WSL and Linux Full GUI Desktop on W11

jimbo45 · Jun 27, 2021

Hi folks
There's an excellent tutorial by @Kari (thanks !!) on the W10 Forums on getting UBUNTU desktop to run on WSL on W10.
Just wondering has anybody had a go with this yet on W11 -- OK we've only got the leaked release so even if it does work we can't guarantee that will continue.

I'm going to try this later -- seems to be an interesting exercise. I'd recommend though anybody doing this to backup their W11 installation first -- especially as some have had a bit of a hassle to install the W11 OS in the first place.

Cheers
jimbo

z3r010 · Jun 27, 2021

I wonder if Windows 11 allows Linux GUI app support like they said was coming here - The Initial Preview of GUI app support is now available for the Windows Subsystem for Linux

jimbo45 · Jun 27, 2021

Hi there
Am trying the method Kari suggested in Win 10 Forums tutorial with UBUNTU LTS and XFCE4. OpenSUSE and some later distros use WAYLAND for the display which introduces a whole slew of other factors as well. Currently XORG seems to be the only way to get this stuff working reasonably -- still as always with Linux there's usually a away !!!

First snag after installing / enabling WSL for Linux on W11 reboot just leaves me with nice blank screen. So restore and try another few things. This can't readily be done on a VM BTW unless you allow Nested Virtualisation - and not sure how Windows HOSTS handle that. Making this sort of stuff too complex to start with rather kills the exercise. My motto - just get the base working first --If I can see a Linux GUI login screen first that's a start.

Cheers
jimbo

swarfega · Jun 27, 2021

I only have 11 in a VM atm so haven't been able to test. Will do some testing when the insider is released next week.

jimbo45 · Jun 27, 2021

Hi folks

Ubuntu LTS 1804 -- FAIL to install

However MY ERROR - thanks to post by @z3r010

So if you get this

simply exit out of wsl and then in elevated command mode type wsl --update.
it will load some updates, restart WSL and then install works properly.

Cheers
jimbo

swarfega · Jun 27, 2021

Did you try 20.04?

jimbo45 · Jun 27, 2021

swarfega said:
Did you try 20.04?

Hi there

I need the UBUNTU LTS one to try Kari's tutorial on the desktop GUI.

I've modified my previous post -- my error -- in elevated command mode type wsl --update. It updates a kernel then the ubuntu LTS installs OK

screenshots in previous post.

Cheers
jimbo

swarfega · Jun 27, 2021

I know it states LTS, is that the only version that GUi works on atm?

jimbo45 · Jun 27, 2021

Hi there
I can't get any desktop to work - just shows blank terminal screen - however some GUI things work such as GPARTED, DOLPHIN (file manager), Solitaire games etc. just type the command in from the console - ignore spurious messages and the window should popup.

E,G spider Solitaire

Gparted

GRSYNC

Dolphin

So limited success but I'll wait until I see a full WSL GUI working on W11. !!

Response times pretty impressive - if a decent GUI can be got working this could be a decent alternative to setting up a totally separate VM. I'm only running this stuff on an ageing 8GB RAM laptop as well. There's a lot more traction in this stuff -- depends probably on interest and whether Ms want to continue developing this. I hope so.

Sunday Lunch time now !!!

Cheers
jimbo

Kari · Jun 27, 2021

jimbo45 said:
I need the UBUNTU LTS one to try Kari's tutorial on the desktop GUI.

swarfega said:
I know it states LTS, is that the only version that GUi works on atm?

At the moment, desktop experience only works in version 18.04, as stated in the tutorial. I am working on to get it to work on version 20.04.

jimbo45 said:
I can't get any desktop to work - just shows blank terminal screen

Works perfectly for me, when done exactly as told in tutorial. Both in W10 and in W11, both physical and virtual machines.

Tutorial on our sister site Ten Forums:

Windows Subsystem for Linux - Add desktop experience to Ubuntu

How to add a desktop experience to a Windows Subsystem for Linux distro

www.tenforums.com

Kari

Kari · Jun 27, 2021

A side note: I just installed MS Edge Dev in WSL Ubuntu desktop:

A happy surfer here!

