The whole WSL thing where you are supposed to be able to run linux on windows is, every single time I have ever tried it, on every single different machine ever over the last few years, just a complete and utter failure disaster freaking joke poop show.

I cannot fathom why anybody would want to try to use anything non-Windows on Windows. Like, this is just the basic stuff, don't even get me started on the whole Docker on Windows debacle.

It really is - ha ha, I am holding my gut - funny when trying to run "wsl" just hangs like the halting problem with no feedback at all. The S.O. solution is to "super mega HARD reboot (using the power of the SHIFT key)" your machine... so I did that and sure enough it fixed the problem of "wsl" just hanging with no feedback until the heat death of the universe!

Because now what I get is such a vast improvement of user experience! Drum roll:

PS C:\Users\xyzpdq> wsl

Unspecified error

(and yes, there was like a 3 second pause between hitting Enter and getting the "result".)