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Version: 0.5.0 (Latest)

Windows Installation Guide

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

  • Operating System: Windows 11
  • Memory: 8GB RAM minimum (16GB+ recommended)
  • GPU: NVIDIA 50 series and Intel Arc Supported (requires drivers)
  • Storage: 20GB free disk space
  • Architecture: x64 (64-bit) processor
  • Administrator Access: Required for initial setup
  • Memory: 32GB+ RAM for large workloads
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX series or Intel Arc GPU (for hardware acceleration)
  • Storage: SSD with 50GB+ free space

Prerequisites Setup

Step 1: Enable WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)

If WSL is not already installed on your system:

  1. Open PowerShell as Administrator
    • Right-click Start button → "Windows PowerShell (Admin)"
  2. Install WSL
    wsl --install
  3. Restart your computer when prompted
  4. Verify WSL installation
    wsl --version

Step 2: Install Ubuntu 24.04 WSL Distribution

  1. Create directory for WSL distribution

    mkdir C:\WSL\Ubuntu24.04
  2. Download Ubuntu 24.04 WSL image

    Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/wsl/releases/24.04/current/ubuntu-noble-wsl-amd64-wsl.rootfs.tar.gz" -OutFile "C:\WSL\ubuntu-24.04.tar.gz"
  3. Import the distribution

    wsl --import Ubuntu-24.04 C:\WSL\Ubuntu24.04 C:\WSL\ubuntu-24.04.tar.gz --version 2

    Note: If the Ubuntu-24.04 distribution already exists, skip to Step 3.

Step 3: Verify GPU Access (If Applicable)

Ensure your Ubuntu 24.04 WSL distribution has GPU access:

For NVIDIA GPUs:

wsl -d Ubuntu-24.04
nvidia-smi

For Intel Arc GPUs:

wsl -d Ubuntu-24.04
clinfo | grep GPU

Note: Kamiwaza currently supports only NVIDIA GPUs and Intel Arc GPUs for hardware acceleration. For Intel Arc GPU setup instructions, please refer to the separate Intel Arc WSL GPU virtualization documentation.

Download from Microsoft Store or GitHub releases

Download and Installation

Step 1: Download Kamiwaza Installer

Contact your Kamiwaza representative to obtain the installer download link or file:

  • File: KamiwazaInstaller-[version]-[arch].msi
  • Size: Approximately 150-300MB

Step 2: Run the Installer

  1. Locate the downloaded MSI file in your Downloads folder
  2. Left click to run and follow the installation wizard

Configuration Options:

  • Email Address: Your registered email address
  • License Key: Provided by Kamiwaza support
  • Installation Mode:
    • Lite - Basic installation (recommended for most users)
    • Full - Complete installation with all features
  • Dedicated Memory: Select RAM allocation for Kamiwaza
    • Recommended: 50%-75% of total system RAM
    • Example: 16GB system → Select 12GB allocation

Step 3: Installation Process

The installer will automatically:

  • Detect your existing Ubuntu-24.04 WSL distribution
  • Reserve network ports (61100-61299)
  • Detect GPU hardware (NVIDIA RTX, Intel Arc only)
  • Configure WSL environment with optimized settings
  • Install Kamiwaza platform in dedicated WSL instance
  • Setup GPU acceleration (if compatible hardware detected)

Expected Installation Time:

  • Standard Installation: 15-30 minutes
  • First-time WSL Setup: Add 10-15 minutes
  • Large Package Downloads: May take longer on slower connections

Step 4: GPU Driver Restart (If Applicable)

If GPU acceleration was configured, you'll be prompted:

=== SYSTEM RESTART RECOMMENDED ===
Would you like to restart your computer now? (y/N):
  • Recommended: Type y and press Enter to restart
  • Alternative: Type n to restart manually later

Access Your Installation

Option 1: WSL Command Line Access (Primary Method)

Access the Kamiwaza WSL environment and start the platform:

wsl -d kamiwaza
kamiwaza start

Option 2: Start Menu Shortcuts

After installation, find these shortcuts in Start Menu → "Kamiwaza":

  • Install Kamiwaza - Initial setup and installation
  • Start Platform - Launch Kamiwaza platform
  • Cleanup WSL - Complete removal tool

Option 3: Direct Browser Access

Once running, access Kamiwaza at:

  • URL: https://localhost

Platform Management

Basic Commands

From PowerShell or Command Prompt:

# Start Kamiwaza
wsl -d kamiwaza -- kamiwaza start

# Stop Kamiwaza
wsl -d kamiwaza -- kamiwaza stop

# Restart Kamiwaza
wsl -d kamiwaza -- kamiwaza restart

# Check status
wsl -d kamiwaza -- kamiwaza status

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Installation Fails with "WSL not found"

  • Ensure WSL is installed: wsl --install
  • Restart computer after WSL installation
  • Verify with: wsl --version

Ubuntu-24.04 Distribution Not Found

  • Verify the distribution was imported correctly
  • Check existing distributions: wsl --list --verbose
  • Re-run the import command if necessary

Memory Allocation Errors

  • Reduce memory allocation in installer
  • Ensure sufficient free RAM on system
  • Close other memory-intensive applications

GPU Detection Issues

  • Ensure latest GPU drivers are installed
  • Verify WSL2 (not WSL1) is being used: wsl --list --verbose
  • Check Windows version supports GPU passthrough
  • Confirm GPU compatibility (NVIDIA or Intel Arc only)

Network Access Problems

  • Check Windows Firewall settings
  • Verify ports 61100-61299 are available
  • Try accessing https://localhost instead of http://

Getting Help

Check Installation Logs

WSL logs:

wsl -d kamiwaza -- journalctl -t kamiwaza-install

Windows logs:

  • Check Event Viewer → Applications

Installation and other logs should also be located on your Windows device at: C:\Users\[USER]\AppData\Local\Kamiwaza\logs

GPU Status Check

wsl -d kamiwaza -- /usr/local/bin/kamiwaza_gpu_status.sh

Support Contact

Uninstallation

To completely remove Kamiwaza:

Option 1: Use Windows Settings

  1. Settings → Apps → Find "Kamiwaza Installer" → Uninstall

Option 2: Use Start Menu shortcut

  1. Start Menu → Kamiwaza → "Cleanup WSL (Uninstall)"

Option 3: Manual cleanup if needed

wsl --unregister kamiwaza

Version: Compatible with Kamiwaza Installer v0.5.0
Last Updated: August 7th, 2025
Support: Contact our support team