DDEV Blog: Watch: DDEV from scratch with Windows WSL2

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Want just the 10-minute version of a DDEV WSL2 Install? Check out the New GUI Installer: Get DDEV Running on Windows in Just 10 Minutes for a quicker setup using the GUI installer.

This screencast walks you through setting up a complete DDEV development environment on Windows using WSL2, starting completely from scratch. Whether you're new to DDEV, WSL2, or local development environments in general, this step-by-step guide will get you up and running quickly.

What You'll Learn

DDEV Fundamentals: Understanding what DDEV is and why it's become the go-to solution for local web development. The video explains that DDEV is a Docker-based local development environment aimed at web developers, mostly PHP and Node developers. Key benefits include:

  • Developers can run websites on their local computer with almost no configuration
  • Multiple projects can run simultaneously, each with different configurations
  • Docker handles all the heavy lifting, so you don't even need PHP or Composer or Node on your host computer
  • First-class support across macOS, Linux, Windows, and WSL2 - it works the same on every platform

WSL2 Setup and Benefits: WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux version 2) transforms Windows development by providing a real Linux kernel running alongside Windows. The video covers the key advantages and considerations:

Advantages:

  • Complete Linux environment on your Windows machine - fast and capable
  • Amazingly fast web serving with DDEV/Docker CE
  • You're working with an environment much like the one you'll deploy to

Considerations:

  • Linux on your Windows machine means yet another system to learn and remember
  • Context switches between Windows and WSL2 environments
  • You must work in the WSL2 filesystem rather than Windows filesystem (optimized for web apps, not Microsoft Word)

Complete Installation Process: The video covers every step of the installation process, including:

  • Setting up WSL2 from scratch using the wsl --install command
  • Running the new DDEV Windows installer that automatically configures your distro for Docker CE
  • Understanding why you need to work in the WSL2 file system instead of the Windows NTFS filesystem for optimal performance

Real-World Usage: Beyond just installation, you'll see DDEV in action with:

  • Creating a simple PHP project and launching it with trusted HTTPS certificates
  • Installing Drupal 11 using ddev composer create-project
  • Essential DDEV commands like ddev describe, ddev snapshot, and ddev export-db
  • Advanced IDE integration with both PhpStorm and VS Code, including Xdebug debugging

Professional Development Features: The video demonstrates advanced workflows including:

  • Setting up Xdebug debugging in both PhpStorm and VS Code
  • Working with DDEV projects from within WSL2-integrated IDEs
  • Understanding Docker Desktop vs Docker CE trade-offs for professional development
  • Best practices for file system performance and cross-platform compatibility

This screencast follows the official DDEV WSL2 Installation Docs, but provides additional context, troubleshooting tips, and real-world examples to ensure your success.

Here's the video table of contents (opens on YouTube):

  • Introduction and What is DDEV? (0:00)
  • What is WSL2? (1:56)
  • WSL2 Advantages and Disadvantages (2:50)
  • WSL2 Installation Process (5:30)
  • DDEV Windows Installer and Docker Setup (12:54)
  • Creating a Simple PHP Project (16:14)
  • Creating a Drupal 11 Project with Composer (21:27)
  • Essential DDEV Commands (25:25)
  • PhpStorm Integration and Xdebug Setup (30:38)
  • VS Code Integration and Debugging (39:22)
  • Docker Desktop vs Docker CE Discussion (46:55)
  • What about Traditional Windows? (49:06)
  • Wrap-up and Community Resources (50:12)

Additional Resources

📺 Video Materials

📖 Documentation

💬 Community Support

🔧 Development

Link
https://ddev.com/blog/watch-ddev-local-from-scratch-with-windows-wsl2
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