[DOC] Add WSL setup guide and setup script for Windows contributors

.gitignore

@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ celerybeat.pid
 # Environments
 .env
 .venv
+.venv_wsl
 env/
 venv/
 ENV/

docs/source/contribute/development/developer_guide.rst

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ Developer guide
    :hidden:
 
    developer_guide/dev_installation
+   developer_guide/wsl_setup
    developer_guide/git_workflow
    developer_guide/ci
    developer_guide/coding_standards
@@ -35,6 +36,20 @@ Developer guide
 
             Installation
 
+    .. grid-item-card:: WSL Setup
+        :text-align: center
+
+        Set up Ubuntu WSL for development.
+
+        +++
+
+        .. button-ref:: developer_guide/wsl_setup
+            :color: primary
+            :click-parent:
+            :expand:
+
+            WSL Setup
+
     .. grid-item-card:: Git Workflow
         :text-align: center
 

docs/source/contribute/development/developer_guide/wsl_setup.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+.. _wsl_setup:
+
+=========
+WSL Setup
+=========
+
+If you are a Windows user and prefer developing in a Linux environment,
+you can use the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). This guide will help
+you set up ``skbase`` for development in Ubuntu WSL.
+
+Prerequisites
+-------------
+
+1.  **Install WSL**: Ensure you have WSL and the Ubuntu distribution
+    installed on your Windows machine. If not, you can install it by
+    running the following command in PowerShell as administrator:
+
+    .. code-block:: powershell
+
+        wsl --install
+
+2.  **Clone the Repository**: Clone the ``skbase`` repository to your
+    Windows filesystem (e.g., ``C:\code\skbase``). WSL can access your
+    Windows files via ``/mnt/c/``.
+
+    Alternatively, you can clone it directly inside the WSL filesystem
+    for better performance:
+
+    .. code-block:: bash
+
+        git clone https://github.com/sktime/skbase.git
+        cd skbase
+
+Automated Setup
+---------------
+
+We provide a script to automate the setup of your development
+environment in Ubuntu WSL.
+
+1.  Open your Ubuntu terminal.
+2.  Navigate to the root directory of the cloned ``skbase`` repository.
+3.  Run the setup script:
+
+    .. code-block:: bash
+
+        bash scripts/setup_wsl.sh
+
+This script will:
+
+- Update your package lists.
+- Install ``python3-venv`` and ``python3-pip``.
+- Create a virtual environment named ``.venv_wsl``.
+- Install ``skbase`` in editable mode with development
+  and test dependencies.
+
+Manual Activation
+-----------------
+
+After the setup is complete, you can activate the environment whenever
+you open a new terminal:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+    source .venv_wsl/bin/activate
+
+Verifying the Installation
+--------------------------
+
+To verify that everything is set up correctly, you can run the tests:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+    pytest

scripts/setup_wsl.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Exit on error
+set -e
+
+echo "Starting Ubuntu WSL setup for skbase..."
+
+# Update package lists
+echo "Updating package lists..."
+sudo apt update
+
+# Install necessary system dependencies
+echo "Installing python3-venv and python3-pip..."
+sudo apt install -y python3-venv python3-pip
+
+# Create virtual environment
+if [ ! -d ".venv_wsl" ]; then
+    echo "Creating virtual environment .venv_wsl..."
+    python3 -m venv .venv_wsl
+else
+    echo ".venv_wsl already exists, skipping creation."
+fi
+
+# Activate virtual environment
+echo "Activating virtual environment..."
+source .venv_wsl/bin/activate
+
+# Upgrade pip
+echo "Upgrading pip..."
+pip install --upgrade pip
+
+# Install skbase in editable mode with development and test dependencies
+echo "Installing skbase with [dev,test] dependencies..."
+pip install -e ".[dev,test]"
+
+echo "Setup complete! To activate the environment, run: source .venv_wsl/bin/activate"