l2w - Linux to Windows :: THE OFFICIAL HOME PAGE ::

* * l2w - LINUX TO WINDOWS * *

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

*** WELCOME TO THE GREATEST WEBSITE IN THE HISTORY OF COMPUTING *** :: This site has been visited by AT LEAST 7 people :: :: NOW WITH MORE ANIMATED GIFS :: :: Your computer may slow down. This is normal and your fault for visiting. :: :: BEST VIEWED IN NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR 3.0 AT 800x600 :: :: THIS MARQUEE SCROLLS FOREVER AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT ::

!!! WARNING !!!

This page contains animated elements. Your 2003 Pentium 4 running Windows ME will experience performance issues.
WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE. YOU CHOSE TO VISIT.

[ *** ] ABOUT THIS PROGRAM [ *** ]

GREETINGS TRAVELLER AND WELCOME TO MY CORNER OF THE INTERNET.

My name is Andrew and I made this tool because I am lazy. Not regular lazy. SPECIAL lazy. The kind of lazy where instead of spending 10 minutes learning that ls is dir on Windows, I spent several hours writing a translation engine, a test suite, a standalone executable, a website, and an installer.

To be clear: the time I spent building this tool is approximately 400 times longer than it would have taken to just memorise the commands.

I regret nothing.

SITE STATS

Version:	1.0.0 NEW
Commands:	50+
Tests:	38 passing
Platform:	Windows only
Usefulness:	debatable
License:	MIT / FREE

YOU ARE VISITOR NUMBER
0000007
(my mum counts as 3)

THIS SITE CERTIFIED BY:
Nobody. I certified it myself.
It still counts.

NEW! DOWNLOAD FREE!

GOOD NEWS! You do not need Python, Java, .NET, DirectX, QuickTime, RealPlayer, the Macromedia Flash Plugin, the Shockwave Plugin, or a Yahoo Toolbar to run this.

It is ONE FILE. You download it. You run it. It installs itself. Open a new terminal and type Linux commands. That is it.

IT IS THAT EASY AND I CANNOT BELIEVE I HAVE TO SAY THIS

STANDALONE .EXE

No Python required.
No installer wizard.
No "would you like a toolbar?"
No "your computer may be at risk".
Just double-click. Done.

>> DOWNLOAD l2w.exe <<

7MB. Your 56k modem can handle it.
Estimated download time on dial-up: 18 minutes.
Please do not tie up the phone line.

SOURCE CODE

For people who don't trust
random .exe files from the internet.
Very smart. Good instinct.
I respect your caution.
You are right to be suspicious.

>> VIEW ON GITHUB <<

pip install -e .
Yes you need Python for this one.
No, I cannot change that.

[***] HOW TO USE IT [***]

STEP 1: Download the .exe. Double-click it. It installs itself. No wizard. No "next next next agree finish". Just done.

STEP 2: Open a new Command Prompt or PowerShell window.

STEP 3: Type Linux commands. They work now. MAGIC. ACTUAL MAGIC.

  ls -la                   <-- runs: dir /a
  grep -i "error" app.log  <-- runs: findstr /i error app.log
  rm -rf build/            <-- runs: rmdir /s /q build/
  cp -r src/ dest/         <-- runs: xcopy /e /i src/ dest/
  tail -f app.log          <-- runs: Get-Content -Wait

Preview without running (for when you are sweating):

  l2w --dry-run rm -rf everything/

See every supported command:

  l2w --list

*
IT WORKS
I tested it.

STEP 3 IS THE GOOD PART

[=] THE HOLY TRANSLATION TABLE [=]
50+ commands memorised so you don't have to be

Linux (what your hands type by default)	Windows (what actually runs)	Notes from the person who wrote this at 2am
ls	dir	-a for hidden files
cp	copy / xcopy	auto-uses xcopy /e /i when you pass -r
mv	move
rm	del / rmdir	auto-uses rmdir /s /q when you pass -r
mkdir	mkdir	surprisingly the same. one win for consistency.
touch	type nul >	yes this is the real windows command. yes it looks insane.
cat	type	not the animal. the command.
grep	findstr	regex support is... let's say "different"
head	Get-Content -TotalCount N	PowerShell doing the heavy lifting as usual
tail	Get-Content -Tail N	tail -f works with -Wait. yes it streams.
find	dir /s /b
pwd	cd	type cd with no args. it prints the path.
clear	cls	cls is 3 letters vs 5. windows wins this one.
ps	tasklist
kill	taskkill /pid	-9 maps to /f for the really dead kind
killall	taskkill /im	kill by process name
which	where
ifconfig	ipconfig	they added one letter. that is the entire change.
wget	curl -O	windows 10+ has curl now. nobody told me for years.
chmod	icacls	completely different permissions model. good luck.
man	help	it tries its best. it really does try.
sleep	timeout /t N /nobreak	the /nobreak stops users pressing a key to skip it
df	wmic logicaldisk get ...	yes this is the real command. yes i know.
history	doskey /history
uname	ver
whoami	whoami	the one command that is identical. cherish it.
ssh / scp	ssh / scp	windows 10+ has openssh built in
tar	tar	windows 10 build 17063+. yes tar. on windows.

* run l2w --list for the full list. yes there are more. yes i wrote them all out. yes i need a different hobby. *

[ AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS ]

These are completely real awards from completely real organisations.

* * *

BEST LINUX-TO-WINDOWS
TRANSLATOR
(of sites i made)

MOST CREATIVE USE
OF LAZINESS
2026

AUTOMATED SOMETHING
THAT DID NOT NEED
TO BE AUTOMATED

GEOCITIES SPIRIT
AWARD
(self-awarded)

[ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ]

Q: Is this a joke? A: The website is. The tool is real and it works. Q: Why not just use WSL? A: WSL is for people who want to solve the problem correctly. This is for people like me. Q: Does it work on Windows XP? A: No. Please update your computer. It is 2026. Windows XP end of life was 2014. Q: I typed rm -rf / and something bad happened. A: That one is on you. There is a --dry-run flag. It is mentioned several times on this page. Which you did not read. Q: Can I contribute? A: Yes. Pull requests are welcome. Please include tests or I will look at your PR for a long time and then close it. Q: Why does the website look like this? AESTHETIC. Q: Is this maintained? A: Optimistically yes.

[ SIGN MY GUESTBOOK ]

GUESTBOOK

Current entries: 0

Nobody has signed yet.
Please. I am begging you.
My mum does not count.
She does not know what a guestbook is.
She does not know what this website is.
She does not know what a website is.

[ OPEN A GITHUB ISSUE INSTEAD. IT IS THE SAME THING. ]

[ l2w WEBRING ]

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[ COOL LINKS ]

l2w on GitHub - The source code. All of it.
Releases page - Download the .exe. Stop reading and just do it.
Report a bug - If something is wrong it is almost certainly a bug and definitely not user error. (it might be user error.)
WSL - The sensible solution to this exact problem. I chose not to use it.