How to access wsl files from windows

wsl$ mount point did not work for me so well, it has multiple issues, and many Windows applications fail because they see it as a network drive. For my usecase, it is Rclone what helped to solve the problem to properly mount Linux filesystem so it behaves without any issues, practically the same way as a local disk.

It is free and open source. It works with sftp remote filesystems (like sshfs), so it can mount network drives both on Linux and Windows (running sshd service).

Example command how to run it, assuming remote point «server» is already configured and rclone.exe is in PATH environment variable:

rclone mount server:/ Z: --file-perms=0777 --track-renames --track-renames-strategy=modtime,leaf --metadata --vfs-cache-mode=full --sftp-disable-hashcheck --volname drive_name

For the first time, you need to configure new remote point by running:

rclone config

To find out location of the config file you have just created, run:

rclone config file

Also, you may need to install WinFsp first, if not already intalled. The best thing about it, everything just works the same way like with local disk (assuming if you provide --vfs-cache-mode=writes or --vfs-cache-mode=full option, since without it, many applications will fail to work correctly, please read the documentation to understand why). Option --file-perms=0777 is necessary to allow running .exe files. Even though --vfs-cache-mode=writes may be enough for most applications, but —vfs-cache-mode=full is important for good performance with large files. For the same reason --track-renames-strategy is limited to only modtime and leaf strategies, because if haenter code heresh strategy is used, it will be obviously slow with large files, and --sftp-disable-hashcheck is necessary to prevent rclone from running md5sum, otherwise it will run it even when trying to read a file.

To register Rclone as a system service, edit and run the following command (do not run as is, please see below how you need to edit it first):

New-Service -Name Rclone -BinaryPathName 'C:Program FilesRclonerclone.exe mount server:/ Z: --vfs-cache-mode=full --track-renames --track-renames-strategy=modtime,leaf --metadata --volname drive_name --config="C:Program FilesRclonerclone.conf" --log-file="C:Program FilesRclonerclone.txt" --file-perms=0777 --sftp-disable-hashcheck --no-console'

Obviously, you need to replace «server:/» with your actual remote point name and path, also replace drive_name with any name you like, and of cource you may need to edit paths to rclone.conf, rclone.log and rclone.exe, if you installed it in a different location.

Note: in my case running as a system service caused some permission issues (for example, when trying to save Excel files), and I did not figured out why yet, so I ended up creating startup .bat file to run Rclone as a user, since it works perfectly this way. I will update this answer if and when I figure out how to make running as a service to work as good as running as a user.

Even Windows software which does not like network drives, just works with RClone drives. All is needed, is to setup sshd in the remote system (which in this case is not really a remote syset, but in WSL distribution installed on the same PC). This how to setup sshd in WSL distribution: https://www.hanselman.com/blog/how-to-ssh-into-wsl2-on-windows-10-from-an-external-machine. And here is how to make WSL IP address static: https://github.com/ocroz/wsl2-boot, so you can have sshd running always at the same IP address.

I’ve been getting a few questions from Windows users about accessing WSL files in Windows and vice versa. I was originally going to wait with this for the next labs, but since this might actually make things a little clearer for some, I’ll just post the information here instead. If anything’s unclear, just wait for the second lab and I’ll probably be able to explain things better in person.

The WSL distributables (i.e. Ubuntu) are kind of like another machine running within your computer. It just features a Unix command-line interface (that’s the terminal, i.e. the bash shell), so the development tools and experiences are pretty limited. You can run vim, nano, or even emacs (might need to be installed) in the terminal to edit your files, but if you want to use a full-fledged IDE you’ll normally have to edit the files on the Windows side and then transfer them over to the Linux environment in WSL.

When we start working with Python, R and jflap, you can probably just solve the exercises on Windows, since you don’t need Linux to write Python or R code. Of course, you can always install python3 in Ubuntu, but you won’t have access to an IDE (unless you follow the guide in the last part of this post).

Accessing your WSL files in Windows

If you are using WSL 1, this should probably work fine most of the time. However, if you are using WSL2, it probably won’t. WSL2 doesn’t like it when we edit files in both Linux WSL and in Windows. WSL1 doesn’t like it either, but it’s possible to do, and I’ve tried so myself many times now without issues.

To access your Linux files in Windows, open the Ubuntu terminal and type explorer.exe . (include the punctuation mark). This will open the linux directory in Windows Explorer, with the WSL prefix “wsl$Ubuntu-18.04homeyour-username”.

