Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI • Hacker News Board

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#61

Post by wvenable » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:08 PM UTC

ComputerGuru wrote: post #43

cogman10 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's because WSL2 abandoned the initial goals of WSL1 and just did a VM instead. I wish MS continued evolving WSL1 instead of doing the VM approach but c'est la vie.

The amount of effort that went into WSL1 including the number of bug-for-bug changes involved was tremendous. It blew my mind when WSL2 was announced because the hyper visor approach was already possible (and in use) before WSL1 was announced but MS made an explicit decision to do the extra work to make their own Linux subsystem for Windows the harder/better way… then gave up.

They were amazingly successful -- more successful than should have been thought possible -- but they couldn't overcome the semantic file system differences.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#62

Post by sys_64738 » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:08 PM UTC

How long before even Linus migrates to Windows as his daily driver?

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#63

Post by zzandd » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:08 PM UTC

So how long until us poor fellows running enterprise windows see this?

I currently use vcxsrv which works mostly fine, but it's hard to convince other people to adopt the multitude of hacks I have to make this work, and supporting windows in builds is painful.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#64

Post by tonoto » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:09 PM UTC

you don't have to wait until Windows 11 for this nonsense. I am unfortunately locked at my current mission to be on a Windows laptop, my first Windows experience in years. As soon as I read up on wsl2 I installed it and inside installed the xrdp server and a corresponding lightweight environment, then just rdp into it (but every time the wsl gets restarted, you'll have to do a /etc/init.d/xrdp restart). Although, I can't wait until I get to a sane environment again. Without Windows and all headache it brings me...

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#65

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

908B64B197 wrote: post #46

reilly3000 wrote: post #31

I wonder what Linux exclusive software they are hoping to support. Everything I use in my Ubuntu daily driver has a Windows build or corollary app. I get how ‘you never have to leave Windows’ is a nice thing for their business, but I don’t see this being a reason I would stop dual-booting. The only reason I run windows in the first place is for a few apps, mostly games. Otherwise I really enjoy the bloat-free, ad-fre…

> It would be nice if they did something actually useful, like add native ext4 support. Other way around. The Kernel getting real support for NTFS (was merged into Linus' tree a month ago [0]) there's hope to get native performance on WSL2. Microsoft is building the dev environment for the next decade. [0] https://www.linuxtoday.com/news/linux-kernel-5-15-will-have-...

Linux and Windows use mutually exclusive permission/ACL bits, even on the same NTFS filesystem.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#66

Post by iammisc » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:12 PM UTC

This might actually be the year of the Linux desktop

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#67

Post by jjcon » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:12 PM UTC

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 many apps that only work on my windows side that I just don't think I can dump windows.

Wine gives me inconsistent results and breaks for just about anything that needs registry access, not to mention its pretty complicated. I'm hoping to stumble on some tool I've been missing out on that makes everything easier because I wan't to run linux as my daily... I just don't know if it is practical.

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#68

Post by earthscienceman » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:15 PM UTC

son_ngu wrote: post #42

This is exciting. I dual boot Windows and Linux, cause although I really like my setup on Linux, the desktop experience is not quite there yet for me. I wonder if I can use something like bspwm, maybe not... haha

Have you tried KDE plasma?

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#69

Post by Silhouette » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:15 PM UTC

ComputerGuru wrote: post #35

2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dual boot? This does look slick, I was an avid WSL user until I started dual booting. Now I almost never need to boot to Windows. I get that if you often need to switch it can be a pain in the ass but at least Linux respects my privacy and freedom.

As the author of EasyBCD, I can tell you that interest in dual-booting has collapsed to near zero over the past decade.

How much of that effect do you think is due to recent Windows versions not playing nicely so you still get some hassle anyway and/or to improving options to run Windows virtually on a Linux host with close to native performance and compatibility?

Re: Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI

#70

Post by jraph » Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 9:16 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…

Would a Windows VM on your Linux system help? Maybe some apps have robust alternatives?