platform in Windows
-
- Installed Ubuntu 20.04 on your Windows computer
-
- Installed Apache web server to serve your store
-
- Installed MariaDB database to store your store data
-
- Installed PHP and required modules to run PrestaShop
-
- Created a database and user for PrestaShop
-
- Downloaded and installed PrestaShop
-
- Configured Apache to display your PrestaShop store
-
- Completed the PrestaShop installation wizard
Your PrestaShop online store is now ready to use on your Windows computer!
How to install WSL on WSL?
So all we're going to do is click on the Windows start menu. And type in WSL. And as you can see here we can see this WSL run command. So I'm going to click on it.
Is PrestaShop completely free?
PrestaShop is an open-source solution available under the Open Software License (OSL). This means you can download the platform for free, install it on your own hosting, and freely modify the code. The platform offers several product versions: PrestaShop Classic - free version for self-installation, giving full control.
Step 10Complete the PrestaShop Setup
Completing the PrestaShop setup launches the web-based installation wizard in your browser to finish configuring your online store. You just need to visit your local site address and follow the on-screen steps to connect your database and launch your shop.
To finish setting up your online store, open your web browser and go to your site's address to run the PrestaShop installation wizard. Follow the on-screen steps to enter your store's information and database details to finalize the installation.
http://example.com
The PrestaShop installation wizard will appear. Follow the steps to set up your store.

Enter your store information and create an admin account:

Enter your database information:

After completing the setup, your store will be ready to use. Log in with the admin account you created and start building your online store!

Summary
Installing PrestaShop on Windows using WSL gives you a complete local ecommerce development environment powered by Ubuntu Linux, Apache, MariaDB, and PHP. This setup lets you build, test, and run your online store directly from your Windows PC using professional web tools.
This guide showed you how to install PrestaShop on Windows using WSL, covering all the essential steps to get your online store running. You learned to set up Ubuntu, install Apache and MariaDB, configure PHP, and complete the PrestaShop setup.
-
- Enabled WSL and Virtual Machine Platform in Windows
-
- Installed Ubuntu 20.04 on your Windows computer
-
- Installed Apache web server to serve your store
-
- Installed MariaDB database to store your store data
-
- Installed PHP and required modules to run PrestaShop
-
- Created a database and user for PrestaShop
-
- Downloaded and installed PrestaShop
-
- Configured Apache to display your PrestaShop store
-
- Completed the PrestaShop installation wizard
Your PrestaShop online store is now ready to use on your Windows computer!
How to install WSL on WSL?
So all we're going to do is click on the Windows start menu. And type in WSL. And as you can see here we can see this WSL run command. So I'm going to click on it.
Is PrestaShop completely free?
PrestaShop is an open-source solution available under the Open Software License (OSL). This means you can download the platform for free, install it on your own hosting, and freely modify the code. The platform offers several product versions: PrestaShop Classic - free version for self-installation, giving full control.
Step 9Set Up the PrestaShop Site Configuration
Setting up the PrestaShop site configuration tells the Apache web server how to handle requests for your online store. You create this custom configuration file inside Apache's settings folder so your browser knows where to find your store files.
You must tell Apache how to display your PrestaShop website by creating a specific configuration file within Apache's settings. This file tells the web server how to handle requests for your PrestaShop store, ensuring it loads correctly.
Create a configuration file for Apache so it knows how to display PrestaShop:
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/prestashop.conf
To install PrestaShop on Windows WSL, copy the provided content into your configuration file. Replace the placeholder "example.com" with your actual domain name, for example, "yourstore.com," to ensure the installation correctly points to your website.
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerAdmin admin@example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/prestashop
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
<Directory /var/www/prestashop/>
Options FollowSymlinks
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
Save the file. Now enable the site by running these commands:
sudo a2ensite prestashop.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
Restart Apache to apply the changes:
sudo service apache2 restart
Step 10Complete the PrestaShop Setup
Completing the PrestaShop setup launches the web-based installation wizard in your browser to finish configuring your online store. You just need to visit your local site address and follow the on-screen steps to connect your database and launch your shop.
To finish setting up your online store, open your web browser and go to your site's address to run the PrestaShop installation wizard. Follow the on-screen steps to enter your store's information and database details to finalize the installation.
http://example.com
The PrestaShop installation wizard will appear. Follow the steps to set up your store.

Enter your store information and create an admin account:

Enter your database information:

After completing the setup, your store will be ready to use. Log in with the admin account you created and start building your online store!

Summary
Installing PrestaShop on Windows using WSL gives you a complete local ecommerce development environment powered by Ubuntu Linux, Apache, MariaDB, and PHP. This setup lets you build, test, and run your online store directly from your Windows PC using professional web tools.
This guide showed you how to install PrestaShop on Windows using WSL, covering all the essential steps to get your online store running. You learned to set up Ubuntu, install Apache and MariaDB, configure PHP, and complete the PrestaShop setup.
-
- Enabled WSL and Virtual Machine Platform in Windows
-
- Installed Ubuntu 20.04 on your Windows computer
-
- Installed Apache web server to serve your store
-
- Installed MariaDB database to store your store data
-
- Installed PHP and required modules to run PrestaShop
-
- Created a database and user for PrestaShop
-
- Downloaded and installed PrestaShop
-
- Configured Apache to display your PrestaShop store
-
- Completed the PrestaShop installation wizard
Your PrestaShop online store is now ready to use on your Windows computer!
How to install WSL on WSL?
So all we're going to do is click on the Windows start menu. And type in WSL. And as you can see here we can see this WSL run command. So I'm going to click on it.
Is PrestaShop completely free?
PrestaShop is an open-source solution available under the Open Software License (OSL). This means you can download the platform for free, install it on your own hosting, and freely modify the code. The platform offers several product versions: PrestaShop Classic - free version for self-installation, giving full control.
Step 8Download PrestaShop
Downloading PrestaShop gets you the official core files needed to build your online store on your local server. You can grab the latest software release directly from the official website using a download link in your terminal.
It's time to download the latest version of PrestaShop, which contains the core files for your online store. You can find the official files on the PrestaShop website to ensure you're using the most current software.
Download the latest version. Check the PrestaShop download page for the newest release.
wget https://assets.prestashop2.com/en/system/files/ps_releases/prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip -P /tmp
unzip prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip
sudo unzip /tmp/prestashop.zip -d /var/www/prestashop
Set the correct permissions for PrestaShop to function properly:
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/prestashop/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/prestashop/
Step 9Set Up the PrestaShop Site Configuration
Setting up the PrestaShop site configuration tells the Apache web server how to handle requests for your online store. You create this custom configuration file inside Apache's settings folder so your browser knows where to find your store files.
You must tell Apache how to display your PrestaShop website by creating a specific configuration file within Apache's settings. This file tells the web server how to handle requests for your PrestaShop store, ensuring it loads correctly.
Create a configuration file for Apache so it knows how to display PrestaShop:
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/prestashop.conf
To install PrestaShop on Windows WSL, copy the provided content into your configuration file. Replace the placeholder "example.com" with your actual domain name, for example, "yourstore.com," to ensure the installation correctly points to your website.
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerAdmin admin@example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/prestashop
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
<Directory /var/www/prestashop/>
Options FollowSymlinks
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
Save the file. Now enable the site by running these commands:
sudo a2ensite prestashop.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
Restart Apache to apply the changes:
sudo service apache2 restart
Step 10Complete the PrestaShop Setup
Completing the PrestaShop setup launches the web-based installation wizard in your browser to finish configuring your online store. You just need to visit your local site address and follow the on-screen steps to connect your database and launch your shop.
To finish setting up your online store, open your web browser and go to your site's address to run the PrestaShop installation wizard. Follow the on-screen steps to enter your store's information and database details to finalize the installation.
http://example.com
The PrestaShop installation wizard will appear. Follow the steps to set up your store.

Enter your store information and create an admin account:

Enter your database information:

After completing the setup, your store will be ready to use. Log in with the admin account you created and start building your online store!

Summary
Installing PrestaShop on Windows using WSL gives you a complete local ecommerce development environment powered by Ubuntu Linux, Apache, MariaDB, and PHP. This setup lets you build, test, and run your online store directly from your Windows PC using professional web tools.
This guide showed you how to install PrestaShop on Windows using WSL, covering all the essential steps to get your online store running. You learned to set up Ubuntu, install Apache and MariaDB, configure PHP, and complete the PrestaShop setup.
-
- Enabled WSL and Virtual Machine Platform in Windows
-
- Installed Ubuntu 20.04 on your Windows computer
-
- Installed Apache web server to serve your store
-
- Installed MariaDB database to store your store data
-
- Installed PHP and required modules to run PrestaShop
-
- Created a database and user for PrestaShop
-
- Downloaded and installed PrestaShop
-
- Configured Apache to display your PrestaShop store
-
- Completed the PrestaShop installation wizard
Your PrestaShop online store is now ready to use on your Windows computer!
How to install WSL on WSL?
So all we're going to do is click on the Windows start menu. And type in WSL. And as you can see here we can see this WSL run command. So I'm going to click on it.
Is PrestaShop completely free?
PrestaShop is an open-source solution available under the Open Software License (OSL). This means you can download the platform for free, install it on your own hosting, and freely modify the code. The platform offers several product versions: PrestaShop Classic - free version for self-installation, giving full control.
Step 7Create a PrestaShop Database
Creating a PrestaShop database gives your online store a dedicated space inside MariaDB to save all site information. You need to log into MariaDB through your terminal and run a few SQL commands to set up the database and a user account.
PrestaShop requires a specific database within MariaDB and a user account for access. This database stores your store's product and customer information securely.
Now you need to create a database for PrestaShop to use. Log into MariaDB:
sudo mysql -u root -p
Create a database called prestashop:
CREATE DATABASE prestashop;
Create a database user:
CREATE USER 'prestashopuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'new_password_here';
Give that user full access to the PrestaShop database:
GRANT ALL ON prestashop.* TO 'prestashopuser'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION;
Save your changes and exit:
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
Step 8Download PrestaShop
Downloading PrestaShop gets you the official core files needed to build your online store on your local server. You can grab the latest software release directly from the official website using a download link in your terminal.
It's time to download the latest version of PrestaShop, which contains the core files for your online store. You can find the official files on the PrestaShop website to ensure you're using the most current software.
Download the latest version. Check the PrestaShop download page for the newest release.
wget https://assets.prestashop2.com/en/system/files/ps_releases/prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip -P /tmp
unzip prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip
sudo unzip /tmp/prestashop.zip -d /var/www/prestashop
Set the correct permissions for PrestaShop to function properly:
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/prestashop/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/prestashop/
Step 9Set Up the PrestaShop Site Configuration
Setting up the PrestaShop site configuration tells the Apache web server how to handle requests for your online store. You create this custom configuration file inside Apache's settings folder so your browser knows where to find your store files.
You must tell Apache how to display your PrestaShop website by creating a specific configuration file within Apache's settings. This file tells the web server how to handle requests for your PrestaShop store, ensuring it loads correctly.
Create a configuration file for Apache so it knows how to display PrestaShop:
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/prestashop.conf
To install PrestaShop on Windows WSL, copy the provided content into your configuration file. Replace the placeholder "example.com" with your actual domain name, for example, "yourstore.com," to ensure the installation correctly points to your website.
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerAdmin admin@example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/prestashop
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
<Directory /var/www/prestashop/>
Options FollowSymlinks
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
Save the file. Now enable the site by running these commands:
sudo a2ensite prestashop.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
Restart Apache to apply the changes:
sudo service apache2 restart
Step 10Complete the PrestaShop Setup
Completing the PrestaShop setup launches the web-based installation wizard in your browser to finish configuring your online store. You just need to visit your local site address and follow the on-screen steps to connect your database and launch your shop.
To finish setting up your online store, open your web browser and go to your site's address to run the PrestaShop installation wizard. Follow the on-screen steps to enter your store's information and database details to finalize the installation.
http://example.com
The PrestaShop installation wizard will appear. Follow the steps to set up your store.