Kari

jimbo45 · Jun 27, 2021

Hi there @Kari
I did 100% from your tutorial -- absolutely step by step from an intital clean Windows 11 install with nothing extra installed from the iso. -- still no joy

Do I need to start any sort of WM like GDDM or whatever -- probably not.

Thanks for taking the time --this stuff I really find interesting so please "Don't Give up" on those who can't get this to work 1st time round. At least a load of GUI apps do work. !! (And I appreciate the help on getting HYPER-V networking to work for me).

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 · Jun 27, 2021

Hi there
@Kari

followed to the letter -- still no joy
Re-installed everything including W11 from scratch - on a decent NVMe2 takes about 10 mins so not a big deal.

Now I get the initial Linux login screen with option xorg -- but all it does is nothing !!!

Trying some debugging in the logs - seems to say display fails for display 0 so ????

Also the logs seem to say listening on port 3350 which can't be right !!!!

Cheers
jimbo

Kari · Jun 27, 2021

jimbo45 said:
followed to the letter -- still no joy

I had to test again. Did two tests, one on W11 physical installation, one on W11 Hyper-V VM. On physical, restored a Macrium image, to state before installing WSL and Ubuntu, on Hyper-V VM applied a checkpoint to restore state to just after first boot.

Acted as if I would not know what and how to do. Followed tutorial, step by step, copying each command from tutorial instead of typing them.

Both times, Ubuntu booted to desktop directly. Can't explain, why it does not work for you.

Your screenshots give a hint, though, considering that your XRDP error message tells "login failed". Try to connect WITHOUT adding your Ubuntu username in RDP dialog:

It might be as simple as XRDP login not accepting credentials from RDP. Just an idea, worth to try.

Kari

Kari · Jun 27, 2021

Kari said:
It might be as simple as XRDP login not accepting credentials from RDP. Just an idea, worth to try.

It's not that. Tested, XRDP had no issues in getting credentials from RDP.

Kari

ish4d0w · Jun 27, 2021

Starting with win10 build 19619 you should have almost full support for this. If the leak is based on this core, or newer than this, it could work. I used an app from the MS store called X410 to provide me with the missing "link". You could try that for GUI.

Kari · Jun 27, 2021

ish4d0w said:
I used an app from the MS store called X410 to provide me with the missing "link". You could try that for GUI.

There is no "missing link". Following instructions in the already mentioned tutorial on our sister site Ten Forums, GUI desktop works. No need to download anything from Store.

Kari

Kari · Jun 27, 2021

Jimbo, I give up.

I cannot get it to fail, be it Windows 10 or Windows 11, a PC or virtual machine. Works everytime. I simply cannot understand why it does not work for you. Sorry.

Kari

jimbo45 · Jun 28, 2021

Hi there

Kari said:
Jimbo, I give up.

I cannot get it to fail, be it Windows 10 or Windows 11, a PC or virtual machine. Works everytime. I simply cannot understand why it does not work for you. Sorry.

Kari

I think the difference was that when I initially tried to install WSL on a W11 host it failed with Linux kernel needed an update -- and I updated it via command wsl --update.

I restored an old W10 system which already had WSL2 installed and everything worked properly !!!!!

Anyway I'll wait until an official W11 comes out before having another go on W11.

Thanks for the time spent and hints.

Just for info -laptop bog standard HP with Intel graphics and Intel i5 processor -- no "unusual graphics etc" -- also tested UBUNTU running native on it and RDP'ing to it from another Windows system -- perfectly OK as well so there's something in my W11 install that doesn't like it !!!!

Cheers
jimbo

johnlgalt · Jun 28, 2021

After reading this topic yesterday, W11 had 2 updates related to WSL pushed to me when I checked for updates later in the afternoon.

WSLg Preview

WSL Update

WSL and Linux Full GUI Desktop on W11

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