Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI • Hacker News Board

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#91

Post by jjcon » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:39 PM UTC

smichel17 wrote: post #73

jjcon wrote: post #67

I don't want to want this, but I do. Only semi-related but what I really want is for easy windows apps on linux that work without fail. I prefer my linux box and generally hate the windows ui (don't get me started on windows settings or audio). I've tried switching to linux full-time but I don't know if I can hack it. Games are 90% there and I can do without the few that don't work with proton, but there are just too…

Which apps? Not that it makes a difference for this conversation, but I'm interested in keeping up to date with what the "killer apps" are that keep people from switching.

For me there are a couple areas that just have a tough time in linux: VR Development, Digital audio workstations and niche utilities. It is getting better but still has a ways to go in these areas imo.

Specifically: VR Development - Unity now has a linux version which is great but there is no oculus runtime which means no oculus testing (SteamVR works but has some hiccups)

Digital audio workstations - Looking primarily at FL Studio, yes you can wine it but for me the audio delay makes it very difficult to use. I'd love to find solutions around this but haven't thus far.

Niche utilities - For game dev I've got a ton of old utilities for visualizing or converting old 3d object files to newer formats, sdks for old games that I occasionally need to pop into and all of them struggle or require a lot of setup to work properly on linux. For these I find myself booting over to windows, grabbing what I need and popping back to linux.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#92

Post by alecksag » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:41 PM UTC

Just waiting for some Linux-based VDIs now. Azure Virtual Desktop is all RDP-based. It also used to be called "Windows" Virtual Desktop.

While it's not something I would necessarily use for myself, having the option is really empowering especially for engineers within companies.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#93

Post by therein » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:42 PM UTC

owalt wrote: post #86

jjcon wrote: post #67

I don't want to want this, but I do. Only semi-related but what I really want is for easy windows apps on linux that work without fail. I prefer my linux box and generally hate the windows ui (don't get me started on windows settings or audio). I've tried switching to linux full-time but I don't know if I can hack it. Games are 90% there and I can do without the few that don't work with proton, but there are just too…

> don't get me started on windows settings or audio I'll bite - what's wrong with the audio? Friends on mine in game dev often complain Linux audio is hopeless to work with.

Keeps switching between different outputs in games and no matter what I do with the default communication device etc. it keeps happening. I lose audio in games on random intervals and I don't get it back until I switch my output device to something else and back.

Used to happen only in Warzone but now I'm noticing it affects games with other engines as well.

Granted I have a very non-standard setup but it shouldn't be causing any of these issues.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#94

Post by watermelon0 » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:43 PM UTC

owalt wrote: post #86

jjcon wrote: post #67

I don't want to want this, but I do. Only semi-related but what I really want is for easy windows apps on linux that work without fail. I prefer my linux box and generally hate the windows ui (don't get me started on windows settings or audio). I've tried switching to linux full-time but I don't know if I can hack it. Games are 90% there and I can do without the few that don't work with proton, but there are just too…

> don't get me started on windows settings or audio I'll bite - what's wrong with the audio? Friends on mine in game dev often complain Linux audio is hopeless to work with.

Maybe they just mean the audio UI? It's complex, and at least on Windows 10 it's a mix of the new UI and old UI.

For example, figuring out how to configure and test surround sound channels means click through multiple dialogs, and it's not clear how exactly to get there.

With Windows 10, it's even harder to access sound mixer than it was on previous versions, and this is what to use in 99% after clicking on audio icon in the taskbar.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#95

Post by danudey » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:43 PM UTC

owalt wrote: post #86

jjcon wrote: post #67

I don't want to want this, but I do. Only semi-related but what I really want is for easy windows apps on linux that work without fail. I prefer my linux box and generally hate the windows ui (don't get me started on windows settings or audio). I've tried switching to linux full-time but I don't know if I can hack it. Games are 90% there and I can do without the few that don't work with proton, but there are just too…

> don't get me started on windows settings or audio I'll bite - what's wrong with the audio? Friends on mine in game dev often complain Linux audio is hopeless to work with.

Not the parent poster, but I'll chime in.

I have a pretty solid Dell laptop from work, and yet, there is one frustration that beats out anything else: audio.

I can't play music without it stuttering and skipping and sounding choppy and cutting out if something resource-intensive is happening, like Firefox loading a new page (but how often does THAT happen?)

Same with audio notifications. When my "new mail" notification sounds choppy, the underlying system must be just absolute garbage.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#96

Post by jjcon » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:46 PM UTC

owalt wrote: post #86

jjcon wrote: post #67

I don't want to want this, but I do. Only semi-related but what I really want is for easy windows apps on linux that work without fail. I prefer my linux box and generally hate the windows ui (don't get me started on windows settings or audio). I've tried switching to linux full-time but I don't know if I can hack it. Games are 90% there and I can do without the few that don't work with proton, but there are just too…

> don't get me started on windows settings or audio I'll bite - what's wrong with the audio? Friends on mine in game dev often complain Linux audio is hopeless to work with.

My main complaint on windows is more on the UI than the technical audio. I've got like 15 audio devices listed under the audio menu and windows can never figure out which one I intend to be playing from (and gives them terrible names) so I have to constantly be manually switching it around until I find the right one. My experience on Mac and Linux is that they seem to be able to switch to the right device as it connects then switch back appropriately when it disconnects.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#97

Post by caust1c » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:46 PM UTC

jjcon wrote: post #67

I don't want to want this, but I do. Only semi-related but what I really want is for easy windows apps on linux that work without fail. I prefer my linux box and generally hate the windows ui (don't get me started on windows settings or audio). I've tried switching to linux full-time but I don't know if I can hack it. Games are 90% there and I can do without the few that don't work with proton, but there are just too…

Have you heard of VFIO for Graphics Cards in Linux host with Windows Guest? Haven't tried it yet, but it's my winter project and I'm excited:

https://passthroughpo.st/

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#98

Post by formerly_proven » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:46 PM UTC

owalt wrote: post #86

jjcon wrote: post #67

I don't want to want this, but I do. Only semi-related but what I really want is for easy windows apps on linux that work without fail. I prefer my linux box and generally hate the windows ui (don't get me started on windows settings or audio). I've tried switching to linux full-time but I don't know if I can hack it. Games are 90% there and I can do without the few that don't work with proton, but there are just too…

> don't get me started on windows settings or audio I'll bite - what's wrong with the audio? Friends on mine in game dev often complain Linux audio is hopeless to work with.

USB hotplug is still a mess in Windows and so using any external audio interface or soundcard is just a mess.

The UI is complete garbage but siblings said enough about that dumpster fire already.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#99

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:46 PM UTC

jjcon wrote: post #67

I don't want to want this, but I do. Only semi-related but what I really want is for easy windows apps on linux that work without fail. I prefer my linux box and generally hate the windows ui (don't get me started on windows settings or audio). I've tried switching to linux full-time but I don't know if I can hack it. Games are 90% there and I can do without the few that don't work with proton, but there are just too…

[deleted]

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#100

Post by pygar » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:47 PM UTC

This is undoubtedly cool but I'm curious to know of a use case that would warrant installing this. Could this just have been a step in creating "Windows Subsystem for Android" [0] that they decided to release as its own layer?

The screenshot on the github page shows VSCode, Edge, Blender, Xcalc, Xclock and GNOME file manager which are all either available natively on windows or redundant.

[0] https://www.xda-developers.com/wundows-subsystem-android-ben...