Enter your store information and create an admin account:

Enter your database information:

After completing the setup, your store will be ready to use. Log in with the admin account you created and start building your online store!

Summary
Installing PrestaShop on Windows using WSL gives you a complete local ecommerce development environment powered by Ubuntu Linux, Apache, MariaDB, and PHP. This setup lets you build, test, and run your online store directly from your Windows PC using professional web tools.
This guide showed you how to install PrestaShop on Windows using WSL, covering all the essential steps to get your online store running. You learned to set up Ubuntu, install Apache and MariaDB, configure PHP, and complete the PrestaShop setup.
-
- Enabled WSL and Virtual Machine Platform in Windows
-
- Installed Ubuntu 20.04 on your Windows computer
-
- Installed Apache web server to serve your store
-
- Installed MariaDB database to store your store data
-
- Installed PHP and required modules to run PrestaShop
-
- Created a database and user for PrestaShop
-
- Downloaded and installed PrestaShop
-
- Configured Apache to display your PrestaShop store
-
- Completed the PrestaShop installation wizard
Your PrestaShop online store is now ready to use on your Windows computer!
How to install WSL on WSL?
So all we're going to do is click on the Windows start menu. And type in WSL. And as you can see here we can see this WSL run command. So I'm going to click on it.
Is PrestaShop completely free?
PrestaShop is an open-source solution available under the Open Software License (OSL). This means you can download the platform for free, install it on your own hosting, and freely modify the code. The platform offers several product versions: PrestaShop Classic - free version for self-installation, giving full control.
Step 6Install PHP and Modules
Installing PHP and its required modules gives your Ubuntu system the programming language code it needs to run PrestaShop properly. PrestaShop relies on PHP to process data and load pages, so you must install the correct version and supporting extensions.
PHP is the programming language that makes PrestaShop function, so you must install PHP on your Ubuntu system along with the specific modules PHP requires. These modules are essential for PrestaShop to run correctly and perform all its tasks.
PHP is the programming language that makes PrestaShop work on your computer. You must install PHP version 7.2.5 or later, along with the `php-curl`, `php-gd`, `php-mbstring`, and `php-xml` modules, to ensure PrestaShop functions correctly.
sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-imagick php-imap php-json php-ldap php-common php-pgsql php-ssh2 php-sqlite3 php-xml php-mysql php-gmp php-curl php-intl php7.4-mbstring php-xmlrpc php-gd php-xml php-cli php-zip
To check that PHP is installed, run this command:
php -v
You should see something like this:
PHP 7.4.3 (cli) (built: Oct 6 2020 15:47:56) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v3.4.0, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
with Zend OPcache v7.4.3, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies
To test PHP more thoroughly, create a test file. Run this command:
sudo nano /var/www/html/phpinfo.php
Type this content into the file:
<?php phpinfo( ); ?>
Save the file. Restart Apache and then open your browser to:
http://example.com/phpinfo.php
You'll see the PHP information page.

Step 7Create a PrestaShop Database
Creating a PrestaShop database gives your online store a dedicated space inside MariaDB to save all site information. You need to log into MariaDB through your terminal and run a few SQL commands to set up the database and a user account.
PrestaShop requires a specific database within MariaDB and a user account for access. This database stores your store's product and customer information securely.
Now you need to create a database for PrestaShop to use. Log into MariaDB:
sudo mysql -u root -p
Create a database called prestashop:
CREATE DATABASE prestashop;
Create a database user:
CREATE USER 'prestashopuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'new_password_here';
Give that user full access to the PrestaShop database:
GRANT ALL ON prestashop.* TO 'prestashopuser'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION;
Save your changes and exit:
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
Step 8Download PrestaShop
Downloading PrestaShop gets you the official core files needed to build your online store on your local server. You can grab the latest software release directly from the official website using a download link in your terminal.
It's time to download the latest version of PrestaShop, which contains the core files for your online store. You can find the official files on the PrestaShop website to ensure you're using the most current software.
Download the latest version. Check the PrestaShop download page for the newest release.
wget https://assets.prestashop2.com/en/system/files/ps_releases/prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip -P /tmp
unzip prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip
sudo unzip /tmp/prestashop.zip -d /var/www/prestashop
Set the correct permissions for PrestaShop to function properly:
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/prestashop/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/prestashop/
Step 9Set Up the PrestaShop Site Configuration
Setting up the PrestaShop site configuration tells the Apache web server how to handle requests for your online store. You create this custom configuration file inside Apache's settings folder so your browser knows where to find your store files.
You must tell Apache how to display your PrestaShop website by creating a specific configuration file within Apache's settings. This file tells the web server how to handle requests for your PrestaShop store, ensuring it loads correctly.
Create a configuration file for Apache so it knows how to display PrestaShop:
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/prestashop.conf
To install PrestaShop on Windows WSL, copy the provided content into your configuration file. Replace the placeholder "example.com" with your actual domain name, for example, "yourstore.com," to ensure the installation correctly points to your website.
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerAdmin admin@example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/prestashop
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
<Directory /var/www/prestashop/>
Options FollowSymlinks
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
Save the file. Now enable the site by running these commands:
sudo a2ensite prestashop.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
Restart Apache to apply the changes:
sudo service apache2 restart
Step 10Complete the PrestaShop Setup
Completing the PrestaShop setup launches the web-based installation wizard in your browser to finish configuring your online store. You just need to visit your local site address and follow the on-screen steps to connect your database and launch your shop.
To finish setting up your online store, open your web browser and go to your site's address to run the PrestaShop installation wizard. Follow the on-screen steps to enter your store's information and database details to finalize the installation.
http://example.com
The PrestaShop installation wizard will appear. Follow the steps to set up your store.

Enter your store information and create an admin account:

Enter your database information:

After completing the setup, your store will be ready to use. Log in with the admin account you created and start building your online store!

Summary
Installing PrestaShop on Windows using WSL gives you a complete local ecommerce development environment powered by Ubuntu Linux, Apache, MariaDB, and PHP. This setup lets you build, test, and run your online store directly from your Windows PC using professional web tools.
This guide showed you how to install PrestaShop on Windows using WSL, covering all the essential steps to get your online store running. You learned to set up Ubuntu, install Apache and MariaDB, configure PHP, and complete the PrestaShop setup.
-
- Enabled WSL and Virtual Machine Platform in Windows
-
- Installed Ubuntu 20.04 on your Windows computer
-
- Installed Apache web server to serve your store
-
- Installed MariaDB database to store your store data
-
- Installed PHP and required modules to run PrestaShop
-
- Created a database and user for PrestaShop
-
- Downloaded and installed PrestaShop
-
- Configured Apache to display your PrestaShop store
-
- Completed the PrestaShop installation wizard
Your PrestaShop online store is now ready to use on your Windows computer!
How to install WSL on WSL?
So all we're going to do is click on the Windows start menu. And type in WSL. And as you can see here we can see this WSL run command. So I'm going to click on it.
Is PrestaShop completely free?
PrestaShop is an open-source solution available under the Open Software License (OSL). This means you can download the platform for free, install it on your own hosting, and freely modify the code. The platform offers several product versions: PrestaShop Classic - free version for self-installation, giving full control.
Step 5Install MariaDB Database Server
Installing MariaDB database server gives PrestaShop a secure place to store all your store data, including products, orders, and customer details. MariaDB is a free, open-source database system that runs smoothly inside your Ubuntu Linux environment.
Your PrestaShop store needs a database to safely store all its information, so installing MariaDB on Ubuntu is the next step. MariaDB is a free database server that manages and stores your store's data effectively, ensuring everything is kept secure.
PrestaShop needs a specific database within MariaDB and a user account to access it. MariaDB, a free, open-source database server that stores and manages data, works well for PrestaShop. Install MariaDB with the `sudo apt install mariadb-server` command.
sudo apt-get install mariadb-server mariadb-client
After installing, you can control MariaDB with these commands:
sudo service mysql stop
sudo service mysql start
sudo service mysql restart
Next, secure your database with a root password by running this command:
sudo mysql_secure_installation
Answer the questions as shown below:
Enter current password for root (enter for none): Press Enter when prompted for the current root password, then press Y and set a strong password.Set root password? [Y/n]: Type YNew password: Enter a passwordRe-enter new password: Repeat the passwordRemove anonymous users? [Y/n]: Type YDisallow root login remotely? [Y/n]: Type YRemove test database and access to it? [Y/n]: Type YReload privilege tables now? [Y/n]: Type Y
To verify MariaDB is working, log in to the database with this command:
sudo mysql -u root -p
Enter your root password when asked. You should see a screen like this:
Welcome to the MariaDB monitor. Commands end with ; or g.
Your MariaDB connection id is 46
Server version: 10.3.29-MariaDB-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 Ubuntu 20.04
Copyright (c) 2000, 2018, Oracle, MariaDB Corporation Ab and others.
Type 'help;' or 'h' for help. Type 'c' to clear the current input statement.
MariaDB [(none)]>
Step 6Install PHP and Modules
Installing PHP and its required modules gives your Ubuntu system the programming language code it needs to run PrestaShop properly. PrestaShop relies on PHP to process data and load pages, so you must install the correct version and supporting extensions.
PHP is the programming language that makes PrestaShop function, so you must install PHP on your Ubuntu system along with the specific modules PHP requires. These modules are essential for PrestaShop to run correctly and perform all its tasks.
PHP is the programming language that makes PrestaShop work on your computer. You must install PHP version 7.2.5 or later, along with the `php-curl`, `php-gd`, `php-mbstring`, and `php-xml` modules, to ensure PrestaShop functions correctly.
sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-imagick php-imap php-json php-ldap php-common php-pgsql php-ssh2 php-sqlite3 php-xml php-mysql php-gmp php-curl php-intl php7.4-mbstring php-xmlrpc php-gd php-xml php-cli php-zip
To check that PHP is installed, run this command:
php -v
You should see something like this:
PHP 7.4.3 (cli) (built: Oct 6 2020 15:47:56) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v3.4.0, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
with Zend OPcache v7.4.3, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies
To test PHP more thoroughly, create a test file. Run this command:
sudo nano /var/www/html/phpinfo.php
Type this content into the file:
<?php phpinfo( ); ?>
Save the file. Restart Apache and then open your browser to:
http://example.com/phpinfo.php
You'll see the PHP information page.

