Windows WSL Installation¶

This guide walks you through installing ExtraSuite skills on Windows using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).

Prerequisites¶

1. Windows 10 version 2004+ or Windows 11
2. WSL 2 installed with a Linux distribution (Ubuntu recommended)
3. An AI coding assistant installed within WSL
4. Python 3.8+ installed in your WSL environment

Why Use WSL?¶

WSL provides a native Linux environment on Windows, offering:

• Better compatibility with Linux-based tools
• Same installation process as macOS/Linux
• Better Python virtual environment handling
• Native bash scripting support

Setting Up WSL¶

Install WSL (if not already installed)¶

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

wsl --install

This installs WSL 2 with Ubuntu by default. Restart your computer when prompted.

Verify WSL Installation¶

wsl --list --verbose

You should see your Linux distribution listed with VERSION 2.

Access WSL¶

Click the Start menu and search for "Ubuntu" (or your installed distribution), or run:

wsl

Installation¶

Step 1: Set Up Python in WSL¶

Update packages and install Python:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip python3-venv

Verify installation:

python3 --version

Step 2: Sign In to ExtraSuite¶

1. Open extrasuite.think41.com in your Windows browser
2. Click Sign In or Get Started
3. Authenticate with your Google Workspace account

Step 3: Run the Install Command¶

In your WSL terminal, paste the macOS/Linux install command:

curl -fsSL https://extrasuite.think41.com/api/skills/install/<your-token> | bash

Step 4: Verify Installation¶

Check that the skill was installed:

ls ~/.claude/skills/gsheets/

You should see:

SKILL.md
checks.py
verify_access.py
gsheet_utils.py
requirements.txt

Browser Authentication¶

When the skill needs to authenticate, it will attempt to open a browser. In WSL:

Option 1: Windows Browser Integration¶

If you have wslu installed (default on recent Ubuntu WSL):

sudo apt install wslu

The wslview command will open URLs in your Windows browser automatically.

Option 2: Manual Authentication¶

If browser doesn't open automatically:

1. Copy the URL shown in the terminal
2. Paste it in your Windows browser
3. Complete authentication
4. The callback will work automatically

Option 3: Set Browser Variable¶

export BROWSER=wslview

Add this to your ~/.bashrc for persistence.

Directory Structure¶

In WSL, skills are installed to your Linux home directory:

/home/<your-username>/.claude/skills/gsheets/

This is equivalent to ~/.claude/skills/gsheets/.

Running AI Agents in WSL¶

Claude Code in WSL¶

Install Claude Code in your WSL environment following the Linux instructions. The skill will be automatically available.

VS Code + WSL¶

If you use VS Code with the Remote - WSL extension:

1. Open VS Code
2. Click the green button in the bottom-left corner
3. Select "New WSL Window"
4. The WSL terminal has access to your installed skills

Cursor + WSL¶

Cursor can connect to WSL:

1. Install Cursor on Windows
2. Open a folder in WSL using the Remote - WSL extension
3. Use the integrated terminal for skill operations

Accessing Windows Files¶

Your Windows files are accessible in WSL at:

/mnt/c/Users/<your-windows-username>/

For example, to access your Windows Documents:

cd /mnt/c/Users/YourName/Documents

Troubleshooting¶

curl Not Found¶

Install curl:

sudo apt install curl

Python Virtual Environment Errors¶

Install venv support:

sudo apt install python3-venv

Permission Denied on Scripts¶

Make scripts executable:

chmod +x ~/.claude/skills/gsheets/*.py

Browser Doesn't Open¶

Set the browser variable:

export BROWSER=wslview
# Or use Windows browser directly
export BROWSER="/mnt/c/Program Files/Google/Chrome/Application/chrome.exe"

Network Issues¶

If you're behind a corporate proxy, configure proxy in WSL:

export HTTP_PROXY=http://proxy.company.com:8080
export HTTPS_PROXY=http://proxy.company.com:8080

DNS Resolution Problems¶

If you can't reach external sites, update WSL's DNS:

sudo nano /etc/resolv.conf

Add:

nameserver 8.8.8.8
nameserver 8.8.4.4

Performance Tips¶

Use WSL 2¶

WSL 2 has better performance than WSL 1:

wsl --set-version Ubuntu 2

Keep Files in WSL Filesystem¶

For best performance, keep your projects in the Linux filesystem (~/) rather than /mnt/c/.

Updating the Skill¶

To update to the latest version:

curl -fsSL https://extrasuite.think41.com/api/skills/install/<your-token> | bash

Uninstalling¶

To remove the skill:

rm -rf ~/.claude/skills/gsheets

Next Steps:

• Learn effective prompting techniques
• Understand how to share documents
• Explore the Google Sheets skill reference

Prefer native PowerShell? See the Windows (PowerShell) installation guide.