Microsoft Added Linux Graphics and Systemd to WSL for Windows 10
I recently installed Linux graphics and Systemd on Windows 10, and now I'm exploring the aftermath. I'm researching how to make the vGPU accessible and usable, mapping locations and environment variables, and setting up the WAYLAND_DISPLAY and XDG_RUNTIME_DIR. I'm looking into lxdwin script, Levinux/Getonux projects, and lxc config set to configure the jupyter environment. Join me as I explore the aftermath of this installation!
Exploring the Aftermath of Installing Linux Graphics and Systemd on Windows 10
By Michael Levin
Sunday, November 27, 2022
Okay… Microsoft pulled a fast one… but in a good way and I now have to figure out the aftermath. Fix lxdwin script. I need a better name for the project than that to ride the wave of inevitable attention this is going to receive. But first, solve the riddle. What riddle? Getting Linux graphics working in containerized mode now that WSLg (essentially) is on Windows 10. Meaning, Linux graphics now works under Windows 10 which I confirmed.
This is also related to sharing the vGPU to a container / making the vGPU accessible and usable as if native by the container. I’ll cross that bridge next, but for this one I need to read this page carefully:
https://github.com/microsoft/wslg/blob/main/samples/container/Containers.md
Okay, for a container to have access to graphics, these locations must be accessible from within the container:
/tmp/.X11-unix
/mnt/wslg
Okay definitely no biggie. That’s at worst 2 mount commands, or maybe lxc config commands. What else? Environment variables! Ugh, those are hard to pass. They’re showing the docker way of doing it. First understand what they are, then look for elegant ways to pass them down in LXD.
DISPLAY
WAYLAND_DISPLAY
XDG_RUNTIME_DIR
PULSE_SERVER
Interesting! They’re not saying what those values are, just that they need to be handed down.
Okay! First clue is that this line:
export DISPLAY=$(cat /etc/resolv.conf | grep nameserver | awk '{print $2}'):0
…now should simply be:
export DISPLAY=:0
But that isn’t enough. When attempting to run xeyes in the container, it reports:
Error: Can't open display: :0
Okay, so onto the mapped locations! Think it through.
Hmm. Levinux to kick the tires. Getonux to make the transition. That may be a very good Linux version name, or at least project name for lxdwin. It has a lot of what I’m looking for. Get On UX. But UX will imply *nix.Hmm. Levinux to kick the tires. Getonux to make the transition. That may be a very good Linux version name, or at least project name for lxdwin. It has a lot of what I’m looking for. Get On UX. But UX will imply *nix.Hmm. Levinux to kick the tires. Getonux to make the transition. That may be a very good Linux version name, or at least project name for lxdwin. It has a lot of what I’m looking for. Get On UX. But UX will imply *nix.
That’s not thinking it through! Look at your 2 install files: .bat and .sh. The answer is in install.sh in commands like this:
lxc config device add jupyter repos disk source=${WIN_HOME}repos/ path=/home/ubuntu/repos/
So the 2 lines should be:
lxc config device add jupyter wslg disk source=/mnt/wslg/ path=/mnt/wslg/
Alert! Having had checked, the x11 location doesn’t need to be mapped. Okay, modified the lxdwin script. Manually did the config command. xeyes still not showing. So the final environment variables are probably necessary.
WAYLAND_DISPLAY
XDG_RUNTIME_DIR
PULSE_SERVER
Let’s take a look at the contents of those environment variables under just WSL:
wayland_display=wayland-0
xdg_runtime_dir=/mnt/wslg/runtime-dir
pulse_server=/mnt/wslg/pulseserver
Okay, I don’t want to hardwire these things but rather I should pass them down similar to how I USED TO pass the display env down, or even in a better way. I also notice this environment variable which may be important:
WSL2_GUI_APPS_ENABLED=1
Hmm. If I use static values (likely okay) I can make entries inside a config file with entries like
lxc.environment = ABC=DEF
This page documents it: https://linuxcontainers.org/lxc/manpages/man5/lxc.container.conf.5.html
Even better are the instructions on this page: https://linuxcontainers.org/lxd/docs/master/instance-exec/
lxc config set <instance_name> environment.ENVVAR=VALUE
If that’s the case, if I use static values I can just throw a few easy lines into install.sh.
lxc config set jupyter environment.WAYLAND_DISPLAY wayland-0
lxc config set jupyter environment.XDG_RUNTIME_dir /mnt/wslg/runtime-dir
lxc config set jupyter environment.PULSE_SERVER /mnt/wslg/pulseserver