Step 7Create a PrestaShop Database
Creating a PrestaShop database gives your online store a dedicated space inside MariaDB to save all site information. You need to log into MariaDB through your terminal and run a few SQL commands to set up the database and a user account.
PrestaShop requires a specific database within MariaDB and a user account for access. This database stores your store's product and customer information securely.
Now you need to create a database for PrestaShop to use. Log into MariaDB:
sudo mysql -u root -p
Create a database called prestashop:
CREATE DATABASE prestashop;
Create a database user:
CREATE USER 'prestashopuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'new_password_here';
Give that user full access to the PrestaShop database:
GRANT ALL ON prestashop.* TO 'prestashopuser'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION;
Save your changes and exit:
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
Step 8Download PrestaShop
Downloading PrestaShop gets you the official core files needed to build your online store on your local server. You can grab the latest software release directly from the official website using a download link in your terminal.
It's time to download the latest version of PrestaShop, which contains the core files for your online store. You can find the official files on the PrestaShop website to ensure you're using the most current software.
Download the latest version. Check the PrestaShop download page for the newest release.
wget https://assets.prestashop2.com/en/system/files/ps_releases/prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip -P /tmp
unzip prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip
sudo unzip /tmp/prestashop.zip -d /var/www/prestashop
Set the correct permissions for PrestaShop to function properly:
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/prestashop/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/prestashop/
Step 9Set Up the PrestaShop Site Configuration
Setting up the PrestaShop site configuration tells the Apache web server how to handle requests for your online store. You create this custom configuration file inside Apache's settings folder so your browser knows where to find your store files.
You must tell Apache how to display your PrestaShop website by creating a specific configuration file within Apache's settings. This file tells the web server how to handle requests for your PrestaShop store, ensuring it loads correctly.
Create a configuration file for Apache so it knows how to display PrestaShop:
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/prestashop.conf
To install PrestaShop on Windows WSL, copy the provided content into your configuration file. Replace the placeholder "example.com" with your actual domain name, for example, "yourstore.com," to ensure the installation correctly points to your website.
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerAdmin admin@example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/prestashop
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
<Directory /var/www/prestashop/>
Options FollowSymlinks
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
Save the file. Now enable the site by running these commands:
sudo a2ensite prestashop.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
Restart Apache to apply the changes:
sudo service apache2 restart
Step 10Complete the PrestaShop Setup
Completing the PrestaShop setup launches the web-based installation wizard in your browser to finish configuring your online store. You just need to visit your local site address and follow the on-screen steps to connect your database and launch your shop.
To finish setting up your online store, open your web browser and go to your site's address to run the PrestaShop installation wizard. Follow the on-screen steps to enter your store's information and database details to finalize the installation.
http://example.com
The PrestaShop installation wizard will appear. Follow the steps to set up your store.

Enter your store information and create an admin account:

Enter your database information:

After completing the setup, your store will be ready to use. Log in with the admin account you created and start building your online store!

Summary
Installing PrestaShop on Windows using WSL gives you a complete local ecommerce development environment powered by Ubuntu Linux, Apache, MariaDB, and PHP. This setup lets you build, test, and run your online store directly from your Windows PC using professional web tools.
This guide showed you how to install PrestaShop on Windows using WSL, covering all the essential steps to get your online store running. You learned to set up Ubuntu, install Apache and MariaDB, configure PHP, and complete the PrestaShop setup.
-
- Enabled WSL and Virtual Machine Platform in Windows
-
- Installed Ubuntu 20.04 on your Windows computer
-
- Installed Apache web server to serve your store
-
- Installed MariaDB database to store your store data
-
- Installed PHP and required modules to run PrestaShop
-
- Created a database and user for PrestaShop
-
- Downloaded and installed PrestaShop
-
- Configured Apache to display your PrestaShop store
-
- Completed the PrestaShop installation wizard
Your PrestaShop online store is now ready to use on your Windows computer!
How to install WSL on WSL?
So all we're going to do is click on the Windows start menu. And type in WSL. And as you can see here we can see this WSL run command. So I'm going to click on it.
Is PrestaShop completely free?
PrestaShop is an open-source solution available under the Open Software License (OSL). This means you can download the platform for free, install it on your own hosting, and freely modify the code. The platform offers several product versions: PrestaShop Classic - free version for self-installation, giving full control.
Step 4Install Apache Web Server
Installing Apache web server on your Ubuntu system allows your computer to deliver PrestaShop website pages to web browsers. You can install Apache easily by running a couple of update and install commands in your Ubuntu terminal.
PrestaShop requires a web server to work, so you need to install Apache on your Ubuntu system using a specific command. Apache (the web server software) delivers your website files to browsers.
Apache is a popular web server software that delivers websites to browsers. PrestaShop needs Apache to work. Run the following commands to install Apache on Ubuntu:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2
After installing, you can use these commands to control Apache:
sudo service apache2 stop
sudo service apache2 start
sudo service apache2 restart
To check that Apache is working, open your web browser and go to:
http://localhost
You should see an Apache test page.

Step 5Install MariaDB Database Server
Installing MariaDB database server gives PrestaShop a secure place to store all your store data, including products, orders, and customer details. MariaDB is a free, open-source database system that runs smoothly inside your Ubuntu Linux environment.
Your PrestaShop store needs a database to safely store all its information, so installing MariaDB on Ubuntu is the next step. MariaDB is a free database server that manages and stores your store's data effectively, ensuring everything is kept secure.
PrestaShop needs a specific database within MariaDB and a user account to access it. MariaDB, a free, open-source database server that stores and manages data, works well for PrestaShop. Install MariaDB with the `sudo apt install mariadb-server` command.
sudo apt-get install mariadb-server mariadb-client
After installing, you can control MariaDB with these commands:
sudo service mysql stop
sudo service mysql start
sudo service mysql restart
Next, secure your database with a root password by running this command:
sudo mysql_secure_installation
Answer the questions as shown below:
Enter current password for root (enter for none): Press Enter when prompted for the current root password, then press Y and set a strong password.Set root password? [Y/n]: Type YNew password: Enter a passwordRe-enter new password: Repeat the passwordRemove anonymous users? [Y/n]: Type YDisallow root login remotely? [Y/n]: Type YRemove test database and access to it? [Y/n]: Type YReload privilege tables now? [Y/n]: Type Y
To verify MariaDB is working, log in to the database with this command:
sudo mysql -u root -p
Enter your root password when asked. You should see a screen like this:
Welcome to the MariaDB monitor. Commands end with ; or g.
Your MariaDB connection id is 46
Server version: 10.3.29-MariaDB-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 Ubuntu 20.04
Copyright (c) 2000, 2018, Oracle, MariaDB Corporation Ab and others.
Type 'help;' or 'h' for help. Type 'c' to clear the current input statement.
MariaDB [(none)]>
Step 6Install PHP and Modules
Installing PHP and its required modules gives your Ubuntu system the programming language code it needs to run PrestaShop properly. PrestaShop relies on PHP to process data and load pages, so you must install the correct version and supporting extensions.
PHP is the programming language that makes PrestaShop function, so you must install PHP on your Ubuntu system along with the specific modules PHP requires. These modules are essential for PrestaShop to run correctly and perform all its tasks.
PHP is the programming language that makes PrestaShop work on your computer. You must install PHP version 7.2.5 or later, along with the `php-curl`, `php-gd`, `php-mbstring`, and `php-xml` modules, to ensure PrestaShop functions correctly.
sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-imagick php-imap php-json php-ldap php-common php-pgsql php-ssh2 php-sqlite3 php-xml php-mysql php-gmp php-curl php-intl php7.4-mbstring php-xmlrpc php-gd php-xml php-cli php-zip
To check that PHP is installed, run this command:
php -v
You should see something like this:
PHP 7.4.3 (cli) (built: Oct 6 2020 15:47:56) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v3.4.0, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
with Zend OPcache v7.4.3, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies
To test PHP more thoroughly, create a test file. Run this command:
sudo nano /var/www/html/phpinfo.php
Type this content into the file:
<?php phpinfo( ); ?>
Save the file. Restart Apache and then open your browser to:
http://example.com/phpinfo.php
You'll see the PHP information page.

