wsl_cheatsheet.md

Cheatsheet for WSL2

Initial setup

• See: Setup initial https://codingfullstack.com/cloud/docker-installation-wsl2/
• Additional Steps:
  • Enable WSL2
  • Enable VGPU
  • Enable Hyper-V
  • Enable Windows Apps -> Optional Features -> Graphics Tools

Configure (.wslconfig, wsl.conf)

• See: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/wsl-config

Update memory/swap

• See: https://joe.blog.freemansoft.com/2022/01/setting-your-memory-and-swap-for-wsl2.html

List containers (list, verbose)

wsl -l -v

Remove container

wsl --unregister container_name

Import container

• See: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/use-custom-distro

wsl --import container_name storage_directory container_tarfile

Run/enter container

wsl -d container_name

Add to boot sequence for container startup

• See: https://securecloud.blog/2021/12/07/wsl2-use-docker-with-vscode-without-docker-desktop/

WSL mounted files in Explorer

\\wsl$\

Fix for warning/error "cuda not a symbolic link"

• See: microsoft/WSL#5663 (comment)

File permissions on mounted windows drives

• See: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/chmod-chown-wsl-improvements/

Setup VPN

• See: https://github.com/sakai135/wsl-vpnkit

Create and attach ext4 vhdx image

• See: https://anthony-f-tannous.medium.com/wsl2-how-to-prepare-and-attach-virtual-drives-vhd-ac17b1fc7a61
• See: https://joeferguson.me/adding-another-disk-to-wsl2/
• See: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/access-linux-filesystems-in-windows-and-wsl-2/

Create distro launcher

• See: https://github.com/Microsoft/WSL-DistroLauncher

Set default user

• See: https://www.hanselman.com/blog/how-to-set-the-default-user-for-a-wsl-distro-that-has-been-manually-installed-with-wsl-import

Problems

WSL import never completes

Sometimes a wsl --import command never completes. The vhdx file will be modified for many hours, but the actual import will not complete. Workaround is to copy files directly into an existing vhdx image.

• See: microsoft/WSL#8787

Access is denied when launching distro

(Re-)Enable "Full Access" permission on VHDX image of distro.

• See: microsoft/WSL#5605 (comment)

Debugging WSLg

• See: microsoft/WSL#8145

Install perf (Ubuntu)

$ apt install linux-tools-generic
$ rm /usr/bin/perf
$ ln -s /usr/lib/linux-tools/5.4.0-125-generic/perf /usr/bin/perf