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File System Improvements to the Windows Subsystem for Linux

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Re: File System Improvements to the Windows Subsystem for Linux

#81

Post by mkup »

barrkel wrote: post #20
sengork wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cygwin (64bit) didn't work for me in the latest creators update (actually I think it broke even before that). Now I am trying things using WSL itself, so far it has been a productive move. File permissions and security descriptors proved to be quite a hassle when removing Cygwin requiring multiple takeown and cacls hacks to remove some of the files. On the flip side I saved some disk space too.

OTOH when I wanted to have pretty pictures on my lock screen but without the Microsoft ads, I needed to rely on Cygwin to blow away the folder that caches the pictures deep in ProgramData/.../SystemData/*/ReadOnly - the lock screen image setting API has a lot of bugs. Without Cygwin, I was fiddling with cacls and takeown in an elevated prompt trying to blow away the folder. An elevated Cygwin prompt and it was just r…

Sometimes elevated command prompt is not powerful enough and you need command prompt running from "SYSTEM" user account (Windows NT equivalent of Unix "root"). You can get that one with psexec tool from Microsoft SysInternals: psexec.exe -i -s -d %WINDIR%\System32\cmd.exe

Re: File System Improvements to the Windows Subsystem for Linux

#82

Post by steveklabnik »

Stubb wrote: post #27
neves wrote: post #23

Last time I tried to use the Windows Subsystem for Linux it was a mess. I thought I could access my files from windows and messed all the filesystem. Now it looks like I can freely exchange my files between the WSL and Windows. Is it true? Do I finally have a linux inside a windows machine where I can install things using apt-get (instead of cygwin setup.exe)? When will it goes into the official Windows 10 version?

Your Windows drives appear under /mnt/c, /mnt/d, etc. in WSL. So your Windows home directory is /mnt/c/Users/ffoobar. You can easily read/write Windows files from Linux, but I don't think you can do the opposite. I've used git within WSL to drive a repo on my Windows drive. WSL gives you full-blown Ubuntu 16.04 where you manage packages with apt-get. You have to look close to the bare metal to see differences. Until…

Previously, if you read Linux files from Windows, it would brick the lxss entirely.

The bug report I filed suggested that this was being fixed soon.

Re: File System Improvements to the Windows Subsystem for Linux

#83

Post by joombaga »

masklinn wrote: post #74
nialv7 wrote: post #44

Windows subsystem for Linux? Or the Linux subsystem for Windows? These names are confusing...

It's a Windows subsystem[0] for [running] Linux [applications]. The terminology is "Windows subsystem for [target environment]" so "Windows subsystem for OS/2" lets you run OS/2 application on NT, "Windows subsystem for Win32" lets you run Win32 applications on NT, and "Windows subsystem for Linux" lets you run Linux applications on NT. [0] "The interface between user mode applications and operating system kernel fun…

Yet they chose different terminology for WoW64 (Windows 32-bit on Windows 64-bit), and chose to store 32-bit binaries in the WoW64 directory.

Re: File System Improvements to the Windows Subsystem for Linux

#84

Post by microtonal »

chx wrote: post #67
ghshephard wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Likewise - except for me it's been 15 years. Switched over in 2001, and didn't look back. Running WSL creators edition is really a delight. It's not quite there yet - still has a year or two to bake - but the progress is great. They just added serial support yesterday (which is important for a bunch of the linux binaries I run). For the very first time I'm honestly considering sitting down to a Windows System to do w…

For me at least the big problem is malware. Running Arch Linux means I do not need to worry about malware. Ransomware. Crap like that. Yes, I am a reasonably experienced computer user and it's quite unlikely I would click anything "wrong" but not having to worry about a single bad click causing hours of recovery is a big plus. Edit: while I understand downvotes I would be much happier if you'd educate me where I am w…

Running Arch Linux means I do not need to worry about malware. Ransomware. Crap like that.

I didn't downvote you and understand your concern. However, keep in mind that X11 has no GUI isolation. So, an attacker could snoop all your keyboard and mouse events, make screengrabs, etc. through a compromised web browser.

Wayland provides GUI isolation, but is not widely deployed yet. Most X11 users are only safe because the X11 desktop is not a large target group, but it is probably less secure than Windows, which does GUI isolation between processes of different privilege levels, sandboxing for Store apps, etc.