Step 7Create a PrestaShop Database
Creating a PrestaShop database gives your online store a dedicated space inside MariaDB to save all site information. You need to log into MariaDB through your terminal and run a few SQL commands to set up the database and a user account.
PrestaShop requires a specific database within MariaDB and a user account for access. This database stores your store's product and customer information securely.
Now you need to create a database for PrestaShop to use. Log into MariaDB:
sudo mysql -u root -p
Create a database called prestashop:
CREATE DATABASE prestashop;
Create a database user:
CREATE USER 'prestashopuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'new_password_here';
Give that user full access to the PrestaShop database:
GRANT ALL ON prestashop.* TO 'prestashopuser'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION;
Save your changes and exit:
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
Step 8Download PrestaShop
Downloading PrestaShop gets you the official core files needed to build your online store on your local server. You can grab the latest software release directly from the official website using a download link in your terminal.
It's time to download the latest version of PrestaShop, which contains the core files for your online store. You can find the official files on the PrestaShop website to ensure you're using the most current software.
Download the latest version. Check the PrestaShop download page for the newest release.
wget https://assets.prestashop2.com/en/system/files/ps_releases/prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip -P /tmp
unzip prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip
sudo unzip /tmp/prestashop.zip -d /var/www/prestashop
Set the correct permissions for PrestaShop to function properly:
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/prestashop/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/prestashop/
Step 9Set Up the PrestaShop Site Configuration
Setting up the PrestaShop site configuration tells the Apache web server how to handle requests for your online store. You create this custom configuration file inside Apache's settings folder so your browser knows where to find your store files.
You must tell Apache how to display your PrestaShop website by creating a specific configuration file within Apache's settings. This file tells the web server how to handle requests for your PrestaShop store, ensuring it loads correctly.
Create a configuration file for Apache so it knows how to display PrestaShop:
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/prestashop.conf
To install PrestaShop on Windows WSL, copy the provided content into your configuration file. Replace the placeholder "example.com" with your actual domain name, for example, "yourstore.com," to ensure the installation correctly points to your website.
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerAdmin admin@example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/prestashop
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
<Directory /var/www/prestashop/>
Options FollowSymlinks
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
Save the file. Now enable the site by running these commands:
sudo a2ensite prestashop.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
Restart Apache to apply the changes:
sudo service apache2 restart
Step 10Complete the PrestaShop Setup
Completing the PrestaShop setup launches the web-based installation wizard in your browser to finish configuring your online store. You just need to visit your local site address and follow the on-screen steps to connect your database and launch your shop.
To finish setting up your online store, open your web browser and go to your site's address to run the PrestaShop installation wizard. Follow the on-screen steps to enter your store's information and database details to finalize the installation.
http://example.com
The PrestaShop installation wizard will appear. Follow the steps to set up your store.

Enter your store information and create an admin account:

Enter your database information:

After completing the setup, your store will be ready to use. Log in with the admin account you created and start building your online store!

Summary
Installing PrestaShop on Windows using WSL gives you a complete local ecommerce development environment powered by Ubuntu Linux, Apache, MariaDB, and PHP. This setup lets you build, test, and run your online store directly from your Windows PC using professional web tools.
This guide showed you how to install PrestaShop on Windows using WSL, covering all the essential steps to get your online store running. You learned to set up Ubuntu, install Apache and MariaDB, configure PHP, and complete the PrestaShop setup.
-
- Enabled WSL and Virtual Machine Platform in Windows
-
- Installed Ubuntu 20.04 on your Windows computer
-
- Installed Apache web server to serve your store
-
- Installed MariaDB database to store your store data
-
- Installed PHP and required modules to run PrestaShop
-
- Created a database and user for PrestaShop
-
- Downloaded and installed PrestaShop
-
- Configured Apache to display your PrestaShop store
-
- Completed the PrestaShop installation wizard
Your PrestaShop online store is now ready to use on your Windows computer!
How to install WSL on WSL?
So all we're going to do is click on the Windows start menu. And type in WSL. And as you can see here we can see this WSL run command. So I'm going to click on it.
Is PrestaShop completely free?
PrestaShop is an open-source solution available under the Open Software License (OSL). This means you can download the platform for free, install it on your own hosting, and freely modify the code. The platform offers several product versions: PrestaShop Classic - free version for self-installation, giving full control.
Step 3Install Ubuntu on Windows
Installing Ubuntu on Windows gives you the Linux command line environment required to run your PrestaShop web server and database. You can download Ubuntu directly from the Microsoft Store once your WSL features are turned on.
With WSL 2 set up, the next step is to install Ubuntu from the Windows Store to get the Linux environment needed for PrestaShop. Ubuntu provides essential command-line tools like bash and apt, which are vital for your store's development.
Get Ubuntu 20.04 LTS - Microsoft Store
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS gives you access to Ubuntu Terminal and command line tools like bash, ssh, git, and apt.

Click the "Get" button to install Ubuntu. After installing, you can launch Ubuntu from WSL.
When you first launch Ubuntu, it will ask you to create a user account. This username doesn't need to match your Windows username.
You'll see a prompt like this:
Installing, this may take a few minutes.
Please create a default UNIX user account. The username does not need to match your Windows username.
For more information visit: https://aka.ms/wslusers
Enter new UNIX username: systemuser
New password:
Retype new password:
passwd: password updated successfully
Installation successful!
To run a command as administrator (user "root"), use "sudo <command>".
See "man sudo_root" for details.
Welcome to Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS (GNU/Linux 4.4.0-19041-Microsoft x86_64)
* Documentation: https://help.ubuntu.com
* Management: https://landscape.canonical.com
* Support: https://ubuntu.com/advantage
System information as of Mon Apr 12 17:57:37 CDT 2021
System load: 0.52 Processes: 7
Usage of /home: unknown Users logged in: 0
Memory usage: 26% IPv4 address for eth0: 192.0.2.10
Swap usage: 0%
1 update can be installed immediately.
0 of these updates are security updates.
To see these additional updates run: apt list --upgradable
If you run into problems, try these troubleshooting commands:
wsl --set-default-version 1
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto start
Step 4Install Apache Web Server
Installing Apache web server on your Ubuntu system allows your computer to deliver PrestaShop website pages to web browsers. You can install Apache easily by running a couple of update and install commands in your Ubuntu terminal.
PrestaShop requires a web server to work, so you need to install Apache on your Ubuntu system using a specific command. Apache (the web server software) delivers your website files to browsers.
Apache is a popular web server software that delivers websites to browsers. PrestaShop needs Apache to work. Run the following commands to install Apache on Ubuntu:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2
After installing, you can use these commands to control Apache:
sudo service apache2 stop
sudo service apache2 start
sudo service apache2 restart
To check that Apache is working, open your web browser and go to:
http://localhost
You should see an Apache test page.

Step 5Install MariaDB Database Server
Installing MariaDB database server gives PrestaShop a secure place to store all your store data, including products, orders, and customer details. MariaDB is a free, open-source database system that runs smoothly inside your Ubuntu Linux environment.
Your PrestaShop store needs a database to safely store all its information, so installing MariaDB on Ubuntu is the next step. MariaDB is a free database server that manages and stores your store's data effectively, ensuring everything is kept secure.
PrestaShop needs a specific database within MariaDB and a user account to access it. MariaDB, a free, open-source database server that stores and manages data, works well for PrestaShop. Install MariaDB with the `sudo apt install mariadb-server` command.
sudo apt-get install mariadb-server mariadb-client
After installing, you can control MariaDB with these commands:
sudo service mysql stop
sudo service mysql start
sudo service mysql restart
Next, secure your database with a root password by running this command:
sudo mysql_secure_installation
Answer the questions as shown below:
Enter current password for root (enter for none): Press Enter when prompted for the current root password, then press Y and set a strong password.Set root password? [Y/n]: Type YNew password: Enter a passwordRe-enter new password: Repeat the passwordRemove anonymous users? [Y/n]: Type YDisallow root login remotely? [Y/n]: Type YRemove test database and access to it? [Y/n]: Type YReload privilege tables now? [Y/n]: Type Y
To verify MariaDB is working, log in to the database with this command:
sudo mysql -u root -p
Enter your root password when asked. You should see a screen like this:
Welcome to the MariaDB monitor. Commands end with ; or g.
Your MariaDB connection id is 46
Server version: 10.3.29-MariaDB-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 Ubuntu 20.04
Copyright (c) 2000, 2018, Oracle, MariaDB Corporation Ab and others.
Type 'help;' or 'h' for help. Type 'c' to clear the current input statement.
MariaDB [(none)]>
Step 6Install PHP and Modules
Installing PHP and its required modules gives your Ubuntu system the programming language code it needs to run PrestaShop properly. PrestaShop relies on PHP to process data and load pages, so you must install the correct version and supporting extensions.
PHP is the programming language that makes PrestaShop function, so you must install PHP on your Ubuntu system along with the specific modules PHP requires. These modules are essential for PrestaShop to run correctly and perform all its tasks.
PHP is the programming language that makes PrestaShop work on your computer. You must install PHP version 7.2.5 or later, along with the `php-curl`, `php-gd`, `php-mbstring`, and `php-xml` modules, to ensure PrestaShop functions correctly.
sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-imagick php-imap php-json php-ldap php-common php-pgsql php-ssh2 php-sqlite3 php-xml php-mysql php-gmp php-curl php-intl php7.4-mbstring php-xmlrpc php-gd php-xml php-cli php-zip
To check that PHP is installed, run this command:
php -v
You should see something like this:
PHP 7.4.3 (cli) (built: Oct 6 2020 15:47:56) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v3.4.0, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
with Zend OPcache v7.4.3, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies
To test PHP more thoroughly, create a test file. Run this command:
sudo nano /var/www/html/phpinfo.php
Type this content into the file:
<?php phpinfo( ); ?>
Save the file. Restart Apache and then open your browser to:
http://example.com/phpinfo.php
You'll see the PHP information page.

