WSL2 GUI Setup.md

WSL 2 Gui Setup

Based on this guide: https://medium.com/@japheth.yates/the-complete-wsl2-gui-setup-2582828f4577

Make sure you are running WSL2:

• Enable WSL2 features

  dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
  dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart
  

• Update WSL and set default version for ubuntu (replace with your distro, if wsl --list shows different name)

  wsl --status
  wsl --list
  wsl --update
  wsl --shutdown
  wsl --set-default-version
  wsl --set-version ubuntu 2
  

Install X-Server for Windows

Download VcXsrv

Start it by searching for XLaunch and use options:

• Multiple windows
• uncheck [ ] Naive Opengl
• check [x] Disable auth

Install gui dependencies in ubuntu

• xorg graphical user interface base system

  sudo apt install xorg

• xorg dev libraries

  sudo apt install libx11-dev libxrandr-dev libxinerama-dev libxcursor-dev libxi-dev

• opengl dev libraries

  sudo apt install freeglut3 freeglut3-dev libglu1-mesa libglu1-mesa-dev libgl1-mesa-glx libgl1-mesa-dev

Configure ubuntu to use X-Server in windows

Add the following lines to the end of ~/.bashrc

export DISPLAY=$(cat /etc/resolv.conf | grep nameserver | awk '{print $2; exit;}'):0.0
export LIBGL_ALWAYS_INDIRECT=0
sudo /etc/init.d/dbus start &> /dev/null

Restart WSL by closing all wsl clients, running wsl --shutdown and starting it again.

Test

In WSL console, run xeyes