Podman Desktop setup failed on requirement check: WSL version should be >= 1.2.5.

[ermasavior]

Bug description

I tried to install Podman Desktop on my Windows 11 machine. I have enabled Virtualization and WSL2, yet it is failed at WSL version check. I've made sure that WSL2 is installed (wsl version check provided below).

Operating system

Windows 11

Installation Method

Installer from website/GitHub releases

Version

1.5.0

Steps to reproduce

1. Download podman desktop from the official website: https://podman-desktop.io/downloads
2. Install Podman Desktop

Relevant log output

❌ WSL Version

Details:
WSL version should be >= 1.2.5.

Additional context

> wsl --status
Default Distribution: Ubuntu-22.04
Default Version: 2

Windows Subsystem for Linux was last updated on 11/23/2023
WSL automatic updates are on.

Kernel version: 5.10.16

[lstocchi]

Hi @ermasavior, which is the output of wsl --version?

[ermasavior]

@lstocchi it is detected as invalid command. perhaps the command has been deprecated?

what was the expected output of wsl --version?

> wsl --version
Invalid command line option: --version
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Usage: wsl.exe [Argument] [Options...] [CommandLine]

Arguments for running Linux binaries:

    If no command line is provided, wsl.exe launches the default shell.

    --exec, -e <CommandLine>
        Execute the specified command without using the default Linux shell.

    --
        Pass the remaining command line as is.
...
<truncated>

[lstocchi]

@ermasavior no i'm currectly using the latest release and it works fine, at least you're not using the pre-release 2.0.11 and something doesn't work.

Which is the output of wsl -l -v? Can you try to run wsl --update? You could also try wsl --update --web-download which should install wsl by fetching the latest gh release https://github.com/microsoft/WSL/releases

[jeffmaury]

Which edition of Windows are you on ?

[ermasavior]

here is my wsl version @lstocchi i've tried to update yet still got invalid command for --version.

> wsl -l -v
  NAME            STATE           VERSION
* Ubuntu-22.04    Running         2

and below is my windows specification @jeffmaury

Edition	Windows 11 Enterprise
Version	22H2
Installed on	‎9/‎26/‎2023
OS build	22621.2428
Experience	Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22674.1000.0

[jeffmaury]

Seems to be similar to the Windows Server

[lstocchi]

@ermasavior in the meantime you can manually download and install podman from https://github.com/containers/podman/releases/download/v4.7.2/podman-4.7.2-setup.exe

[Samge0]

@ermasavior in the meantime you can manually download and install podman from https://github.com/containers/podman/releases/download/v4.7.2/podman-4.7.2-setup.exe

it work for me

[DotSlashChris]

I had this same problem and wsl --update from a command prompt running as an administrator fixed my problem.

[iGwkang]

Windows 10 Version 22H2 19045.3758 I installed https://github.com/microsoft/WSL/releases/download/2.0.9/wsl.2.0.9.0.x64.msi wsl --version shows that the wsl version is 2.0.9 But docker desktop still displays "WSL version should be >= 1.2.5. Call 'wsl --version' in a terminal to check your wsl version." This problem has been torturing me for a few days. No matter how I uninstall and reinstall, docker desktop still detects "WSL version should be >= 1.2.5."

This bug makes me very autistic ! please help me ! @cdrage @jeffmaury

[benoitf]

@iGwkang could you try with a nightly version ( go to releases page on GitHub) There was a problem on non UTF-8 systems

Could you give a try ?

[iGwkang]

@benoitf Thank you for your prompt reply, I solved it using the nightly version! https://github.com/containers/podman-desktop/releases/tag/v0.0.202312011523-0a24489 Hope that a release version can be released as soon as possible.

[benoitf]

1.6 should come this week

[rajeshja]

I tried this and it continues to be broken on Windows 10 with: Podman v1.5.3 Podman v1.6.1 (commit 410f91d) Podman 0.0.202312140926-fb9cb6e

The same error as above occurs: Failed: WSL version should be 1.2.5 Passed: WSL2

Installing podman separately worked with v1.5.3.

Also note that wsl --version no longer seems to be a valid command. But wsl -l -v shows Ubuntu (which I've installed separately) running on WSL 2.

[jeffmaury]

On which edition of Windows are you ?

[lstocchi]

if you get back help text with wsl --version that means its using the older built in variant of wsl. To fix that you just do wsl --update. Just tried with the latest 2.0.14 and wsl --version works fine

[gerroon]

I still have the issue. wsl --version just prints the help for me. I am on Windows 10. As you can see WSL2 works perfectly for me. The nightly did not fixt it for me.

wsl --update
Checking for updates...
No updates are available.
Kernel version: 5.10.102.1

wsl -l -v
  NAME      STATE           VERSION
* Ubuntu    Stopped         2
  Mint      Stopped         2
  Debian    Stopped         2

[iGwkang]

@gerroon 1.6.3 version has been resolved and my environment is now normal.

[mikepictor]

I'm on 1.64, and I am getting the exact issue reported by others here, wsl --update says there is no update available, wsl --version just prints the wsl help, wsl -l -v shows

  NAME      STATE           VERSION
* Ubuntu    Stopped         2

[dan-hansen]

I had this issue and resolved by running 'podman machine stop podman-machine-default' then 'podman machine rm podman-machine-default' then 'podman machine init podman-machine-default'. I was then able to start successfully.

[ivanlemeshev]

I had the same problem. Running the command wsl --update fixed that issue.

[notapirate]

I had same issue until now on Windows 10 Podman for Desktop 1.7.1 WSL-Version 2.0.14.0

When I ran wsl --version in a normal command shell, I got the 'Invalid command' error. When I ran wsl --version in an administrator shell, it showed the requested versions.

I just ran wsl --update in a normal shell, a small update was installed, and tried the above commands again, and then it worked. Unfortunately the displayed versions are all still the same.

[ratondeau]

Same issue here:

WSL version should be >= 1.2.5. Call 'wsl --version' in a terminal to check your wsl version.

---

OS: Microsoft Windows 10 EP on VM Version: 10.0.19045 Build 19045

Error appears if I try to install Podman Desktop 1.8.0.

wsl --status Standardversion 2 (last update 2024-03-28) Kernel-Version: 5.10.16

wsl --updates gives me a fatal error, probably because I am behind a proxy and need to do an offline update or it comes with the automatic windows updates.

wsl --version does not work at all. Parameter is not known.

[guban]

I had this problem. I tried wsl --update, but the problem persisted. Then, I tried installing"Windows Subsystem for Linux" from Microsoft Store, but that did not help either. Then, I opened Settings/Windows Updates, clicked "View optional updates" and installed all of them. This updated my OS build to 19045.4239 (Windows 10 Enterprise), and the problem disappeared.

[mjmenger]

@ermasavior no i'm currectly using the latest release and it works fine, at least you're not using the pre-release 2.0.11 and something doesn't work.

Which is the output of wsl -l -v? Can you try to run wsl --update? You could also try wsl --update --web-download which should install wsl by fetching the latest gh release https://github.com/microsoft/WSL/releases

wsl --update worked for me!

[xiebaowang-boss]

@ermasavior in the meantime you can manually download and install podman from https://github.com/containers/podman/releases/download/v4.7.2/podman-4.7.2-setup.exe

It's work for me!!!Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

[bouncingjack]

wsl --update worked for me too. wsl --version was not an available option before that.

[glassm]

Thank you, Updating WSL worked for me