Step 7Create a PrestaShop Database
Creating a PrestaShop database gives your online store a dedicated space inside MariaDB to save all site information. You need to log into MariaDB through your terminal and run a few SQL commands to set up the database and a user account.
PrestaShop requires a specific database within MariaDB and a user account for access. This database stores your store's product and customer information securely.
Now you need to create a database for PrestaShop to use. Log into MariaDB:
sudo mysql -u root -p
Create a database called prestashop:
CREATE DATABASE prestashop;
Create a database user:
CREATE USER 'prestashopuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'new_password_here';
Give that user full access to the PrestaShop database:
GRANT ALL ON prestashop.* TO 'prestashopuser'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION;
Save your changes and exit:
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
Step 8Download PrestaShop
Downloading PrestaShop gets you the official core files needed to build your online store on your local server. You can grab the latest software release directly from the official website using a download link in your terminal.
It's time to download the latest version of PrestaShop, which contains the core files for your online store. You can find the official files on the PrestaShop website to ensure you're using the most current software.
Download the latest version. Check the PrestaShop download page for the newest release.
wget https://assets.prestashop2.com/en/system/files/ps_releases/prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip -P /tmp
unzip prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip
sudo unzip /tmp/prestashop.zip -d /var/www/prestashop
Set the correct permissions for PrestaShop to function properly:
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/prestashop/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/prestashop/
Step 9Set Up the PrestaShop Site Configuration
Setting up the PrestaShop site configuration tells the Apache web server how to handle requests for your online store. You create this custom configuration file inside Apache's settings folder so your browser knows where to find your store files.
You must tell Apache how to display your PrestaShop website by creating a specific configuration file within Apache's settings. This file tells the web server how to handle requests for your PrestaShop store, ensuring it loads correctly.
Create a configuration file for Apache so it knows how to display PrestaShop:
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/prestashop.conf
To install PrestaShop on Windows WSL, copy the provided content into your configuration file. Replace the placeholder "example.com" with your actual domain name, for example, "yourstore.com," to ensure the installation correctly points to your website.
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerAdmin admin@example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/prestashop
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
<Directory /var/www/prestashop/>
Options FollowSymlinks
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
Save the file. Now enable the site by running these commands:
sudo a2ensite prestashop.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
Restart Apache to apply the changes:
sudo service apache2 restart
Step 10Complete the PrestaShop Setup
Completing the PrestaShop setup launches the web-based installation wizard in your browser to finish configuring your online store. You just need to visit your local site address and follow the on-screen steps to connect your database and launch your shop.
To finish setting up your online store, open your web browser and go to your site's address to run the PrestaShop installation wizard. Follow the on-screen steps to enter your store's information and database details to finalize the installation.
http://example.com
The PrestaShop installation wizard will appear. Follow the steps to set up your store.

Enter your store information and create an admin account:

Enter your database information:

After completing the setup, your store will be ready to use. Log in with the admin account you created and start building your online store!

Summary
Installing PrestaShop on Windows using WSL gives you a complete local ecommerce development environment powered by Ubuntu Linux, Apache, MariaDB, and PHP. This setup lets you build, test, and run your online store directly from your Windows PC using professional web tools.
This guide showed you how to install PrestaShop on Windows using WSL, covering all the essential steps to get your online store running. You learned to set up Ubuntu, install Apache and MariaDB, configure PHP, and complete the PrestaShop setup.
-
- Enabled WSL and Virtual Machine Platform in Windows
-
- Installed Ubuntu 20.04 on your Windows computer
-
- Installed Apache web server to serve your store
-
- Installed MariaDB database to store your store data
-
- Installed PHP and required modules to run PrestaShop
-
- Created a database and user for PrestaShop
-
- Downloaded and installed PrestaShop
-
- Configured Apache to display your PrestaShop store
-
- Completed the PrestaShop installation wizard
Your PrestaShop online store is now ready to use on your Windows computer!
How to install WSL on WSL?
So all we're going to do is click on the Windows start menu. And type in WSL. And as you can see here we can see this WSL run command. So I'm going to click on it.
Is PrestaShop completely free?
PrestaShop is an open-source solution available under the Open Software License (OSL). This means you can download the platform for free, install it on your own hosting, and freely modify the code. The platform offers several product versions: PrestaShop Classic - free version for self-installation, giving full control.
Step 2Turn On Virtual Machine Platform
Turning on the Virtual Machine Platform feature allows Windows to run WSL 2, which is required for better speed and compatibility when running your PrestaShop server. You can enable this feature quickly by running a specific command in PowerShell.
To use WSL 2 for PrestaShop on Windows, you must turn on the Virtual Machine Platform feature. Run this command in PowerShell to enable the required virtualization features.
WSL 2 requires the Virtual Machine Platform feature. This is separate from Hyper-V. Run this command in the same PowerShell window:
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart
For Windows 10 versions older than 2004, you must use the command `wsl --set-default-version 2` to install PrestaShop on WSL. This command ensures compatibility for older operating systems.
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName VirtualMachinePlatform -NoRestart
After running the commands, restart your computer so the changes take effect. If you don't restart, the next command might not work.
After restarting your computer, open PowerShell as administrator again. Then run the command `wsl --set-default-version 2` to set Windows Subsystem for Linux version 2 as the default, which improves performance for Linux applications.
wsl --set-default-version 2
Step 3Install Ubuntu on Windows
Installing Ubuntu on Windows gives you the Linux command line environment required to run your PrestaShop web server and database. You can download Ubuntu directly from the Microsoft Store once your WSL features are turned on.
With WSL 2 set up, the next step is to install Ubuntu from the Windows Store to get the Linux environment needed for PrestaShop. Ubuntu provides essential command-line tools like bash and apt, which are vital for your store's development.
Get Ubuntu 20.04 LTS - Microsoft Store
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS gives you access to Ubuntu Terminal and command line tools like bash, ssh, git, and apt.

Click the "Get" button to install Ubuntu. After installing, you can launch Ubuntu from WSL.
When you first launch Ubuntu, it will ask you to create a user account. This username doesn't need to match your Windows username.
You'll see a prompt like this:
Installing, this may take a few minutes.
Please create a default UNIX user account. The username does not need to match your Windows username.
For more information visit: https://aka.ms/wslusers
Enter new UNIX username: systemuser
New password:
Retype new password:
passwd: password updated successfully
Installation successful!
To run a command as administrator (user "root"), use "sudo <command>".
See "man sudo_root" for details.
Welcome to Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS (GNU/Linux 4.4.0-19041-Microsoft x86_64)
* Documentation: https://help.ubuntu.com
* Management: https://landscape.canonical.com
* Support: https://ubuntu.com/advantage
System information as of Mon Apr 12 17:57:37 CDT 2021
System load: 0.52 Processes: 7
Usage of /home: unknown Users logged in: 0
Memory usage: 26% IPv4 address for eth0: 192.0.2.10
Swap usage: 0%
1 update can be installed immediately.
0 of these updates are security updates.
To see these additional updates run: apt list --upgradable
If you run into problems, try these troubleshooting commands:
wsl --set-default-version 1
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto start
Step 4Install Apache Web Server
Installing Apache web server on your Ubuntu system allows your computer to deliver PrestaShop website pages to web browsers. You can install Apache easily by running a couple of update and install commands in your Ubuntu terminal.
PrestaShop requires a web server to work, so you need to install Apache on your Ubuntu system using a specific command. Apache (the web server software) delivers your website files to browsers.
Apache is a popular web server software that delivers websites to browsers. PrestaShop needs Apache to work. Run the following commands to install Apache on Ubuntu:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2
After installing, you can use these commands to control Apache:
sudo service apache2 stop
sudo service apache2 start
sudo service apache2 restart
To check that Apache is working, open your web browser and go to:
http://localhost
You should see an Apache test page.

Step 5Install MariaDB Database Server
Installing MariaDB database server gives PrestaShop a secure place to store all your store data, including products, orders, and customer details. MariaDB is a free, open-source database system that runs smoothly inside your Ubuntu Linux environment.
Your PrestaShop store needs a database to safely store all its information, so installing MariaDB on Ubuntu is the next step. MariaDB is a free database server that manages and stores your store's data effectively, ensuring everything is kept secure.
PrestaShop needs a specific database within MariaDB and a user account to access it. MariaDB, a free, open-source database server that stores and manages data, works well for PrestaShop. Install MariaDB with the `sudo apt install mariadb-server` command.
sudo apt-get install mariadb-server mariadb-client
After installing, you can control MariaDB with these commands:
sudo service mysql stop
sudo service mysql start
sudo service mysql restart
Next, secure your database with a root password by running this command:
sudo mysql_secure_installation
Answer the questions as shown below:
Enter current password for root (enter for none): Press Enter when prompted for the current root password, then press Y and set a strong password.Set root password? [Y/n]: Type YNew password: Enter a passwordRe-enter new password: Repeat the passwordRemove anonymous users? [Y/n]: Type YDisallow root login remotely? [Y/n]: Type YRemove test database and access to it? [Y/n]: Type YReload privilege tables now? [Y/n]: Type Y
To verify MariaDB is working, log in to the database with this command:
sudo mysql -u root -p
Enter your root password when asked. You should see a screen like this:
Welcome to the MariaDB monitor. Commands end with ; or g.
Your MariaDB connection id is 46
Server version: 10.3.29-MariaDB-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 Ubuntu 20.04
Copyright (c) 2000, 2018, Oracle, MariaDB Corporation Ab and others.
Type 'help;' or 'h' for help. Type 'c' to clear the current input statement.
MariaDB [(none)]>
Step 6Install PHP and Modules
Installing PHP and its required modules gives your Ubuntu system the programming language code it needs to run PrestaShop properly. PrestaShop relies on PHP to process data and load pages, so you must install the correct version and supporting extensions.
PHP is the programming language that makes PrestaShop function, so you must install PHP on your Ubuntu system along with the specific modules PHP requires. These modules are essential for PrestaShop to run correctly and perform all its tasks.
PHP is the programming language that makes PrestaShop work on your computer. You must install PHP version 7.2.5 or later, along with the `php-curl`, `php-gd`, `php-mbstring`, and `php-xml` modules, to ensure PrestaShop functions correctly.
sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-imagick php-imap php-json php-ldap php-common php-pgsql php-ssh2 php-sqlite3 php-xml php-mysql php-gmp php-curl php-intl php7.4-mbstring php-xmlrpc php-gd php-xml php-cli php-zip
To check that PHP is installed, run this command:
php -v
You should see something like this:
PHP 7.4.3 (cli) (built: Oct 6 2020 15:47:56) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v3.4.0, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
with Zend OPcache v7.4.3, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies
To test PHP more thoroughly, create a test file. Run this command:
sudo nano /var/www/html/phpinfo.php
Type this content into the file:
<?php phpinfo( ); ?>
Save the file. Restart Apache and then open your browser to:
http://example.com/phpinfo.php
You'll see the PHP information page.