Re: File System Improvements to the Windows Subsystem for Linux

#85

Post by Accacin »

microtonal wrote: post #84
chx wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me at least the big problem is malware. Running Arch Linux means I do not need to worry about malware. Ransomware. Crap like that. Yes, I am a reasonably experienced computer user and it's quite unlikely I would click anything "wrong" but not having to worry about a single bad click causing hours of recovery is a big plus. Edit: while I understand downvotes I would be much happier if you'd educate me where I am w…

Running Arch Linux means I do not need to worry about malware. Ransomware. Crap like that. I didn't downvote you and understand your concern. However, keep in mind that X11 has no GUI isolation. So, an attacker could snoop all your keyboard and mouse events, make screengrabs, etc. through a compromised web browser. Wayland provides GUI isolation, but is not widely deployed yet. Most X11 users are only safe because th…

So there's a chance someone could snoop on me using X11, but there's a 100% chance of it on Windows because of all the data they're collecting in the background (including being able to get a copy of a file that triggered a crash).

I'll take Linux, thanks.

Re: File System Improvements to the Windows Subsystem for Linux

#86

Post by [deleted] »

joombaga wrote: post #83
masklinn wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a Windows subsystem[0] for [running] Linux [applications]. The terminology is "Windows subsystem for [target environment]" so "Windows subsystem for OS/2" lets you run OS/2 application on NT, "Windows subsystem for Win32" lets you run Win32 applications on NT, and "Windows subsystem for Linux" lets you run Linux applications on NT. [0] "The interface between user mode applications and operating system kernel fun…

Yet they chose different terminology for WoW64 (Windows 32-bit on Windows 64-bit), and chose to store 32-bit binaries in the WoW64 directory.

[deleted]

Re: File System Improvements to the Windows Subsystem for Linux

#87

Post by eugeneionesco »

tempay wrote: post #80
tkubacki wrote: post #40

In a way Balmer was right -"Cancer" is eating Windows :)

I assume this is a reference to something?

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/06/02/ballmer_linux_is_a_...

Unbelievable how much M$ changed for better in the last years!

Re: File System Improvements to the Windows Subsystem for Linux

#88

Post by oblio »

chx wrote: post #67
ghshephard wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Likewise - except for me it's been 15 years. Switched over in 2001, and didn't look back. Running WSL creators edition is really a delight. It's not quite there yet - still has a year or two to bake - but the progress is great. They just added serial support yesterday (which is important for a bunch of the linux binaries I run). For the very first time I'm honestly considering sitting down to a Windows System to do w…

For me at least the big problem is malware. Running Arch Linux means I do not need to worry about malware. Ransomware. Crap like that. Yes, I am a reasonably experienced computer user and it's quite unlikely I would click anything "wrong" but not having to worry about a single bad click causing hours of recovery is a big plus. Edit: while I understand downvotes I would be much happier if you'd educate me where I am w…

All experienced Windows user have a curated list of software. If you download shady apps, sure, good chance of getting infected. But Chrome, Firefox, TotalCommander, 7-zip, Sublime, etc., etc. are all free, mature and malware free.

It may not be as conceptually easy as Arch Linux but on the other hand you get access to Windows-only stuff which has its benefits.

And almost any Linux user should be able to create that curated list within 6 months, IMO. If they aren't, then I doubt even their Linux chops...

Re: File System Improvements to the Windows Subsystem for Linux

#89

Post by NelsonMinar »

laumars wrote: post #65
eVeechu7 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am pretty sure this update does not add FUSE support. FUSE would add the ability to use SSHFS, which is the network file system support I'm interested in. If FUSE would be useful to you, please vote for it at https://wpdev.uservoice.com/forums/266908-command-prompt-con...

There is a Windows-native SSHFS client[1]. I have it installed on a Win10 VM so can confirm it "works" albeit I haven't needed to use it for anything so cannot confirm how well it works. [1] https://github.com/Foreveryone-cz/win-sshfs I think is the currently maintained version but you're welcome to confirm that independently.

Any idea if filesystems mounted with that SSHFS client are now visible under WSL? They weren't in the original WSL release and I'm guessing aren't under the recent Creators Update release. But maybe they are with this new DrvFs?

Re: File System Improvements to the Windows Subsystem for Linux

#90

Post by oblio »

eugeneionesco wrote: post #87
tempay wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assume this is a reference to something?

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/06/02/ballmer_linux_is_a_... Unbelievable how much M$ changed for better in the last years!

16 years is quite a few "last years" :)
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