Running WSL2 for real work

Running WSL2 in production on hp Laptop 17-cp3005dx. I do not know if setting memory and swap file size to 2X default is actually doing anything real or not. Running Firefox on WSL works, but appears to create conflict. Use WSL for Gnome Evolution, LibreOffice, Nemo (like file explorer), and Shotwell photo viewer. I can access exFAT partitions on Win 11 side.

Problems: 1) starting from cold boot means you have to go back and redo things, particularly to get Gnome Evolution working; 2) WSL side has problems sometimes connecting with the Internet.; getting error, "The feature you are trying to use that is on a network resource that is unavailable; refers to installation of wsl.2.5.7.0.x64.msii

Please let me know suggestions for making WSL work better. One thing that I want to do but do not know how is update Ubuntu 24.04 to 25.04. Normal procedures you would use from the CL prompt ($) with sudo do not work.

Thank you for reading.

John

smoketoxdoc said:

Running WSL2 in production on hp Laptop 17-cp3005dx. I do not know if setting memory and swap file size to 2X default is actually doing anything real or not. Running Firefox on WSL works, but appears to create conflict. Use WSL for Gnome Evolution, LibreOffice, Nemo (like file explorer), and Shotwell photo viewer. I can access exFAT partitions on Win 11 side.

Problems: 1) starting from cold boot means you have to go back and redo things, particularly to get Gnome Evolution working; 2) WSL side has problems sometimes connecting with the Internet.; getting error, "The feature you are trying to use that is on a network resource that is unavailable; refers to installation of wsl.2.5.7.0.x64.msii

Please let me know suggestions for making WSL work better. One thing that I want to do but do not know how is update Ubuntu 24.04 to 25.04. Normal procedures you would use from the CL prompt ($) with sudo do not work.

Thank you for reading.

John

Click to expand...

Download Ubuntu 25.04 from this link. Uninstall your current distro using the instructions in this link and then install the distro you downloaded by double clicking it. WSL should now open and use 25.04

Thank you very much for your help on getting 25.04. Unlike the first time I tried WSL, one had to do a sudo apt update before doing anything else. I have only focused on getting Synaptic, Evolution, Nemo, and Libreoffice running. I have not gotten any of the desktops to start. I generally use the Unity build of Ubuntu. Also, has anyone optimized the settings for the memory to be allocated to WSL and the size of the swap file?

John

smoketoxdoc said:

Thank you very much for your help on getting 25.04. Unlike the first time I tried WSL, one had to do a sudo apt update before doing anything else. I have only focused on getting Synaptic, Evolution, Nemo, and Libreoffice running. I have not gotten any of the desktops to start. I generally use the Unity build of Ubuntu. Also, has anyone optimized the settings for the memory to be allocated to WSL and the size of the swap file?

John

Click to expand...

If you are doing "production type work" on WSL I'd suggest you use something like Fedora since it's built by Redhat / IBM who have 100,000's of customers using their Enterprise server system based on Fedora. Otherwise you are probably better off with say HYPER-V and running a full blown Linux distro as a VM - server versions are better if you don't need a GUI for Linux -- ssh from windows into the command line. (Once you've connected to linux from windows you can then use sudo or su to get admin privileges -- ssh from windows needs to be in std "user" mode.

Otherwise you can get some decent GUI connections and management if you install cockpit on the Linux distro via your package manager and connect from windows / any other system via a browser. No need to install any window manager on the Linux system if you don't want to. To access cockpit -- simply https://<server or Ip address>:9090. On the panel there's an option also to sign in in admin / superuser mode if you need to.

Also works if you install Linux under HYPER-V as a VM - suggest though you use EXTERNAL switch for networking otherwise it's fiddly with NAT getting decent communication between HOST and GUEST.

e.g




Cheers
jimbo

Thank you, jimbo, for your help. Right now, I am too far along the way to setting this laptop to be primary PC for a long trip beginning soon. Backujp laptop will be a small Lenovo one.

One very important thing I found out this morning is that install software from the Linux prompt can put it on the Windows side instead of the Ubuntu side. This is very important in the case of PDF Studio Pro 2024. It installs from a shell script. If you execute the script from the Linux prompt, it goes into wsl. Where it needs to go /usr/local. To do this, you need to copy the shell script into root and execute it there.

I don't understand why it's necessary.
You can buy an inexpensive laptop for linux or use dual boot.
Maybe there are some specific tasks?
When the IBM VM/370 was introduced, it was probably needed, but why would it be needed now?

abactuon said:

I don't understand why it's necessary.
You can buy an inexpensive laptop for linux or use dual boot.
Maybe there are some specific tasks?
When the IBM VM/370 was introduced, it was probably needed, but why would it be needed now?

Click to expand...

You can actually run IBM MVS/SP or even IBM VM/370 on a PC !! using the Hercules emulator !! (FREE)

works great !!!



some retired IBM sysprogs might like to play with this stuff --works both on Windows and Linux.

Cheers
jimbo

@smoketoxdoc

Another reason for using Fedora for this stuff -- very easy to update the system to newer release - couldn't be easier simply whether in wsl, a VM or as a HOST just type sudo dnf5 system-upgrade --releasever=43 --allowerasing and then restart the system and execute the command shown on the screen. "Seeeempleees" !!!!!!. Use the allowerasing parameter in case the upgrade leaves parts of packages without their component bits -- all works smoothly and without issues. When it comes to IBM (now owners of Redhat who develop Fedora as a test bed for their robust commercial servers) their software always works !!!.

Personally I'd chuck Ubuntu with Canonical the "owners" of the project (who are trying to "de-opensource" as much stuff as possible against the very spirit of Linux) into the nearest bin.

Cheers
jimbo