Step 7Create a PrestaShop Database
Creating a PrestaShop database gives your online store a dedicated space inside MariaDB to save all site information. You need to log into MariaDB through your terminal and run a few SQL commands to set up the database and a user account.
PrestaShop requires a specific database within MariaDB and a user account for access. This database stores your store's product and customer information securely.
Now you need to create a database for PrestaShop to use. Log into MariaDB:
sudo mysql -u root -p
Create a database called prestashop:
CREATE DATABASE prestashop;
Create a database user:
CREATE USER 'prestashopuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'new_password_here';
Give that user full access to the PrestaShop database:
GRANT ALL ON prestashop.* TO 'prestashopuser'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION;
Save your changes and exit:
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
Step 8Download PrestaShop
Downloading PrestaShop gets you the official core files needed to build your online store on your local server. You can grab the latest software release directly from the official website using a download link in your terminal.
It's time to download the latest version of PrestaShop, which contains the core files for your online store. You can find the official files on the PrestaShop website to ensure you're using the most current software.
Download the latest version. Check the PrestaShop download page for the newest release.
wget https://assets.prestashop2.com/en/system/files/ps_releases/prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip -P /tmp
unzip prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip
sudo unzip /tmp/prestashop.zip -d /var/www/prestashop
Set the correct permissions for PrestaShop to function properly:
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/prestashop/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/prestashop/
Step 9Set Up the PrestaShop Site Configuration
Setting up the PrestaShop site configuration tells the Apache web server how to handle requests for your online store. You create this custom configuration file inside Apache's settings folder so your browser knows where to find your store files.
You must tell Apache how to display your PrestaShop website by creating a specific configuration file within Apache's settings. This file tells the web server how to handle requests for your PrestaShop store, ensuring it loads correctly.
Create a configuration file for Apache so it knows how to display PrestaShop:
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/prestashop.conf
To install PrestaShop on Windows WSL, copy the provided content into your configuration file. Replace the placeholder "example.com" with your actual domain name, for example, "yourstore.com," to ensure the installation correctly points to your website.
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerAdmin admin@example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/prestashop
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
<Directory /var/www/prestashop/>
Options FollowSymlinks
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
Save the file. Now enable the site by running these commands:
sudo a2ensite prestashop.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
Restart Apache to apply the changes:
sudo service apache2 restart
Step 10Complete the PrestaShop Setup
Completing the PrestaShop setup launches the web-based installation wizard in your browser to finish configuring your online store. You just need to visit your local site address and follow the on-screen steps to connect your database and launch your shop.
To finish setting up your online store, open your web browser and go to your site's address to run the PrestaShop installation wizard. Follow the on-screen steps to enter your store's information and database details to finalize the installation.
http://example.com
The PrestaShop installation wizard will appear. Follow the steps to set up your store.

Enter your store information and create an admin account:

Enter your database information:

After completing the setup, your store will be ready to use. Log in with the admin account you created and start building your online store!

Summary
Installing PrestaShop on Windows using WSL gives you a complete local ecommerce development environment powered by Ubuntu Linux, Apache, MariaDB, and PHP. This setup lets you build, test, and run your online store directly from your Windows PC using professional web tools.
This guide showed you how to install PrestaShop on Windows using WSL, covering all the essential steps to get your online store running. You learned to set up Ubuntu, install Apache and MariaDB, configure PHP, and complete the PrestaShop setup.
-
- Enabled WSL and Virtual Machine Platform in Windows
-
- Installed Ubuntu 20.04 on your Windows computer
-
- Installed Apache web server to serve your store
-
- Installed MariaDB database to store your store data
-
- Installed PHP and required modules to run PrestaShop
-
- Created a database and user for PrestaShop
-
- Downloaded and installed PrestaShop
-
- Configured Apache to display your PrestaShop store
-
- Completed the PrestaShop installation wizard
Your PrestaShop online store is now ready to use on your Windows computer!
How to install WSL on WSL?
So all we're going to do is click on the Windows start menu. And type in WSL. And as you can see here we can see this WSL run command. So I'm going to click on it.
Is PrestaShop completely free?
PrestaShop is an open-source solution available under the Open Software License (OSL). This means you can download the platform for free, install it on your own hosting, and freely modify the code. The platform offers several product versions: PrestaShop Classic - free version for self-installation, giving full control.
Step 1Turn On WSL in Windows
Turning on WSL in Windows prepares your computer to run Linux environments alongside your normal apps. You need to enable this feature using PowerShell with administrator rights before you can download Ubuntu and set up your web server for PrestaShop.
First, enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) feature. Open PowerShell as an administrator to prepare your system for the Linux kernel.
Open the PowerShell terminal as an administrator. Click the Start button and type PowerShell.
Right-click on Windows PowerShell and select "Run as administrator."

When the window opens, run this command:
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
You should see a success message like this:
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.844
Image Version: 10.0.19042.844
Enabling feature(s)
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.
Step 2Turn On Virtual Machine Platform
Turning on the Virtual Machine Platform feature allows Windows to run WSL 2, which is required for better speed and compatibility when running your PrestaShop server. You can enable this feature quickly by running a specific command in PowerShell.
To use WSL 2 for PrestaShop on Windows, you must turn on the Virtual Machine Platform feature. Run this command in PowerShell to enable the required virtualization features.
WSL 2 requires the Virtual Machine Platform feature. This is separate from Hyper-V. Run this command in the same PowerShell window:
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart
For Windows 10 versions older than 2004, you must use the command `wsl --set-default-version 2` to install PrestaShop on WSL. This command ensures compatibility for older operating systems.
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName VirtualMachinePlatform -NoRestart
After running the commands, restart your computer so the changes take effect. If you don't restart, the next command might not work.
After restarting your computer, open PowerShell as administrator again. Then run the command `wsl --set-default-version 2` to set Windows Subsystem for Linux version 2 as the default, which improves performance for Linux applications.
wsl --set-default-version 2
Step 3Install Ubuntu on Windows
Installing Ubuntu on Windows gives you the Linux command line environment required to run your PrestaShop web server and database. You can download Ubuntu directly from the Microsoft Store once your WSL features are turned on.
With WSL 2 set up, the next step is to install Ubuntu from the Windows Store to get the Linux environment needed for PrestaShop. Ubuntu provides essential command-line tools like bash and apt, which are vital for your store's development.
Get Ubuntu 20.04 LTS - Microsoft Store
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS gives you access to Ubuntu Terminal and command line tools like bash, ssh, git, and apt.

Click the "Get" button to install Ubuntu. After installing, you can launch Ubuntu from WSL.
When you first launch Ubuntu, it will ask you to create a user account. This username doesn't need to match your Windows username.
You'll see a prompt like this:
Installing, this may take a few minutes.
Please create a default UNIX user account. The username does not need to match your Windows username.
For more information visit: https://aka.ms/wslusers
Enter new UNIX username: systemuser
New password:
Retype new password:
passwd: password updated successfully
Installation successful!
To run a command as administrator (user "root"), use "sudo <command>".
See "man sudo_root" for details.
Welcome to Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS (GNU/Linux 4.4.0-19041-Microsoft x86_64)
* Documentation: https://help.ubuntu.com
* Management: https://landscape.canonical.com
* Support: https://ubuntu.com/advantage
System information as of Mon Apr 12 17:57:37 CDT 2021
System load: 0.52 Processes: 7
Usage of /home: unknown Users logged in: 0
Memory usage: 26% IPv4 address for eth0: 192.0.2.10
Swap usage: 0%
1 update can be installed immediately.
0 of these updates are security updates.
To see these additional updates run: apt list --upgradable
If you run into problems, try these troubleshooting commands:
wsl --set-default-version 1
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto start
Step 4Install Apache Web Server
Installing Apache web server on your Ubuntu system allows your computer to deliver PrestaShop website pages to web browsers. You can install Apache easily by running a couple of update and install commands in your Ubuntu terminal.
PrestaShop requires a web server to work, so you need to install Apache on your Ubuntu system using a specific command. Apache (the web server software) delivers your website files to browsers.
Apache is a popular web server software that delivers websites to browsers. PrestaShop needs Apache to work. Run the following commands to install Apache on Ubuntu:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2
After installing, you can use these commands to control Apache:
sudo service apache2 stop
sudo service apache2 start
sudo service apache2 restart
To check that Apache is working, open your web browser and go to:
http://localhost
You should see an Apache test page.

