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# Install cfn-lint on Windows
- URL: https://www.techielass.com/install-cfn-lint-on-windows/
- Published: 2022-05-12T07:01:00.000Z
- Updated: 2023-03-08T21:06:20.000Z
- Description: Join me as I look at how you can install the CFN-LINT tool on your Windows machine.
- Author: Sarah Lean
- Tags: AWS, cfn-lint, Amazon Web Services, AWS CloudFormation, aws cloudformation tutorial, Lint, lint testing

Lint testing your code should be done whether you are writing software or infrastructure code. 

When writing [AWS CloudFormation templates](https://www.techielass.com/create-an-s3-bucket-using-aws-cloudformation), you can use the **cfn-lint** to perform lint testing on your code. 

The cfn-lint tool can validate YAML and JSON templates against the [AWS CloudFormation Resource Specification](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/cfn-resource-specification.html?ref=techielass.com). 

I've been recently trying to upskill on AWS CloudFormation as an Infrastructure as Code (IaC) language and get into good habits of lint testing my code as I go. I've looked to cfn-lint to help me. I found the instructions on how to install this tool on Windows lacking. But I have found a way to make it work!

## Step 1 - Install Windows Subsystem for Linux

Windows has a tool called [Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL](https://docs.microsoft.com/windows/wsl/about?WT.mc%5Fid=AZ-MVP-5004737&ref=techielass.com)), that allows you to run a GNU/Linux environment on your Windows machine without the overhead of having to run a dual booting system on your machine. 

To install WSL on your machine, open up an elevated PowerShell command and type:

```powershell
wsl --install

```

This will download the latest Linux kernel and install a Linux distribution; by default, this is Ubuntu. 

Once WSL has been installed, you will be asked to set up a username and password. Follow best practices with this. If you ever forget the password, [you can reset it](https://www.techielass.com/reset-ubuntu-password-in-wsl-on-windows-10). 

## Step 2 - Install python

The cfn-lint tool depends on python, so we need to ensure that is installed. We can do this by issuing the command within our WSL terminal:

```powershell
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip

```

## Step 3 - Install cfn-lint

Now we have all the dependencies installed, we can install the tool itself. To do that, we use the command: 

```powershell
pip install cfn-lint

```

Once the installation completes, close your terminal and re-open it. 

## Start to use cfn-lint

Everything is now installed and ready for you to use!

![cfn-lint with a Ubuntu terminal](https://storage.ghost.io/c/08/96/08960c71-63a2-449b-91b1-8d4628166dd2/content/images/2022/04/cfnlintinstalled.png)

cfn-lint with a Ubuntu terminal