Kafka: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition

Appendix A. Installing Kafka on Other Operating Systems

Apache Kafka is primarily a Java application and therefore should be able to run on any system where you are able to install a JRE. It has, however, been optimized for Linux-based operating systems, so that is where it will perform best. Running on other operating systems may result in bugs specific to the OS. For this reason, when using Kafka for development or test purposes on a common desktop OS, it is a good idea to consider running in a virtual machine that matches your eventual production environment.

Installing on Windows

As of Microsoft Windows 10, there are now two ways that you can run Kafka. The traditional way is using a native Java installation. Windows 10 users also have the option to use the Windows Subsystem for Linux. The latter method is highly preferred because it provides a much simpler setup that more closely matches the typical production environment, so we will review it first.

Using Windows Subsystem for Linux

If you are running Windows 10, you can install native Ubuntu support under Windows using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). At the time of publication, Microsoft still considers WSL to be an experimental feature. Though it acts similar to a virtual machine, it does not require the resources of a full VM and provides richer integration with the Windows OS.

To install WSL, follow the instructions available from the Microsoft Developer Network at the “What Is the Windows Subsystem for Linux?” ...