Step 5Install MariaDB Database Server
Installing MariaDB database server gives PrestaShop a secure place to store all your store data, including products, orders, and customer details. MariaDB is a free, open-source database system that runs smoothly inside your Ubuntu Linux environment.
Your PrestaShop store needs a database to safely store all its information, so installing MariaDB on Ubuntu is the next step. MariaDB is a free database server that manages and stores your store's data effectively, ensuring everything is kept secure.
PrestaShop needs a specific database within MariaDB and a user account to access it. MariaDB, a free, open-source database server that stores and manages data, works well for PrestaShop. Install MariaDB with the `sudo apt install mariadb-server` command.
sudo apt-get install mariadb-server mariadb-client
After installing, you can control MariaDB with these commands:
sudo service mysql stop
sudo service mysql start
sudo service mysql restart
Next, secure your database with a root password by running this command:
sudo mysql_secure_installation
Answer the questions as shown below:
Enter current password for root (enter for none): Press Enter when prompted for the current root password, then press Y and set a strong password.Set root password? [Y/n]: Type YNew password: Enter a passwordRe-enter new password: Repeat the passwordRemove anonymous users? [Y/n]: Type YDisallow root login remotely? [Y/n]: Type YRemove test database and access to it? [Y/n]: Type YReload privilege tables now? [Y/n]: Type Y
To verify MariaDB is working, log in to the database with this command:
sudo mysql -u root -p
Enter your root password when asked. You should see a screen like this:
Welcome to the MariaDB monitor. Commands end with ; or g.
Your MariaDB connection id is 46
Server version: 10.3.29-MariaDB-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 Ubuntu 20.04
Copyright (c) 2000, 2018, Oracle, MariaDB Corporation Ab and others.
Type 'help;' or 'h' for help. Type 'c' to clear the current input statement.
MariaDB [(none)]>
Step 6Install PHP and Modules
Installing PHP and its required modules gives your Ubuntu system the programming language code it needs to run PrestaShop properly. PrestaShop relies on PHP to process data and load pages, so you must install the correct version and supporting extensions.
PHP is the programming language that makes PrestaShop function, so you must install PHP on your Ubuntu system along with the specific modules PHP requires. These modules are essential for PrestaShop to run correctly and perform all its tasks.
PHP is the programming language that makes PrestaShop work on your computer. You must install PHP version 7.2.5 or later, along with the `php-curl`, `php-gd`, `php-mbstring`, and `php-xml` modules, to ensure PrestaShop functions correctly.
sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-imagick php-imap php-json php-ldap php-common php-pgsql php-ssh2 php-sqlite3 php-xml php-mysql php-gmp php-curl php-intl php7.4-mbstring php-xmlrpc php-gd php-xml php-cli php-zip
To check that PHP is installed, run this command:
php -v
You should see something like this:
PHP 7.4.3 (cli) (built: Oct 6 2020 15:47:56) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v3.4.0, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
with Zend OPcache v7.4.3, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies
To test PHP more thoroughly, create a test file. Run this command:
sudo nano /var/www/html/phpinfo.php
Type this content into the file:
<?php phpinfo( ); ?>
Save the file. Restart Apache and then open your browser to:
http://example.com/phpinfo.php
You'll see the PHP information page.

Step 7Create a PrestaShop Database
Creating a PrestaShop database gives your online store a dedicated space inside MariaDB to save all site information. You need to log into MariaDB through your terminal and run a few SQL commands to set up the database and a user account.
PrestaShop requires a specific database within MariaDB and a user account for access. This database stores your store's product and customer information securely.
Now you need to create a database for PrestaShop to use. Log into MariaDB:
sudo mysql -u root -p
Create a database called prestashop:
CREATE DATABASE prestashop;
Create a database user:
CREATE USER 'prestashopuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'new_password_here';
Give that user full access to the PrestaShop database:
GRANT ALL ON prestashop.* TO 'prestashopuser'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION;
Save your changes and exit:
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
Step 8Download PrestaShop
Downloading PrestaShop gets you the official core files needed to build your online store on your local server. You can grab the latest software release directly from the official website using a download link in your terminal.
It's time to download the latest version of PrestaShop, which contains the core files for your online store. You can find the official files on the PrestaShop website to ensure you're using the most current software.
Download the latest version. Check the PrestaShop download page for the newest release.
wget https://assets.prestashop2.com/en/system/files/ps_releases/prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip -P /tmp
unzip prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip
sudo unzip /tmp/prestashop.zip -d /var/www/prestashop
Set the correct permissions for PrestaShop to function properly:
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/prestashop/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/prestashop/
Step 9Set Up the PrestaShop Site Configuration
Setting up the PrestaShop site configuration tells the Apache web server how to handle requests for your online store. You create this custom configuration file inside Apache's settings folder so your browser knows where to find your store files.
You must tell Apache how to display your PrestaShop website by creating a specific configuration file within Apache's settings. This file tells the web server how to handle requests for your PrestaShop store, ensuring it loads correctly.
Create a configuration file for Apache so it knows how to display PrestaShop:
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/prestashop.conf
To install PrestaShop on Windows WSL, copy the provided content into your configuration file. Replace the placeholder "example.com" with your actual domain name, for example, "yourstore.com," to ensure the installation correctly points to your website.
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerAdmin admin@example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/prestashop
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
<Directory /var/www/prestashop/>
Options FollowSymlinks
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
Save the file. Now enable the site by running these commands:
sudo a2ensite prestashop.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
Restart Apache to apply the changes:
sudo service apache2 restart
Step 10Complete the PrestaShop Setup
Completing the PrestaShop setup launches the web-based installation wizard in your browser to finish configuring your online store. You just need to visit your local site address and follow the on-screen steps to connect your database and launch your shop.
To finish setting up your online store, open your web browser and go to your site's address to run the PrestaShop installation wizard. Follow the on-screen steps to enter your store's information and database details to finalize the installation.
http://example.com
The PrestaShop installation wizard will appear. Follow the steps to set up your store.

Enter your store information and create an admin account:

Enter your database information:

After completing the setup, your store will be ready to use. Log in with the admin account you created and start building your online store!

Summary
Installing PrestaShop on Windows using WSL gives you a complete local ecommerce development environment powered by Ubuntu Linux, Apache, MariaDB, and PHP. This setup lets you build, test, and run your online store directly from your Windows PC using professional web tools.
This guide showed you how to install PrestaShop on Windows using WSL, covering all the essential steps to get your online store running. You learned to set up Ubuntu, install Apache and MariaDB, configure PHP, and complete the PrestaShop setup.
-
- Enabled WSL and Virtual Machine Platform in Windows
-
- Installed Ubuntu 20.04 on your Windows computer
-
- Installed Apache web server to serve your store
-
- Installed MariaDB database to store your store data
-
- Installed PHP and required modules to run PrestaShop
-
- Created a database and user for PrestaShop
-
- Downloaded and installed PrestaShop
-
- Configured Apache to display your PrestaShop store
-
- Completed the PrestaShop installation wizard
Your PrestaShop online store is now ready to use on your Windows computer!
How to install WSL on WSL?
So all we're going to do is click on the Windows start menu. And type in WSL. And as you can see here we can see this WSL run command. So I'm going to click on it.
Is PrestaShop completely free?
PrestaShop is an open-source solution available under the Open Software License (OSL). This means you can download the platform for free, install it on your own hosting, and freely modify the code. The platform offers several product versions: PrestaShop Classic - free version for self-installation, giving full control.
PrestaShop on WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) lets you run a local online store on Windows 10 and 11 without messing up your main system. WSL runs a real Linux environment directly inside Windows so you can test your shop safely before putting it on a live web server.
Install PrestaShop on Windows WSL by enabling the Windows Subsystem for Linux and Virtual Machine Platform features via PowerShell. Then, install Ubuntu from the Microsoft Store and create a user account. Finally, install PrestaShop within your Ubuntu environment.
This setup uses WSL 2, the version that includes a full Linux kernel for faster speeds and better file compatibility. You get a private sandbox on your computer to build and fix your store before anyone else sees it.
- First, turn on WSL and Virtual Machine Platform in Windows using PowerShell commands, then restart your computer and set WSL 2 as default.
- Install Ubuntu from the Microsoft Store and create a user account when you first launch it.
- In the Ubuntu terminal, install the Apache web server using
sudo apt updateandsudo apt install apache2. - Install MariaDB, the database server, by running
sudo apt-get install mariadb-server mariadb-clientand then secure it withsudo mysql_secure_installation. - Install PHP and necessary modules with
sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-imagick php-imap php-json php-ldap php-common php-pgsql php-ssh2 php-sqlite3 php-xml php-mysql php-gmp php-curl php-intl php7.4-mbstring php-xmlrpc php-gd php-xml php-cli php-zip. - Create a database and user for PrestaShop within MariaDB by logging in and running specific SQL commands.
- Download the latest PrestaShop ZIP file, unzip it into your web server's directory (like
/var/www/prestashop), and set the correct file permissions. - Configure Apache to host your PrestaShop site by creating a virtual host file and enabling it, then restart Apache.
- Open your web browser and go to
http://localhostto run the PrestaShop installation wizard and finish setting up your store.
Why Install PrestaShop on Windows WSL?
Installing PrestaShop on Windows using WSL lets you run a full Linux environment directly on your PC to build and test your online store. This setup gives you access to powerful Linux tools for development while keeping your workflow inside Windows, ensuring better performance and compatibility for your ecommerce site.
Installing PrestaShop on Windows using WSL lets you run a full Linux system on your PC to build your online store. This setup gives you access to powerful Linux tools for development and greater control over how your online store is configured and performs.
WSL lets you run a full Linux operating system right on your Windows PC. This opens up powerful Linux tools for developing and running your online store. WSL 2 also boosts performance and integrates better with Linux system calls, making it an excellent choice for running Linux on Windows.
What You Need
Make sure your computer can run WSL 2 before starting. You'll need Windows 10 version 2004 or newer.
Step 1Turn On WSL in Windows
Turning on WSL in Windows prepares your computer to run Linux environments alongside your normal apps. You need to enable this feature using PowerShell with administrator rights before you can download Ubuntu and set up your web server for PrestaShop.
First, enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) feature. Open PowerShell as an administrator to prepare your system for the Linux kernel.
Open the PowerShell terminal as an administrator. Click the Start button and type PowerShell.
Right-click on Windows PowerShell and select "Run as administrator."

When the window opens, run this command:
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
You should see a success message like this:
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.844
Image Version: 10.0.19042.844
Enabling feature(s)
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.
Step 2Turn On Virtual Machine Platform
Turning on the Virtual Machine Platform feature allows Windows to run WSL 2, which is required for better speed and compatibility when running your PrestaShop server. You can enable this feature quickly by running a specific command in PowerShell.
To use WSL 2 for PrestaShop on Windows, you must turn on the Virtual Machine Platform feature. Run this command in PowerShell to enable the required virtualization features.
WSL 2 requires the Virtual Machine Platform feature. This is separate from Hyper-V. Run this command in the same PowerShell window:
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart
For Windows 10 versions older than 2004, you must use the command `wsl --set-default-version 2` to install PrestaShop on WSL. This command ensures compatibility for older operating systems.
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName VirtualMachinePlatform -NoRestart
After running the commands, restart your computer so the changes take effect. If you don't restart, the next command might not work.
After restarting your computer, open PowerShell as administrator again. Then run the command `wsl --set-default-version 2` to set Windows Subsystem for Linux version 2 as the default, which improves performance for Linux applications.
wsl --set-default-version 2
Step 3Install Ubuntu on Windows
Installing Ubuntu on Windows gives you the Linux command line environment required to run your PrestaShop web server and database. You can download Ubuntu directly from the Microsoft Store once your WSL features are turned on.
With WSL 2 set up, the next step is to install Ubuntu from the Windows Store to get the Linux environment needed for PrestaShop. Ubuntu provides essential command-line tools like bash and apt, which are vital for your store's development.
Get Ubuntu 20.04 LTS - Microsoft Store
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS gives you access to Ubuntu Terminal and command line tools like bash, ssh, git, and apt.

Click the "Get" button to install Ubuntu. After installing, you can launch Ubuntu from WSL.
When you first launch Ubuntu, it will ask you to create a user account. This username doesn't need to match your Windows username.
You'll see a prompt like this:
Installing, this may take a few minutes.
Please create a default UNIX user account. The username does not need to match your Windows username.
For more information visit: https://aka.ms/wslusers
Enter new UNIX username: systemuser
New password:
Retype new password:
passwd: password updated successfully
Installation successful!
To run a command as administrator (user "root"), use "sudo <command>".
See "man sudo_root" for details.
Welcome to Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS (GNU/Linux 4.4.0-19041-Microsoft x86_64)
* Documentation: https://help.ubuntu.com
* Management: https://landscape.canonical.com
* Support: https://ubuntu.com/advantage
System information as of Mon Apr 12 17:57:37 CDT 2021
System load: 0.52 Processes: 7
Usage of /home: unknown Users logged in: 0
Memory usage: 26% IPv4 address for eth0: 192.0.2.10
Swap usage: 0%
1 update can be installed immediately.
0 of these updates are security updates.
To see these additional updates run: apt list --upgradable
If you run into problems, try these troubleshooting commands:
wsl --set-default-version 1
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto start
Step 4Install Apache Web Server
Installing Apache web server on your Ubuntu system allows your computer to deliver PrestaShop website pages to web browsers. You can install Apache easily by running a couple of update and install commands in your Ubuntu terminal.
PrestaShop requires a web server to work, so you need to install Apache on your Ubuntu system using a specific command. Apache (the web server software) delivers your website files to browsers.
Apache is a popular web server software that delivers websites to browsers. PrestaShop needs Apache to work. Run the following commands to install Apache on Ubuntu:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2
After installing, you can use these commands to control Apache:
sudo service apache2 stop
sudo service apache2 start
sudo service apache2 restart
To check that Apache is working, open your web browser and go to:
http://localhost
You should see an Apache test page.

Step 5Install MariaDB Database Server
Installing MariaDB database server gives PrestaShop a secure place to store all your store data, including products, orders, and customer details. MariaDB is a free, open-source database system that runs smoothly inside your Ubuntu Linux environment.
Your PrestaShop store needs a database to safely store all its information, so installing MariaDB on Ubuntu is the next step. MariaDB is a free database server that manages and stores your store's data effectively, ensuring everything is kept secure.
PrestaShop needs a specific database within MariaDB and a user account to access it. MariaDB, a free, open-source database server that stores and manages data, works well for PrestaShop. Install MariaDB with the `sudo apt install mariadb-server` command.
sudo apt-get install mariadb-server mariadb-client
After installing, you can control MariaDB with these commands:
sudo service mysql stop
sudo service mysql start
sudo service mysql restart
Next, secure your database with a root password by running this command:
sudo mysql_secure_installation
Answer the questions as shown below:
Enter current password for root (enter for none): Press Enter when prompted for the current root password, then press Y and set a strong password.Set root password? [Y/n]: Type YNew password: Enter a passwordRe-enter new password: Repeat the passwordRemove anonymous users? [Y/n]: Type YDisallow root login remotely? [Y/n]: Type YRemove test database and access to it? [Y/n]: Type YReload privilege tables now? [Y/n]: Type Y
To verify MariaDB is working, log in to the database with this command:
sudo mysql -u root -p
Enter your root password when asked. You should see a screen like this:
Welcome to the MariaDB monitor. Commands end with ; or g.
Your MariaDB connection id is 46
Server version: 10.3.29-MariaDB-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 Ubuntu 20.04
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Step 6Install PHP and Modules
Installing PHP and its required modules gives your Ubuntu system the programming language code it needs to run PrestaShop properly. PrestaShop relies on PHP to process data and load pages, so you must install the correct version and supporting extensions.
PHP is the programming language that makes PrestaShop function, so you must install PHP on your Ubuntu system along with the specific modules PHP requires. These modules are essential for PrestaShop to run correctly and perform all its tasks.
PHP is the programming language that makes PrestaShop work on your computer. You must install PHP version 7.2.5 or later, along with the `php-curl`, `php-gd`, `php-mbstring`, and `php-xml` modules, to ensure PrestaShop functions correctly.
sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-imagick php-imap php-json php-ldap php-common php-pgsql php-ssh2 php-sqlite3 php-xml php-mysql php-gmp php-curl php-intl php7.4-mbstring php-xmlrpc php-gd php-xml php-cli php-zip
To check that PHP is installed, run this command:
php -v
You should see something like this:
PHP 7.4.3 (cli) (built: Oct 6 2020 15:47:56) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v3.4.0, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
with Zend OPcache v7.4.3, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies
To test PHP more thoroughly, create a test file. Run this command:
sudo nano /var/www/html/phpinfo.php
Type this content into the file:
<?php phpinfo( ); ?>
Save the file. Restart Apache and then open your browser to:
http://example.com/phpinfo.php
You'll see the PHP information page.

Step 7Create a PrestaShop Database
Creating a PrestaShop database gives your online store a dedicated space inside MariaDB to save all site information. You need to log into MariaDB through your terminal and run a few SQL commands to set up the database and a user account.
PrestaShop requires a specific database within MariaDB and a user account for access. This database stores your store's product and customer information securely.
Now you need to create a database for PrestaShop to use. Log into MariaDB:
sudo mysql -u root -p
Create a database called prestashop:
CREATE DATABASE prestashop;
Create a database user:
CREATE USER 'prestashopuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'new_password_here';
Give that user full access to the PrestaShop database:
GRANT ALL ON prestashop.* TO 'prestashopuser'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION;
Save your changes and exit:
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
Step 8Download PrestaShop
Downloading PrestaShop gets you the official core files needed to build your online store on your local server. You can grab the latest software release directly from the official website using a download link in your terminal.
It's time to download the latest version of PrestaShop, which contains the core files for your online store. You can find the official files on the PrestaShop website to ensure you're using the most current software.
Download the latest version. Check the PrestaShop download page for the newest release.
wget https://assets.prestashop2.com/en/system/files/ps_releases/prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip -P /tmp
unzip prestashop_1.7.7.4.zip
sudo unzip /tmp/prestashop.zip -d /var/www/prestashop
Set the correct permissions for PrestaShop to function properly:
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/prestashop/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/prestashop/
Step 9Set Up the PrestaShop Site Configuration
Setting up the PrestaShop site configuration tells the Apache web server how to handle requests for your online store. You create this custom configuration file inside Apache's settings folder so your browser knows where to find your store files.
You must tell Apache how to display your PrestaShop website by creating a specific configuration file within Apache's settings. This file tells the web server how to handle requests for your PrestaShop store, ensuring it loads correctly.
Create a configuration file for Apache so it knows how to display PrestaShop:
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/prestashop.conf
To install PrestaShop on Windows WSL, copy the provided content into your configuration file. Replace the placeholder "example.com" with your actual domain name, for example, "yourstore.com," to ensure the installation correctly points to your website.
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerAdmin admin@example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/prestashop
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
<Directory /var/www/prestashop/>
Options FollowSymlinks
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
Save the file. Now enable the site by running these commands:
sudo a2ensite prestashop.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
Restart Apache to apply the changes:
sudo service apache2 restart
Step 10Complete the PrestaShop Setup
Completing the PrestaShop setup launches the web-based installation wizard in your browser to finish configuring your online store. You just need to visit your local site address and follow the on-screen steps to connect your database and launch your shop.
To finish setting up your online store, open your web browser and go to your site's address to run the PrestaShop installation wizard. Follow the on-screen steps to enter your store's information and database details to finalize the installation.
http://example.com
The PrestaShop installation wizard will appear. Follow the steps to set up your store.

Enter your store information and create an admin account:

Enter your database information:

After completing the setup, your store will be ready to use. Log in with the admin account you created and start building your online store!

Summary
Installing PrestaShop on Windows using WSL gives you a complete local ecommerce development environment powered by Ubuntu Linux, Apache, MariaDB, and PHP. This setup lets you build, test, and run your online store directly from your Windows PC using professional web tools.
This guide showed you how to install PrestaShop on Windows using WSL, covering all the essential steps to get your online store running. You learned to set up Ubuntu, install Apache and MariaDB, configure PHP, and complete the PrestaShop setup.
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- Enabled WSL and Virtual Machine Platform in Windows
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- Installed Ubuntu 20.04 on your Windows computer
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- Installed Apache web server to serve your store
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- Installed MariaDB database to store your store data
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- Installed PHP and required modules to run PrestaShop
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- Created a database and user for PrestaShop
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- Downloaded and installed PrestaShop
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- Configured Apache to display your PrestaShop store
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- Completed the PrestaShop installation wizard
Your PrestaShop online store is now ready to use on your Windows computer!
How to install WSL on WSL?
So all we're going to do is click on the Windows start menu. And type in WSL. And as you can see here we can see this WSL run command. So I'm going to click on it.
Is PrestaShop completely free?
PrestaShop is an open-source solution available under the Open Software License (OSL). This means you can download the platform for free, install it on your own hosting, and freely modify the code. The platform offers several product versions: PrestaShop Classic - free version for self-installation, giving full control.
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