Now, you’ll notice that Windows treats your Linux environment as a second network. This is because, as I’ve stated earlier, the Linux environment is completely separate from the Windows environment and transferring files between these environments is very similar to transferring files between computer networks. I always recommend that you copy the file you want over to a Windows folder before editing it, so that you won’t mess up the original if the file gets corrupted.

PS: To copy the file, run cp [filename] [destination], like this: console cp file.txt /backup/new_file.txt

Accessing your Windows files in the WSL terminal

Similarly, you can also open your Windows files in the Linux environment. Just use the cd command to navigate to your WSL root folder, then navigate into the mnt folder to access your C: drive. See the example below for more details. As you can see, I managed to access my Documents folder. Make sure to enter your own username when you try this yourself.

I recommend you to use the cp command to copy the files you need from Windows to your Linux environment, so that if anything should get corrupted you’re not going to mess up the original file.

Working in WSL with VScode

VScode is a full-fledged IDE from Microsoft, which has very recently released support for editing Linux files remotely. This means that you can open VScode from the Ubuntu terminal, run it in Windows, but edit the files in Linux while also being able to access the Linux terminal and viewing pathnames and home directory correctly. I’ve tried it out today, and… it just works!

So if you insist on using an IDE to edit your Linux files directly, even though you won’t really need to in this course, you can do it by installing the Remote — WSL extension for VScode. See the documentation and guides here.

VScode editor with WSL-remote enabled

Microsoft announced Windows 11 on June 24. The software giant subsequently released the OS to members of the Windows Insider program, and it can currently be tested by those enrolled in the Dev and Beta channels. While many welcomed the new UI changes, some were still skeptical of several inconsistencies that continue to plague Windows in general.

However, one neat feature of Windows 11 is the improved Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), which can now handle graphics and audio natively. In this article, we take a look at what’s new in WSL in Windows 11 and how to get started with it.

What is the Windows Subsystem for Linux

More often than not, developers find themselves switching between the familiar interface of Windows and the ease of command line-based development toolchains in Linux. Also, those who deal with large data find a good number of open source tools natively developed for Linux. The Windows Subsystem for Linux, or WSL for short, enables developers to continue using Windows as their primary OS while giving access to native Linux binaries.

Users, therefore, don’t have to worry about the emulation overhead of running virtual machines or take the pains of configuring a dual-boot setup. While Cygwin does provide a POSIX compatibility layer for running Unix-like commands, it requires recompilation of those commands and as such has limited applicability. With WSL, Windows users can directly invoke the Linux shell just like any other program and run native Linux binaries.

Starting with Windows 10 1903, Microsoft introduced a new version of WSL called WSL 2 that offers tighter integration with the Windows filesystem, fast boot times, faster disk reads, and a fully functioning Linux kernel. Now with Windows 11, Microsoft is even adding GUI and real-time audio support.

Installing WSL in Windows 11

Installing the Windows Subsystem for Linux requires some prerequisites to be taken care of. Since WSL 2 uses an actual virtual machine, your CPU needs to support virtualization. While this shouldn’t be a problem with most modern CPUs from Intel and AMD powering desktops and laptops, this feature is generally turned off in the BIOS/UEFI of the computer.

Boot into the BIOS/UEFI interface of your PC (usually, this involves pressing DEL or F2 key during power-on; refer to your computer’s user guide for more information). Once inside the BIOS, search for Intel Virtualization Technology or AMD Secure Virtual Machine (also indicated as SVM) depending on your CPU and enable it. Save changes and restart the PC.

Upgrading from WSL 1 to WSL 2

Unless you are upgrading from a previous version of Windows with WSL 1, WSL 2 is used by default in all recent versions of Windows 10 (1903 and above) and Windows 11. Using the new GUI, audio, and filesystem enhancements requires a mandatory upgrade to WSL 2.

Follow the steps mentioned below to perform an in-place upgrade from WSL 1 to WSL 2:

1. Type the following in an elevated command prompt, Windows Terminal, or PowerShell.

wsl --set-version <distro-name> 2

2. Make sure to enter the exact name of the distro. If in doubt, just type:

wsl -l -v 

3. This command lists the installed Linux distros, their current state, and the WSL version they are using. Use the name listed here in the previous command to convert a WSL 1 instance to WSL 2.

Enabling WSL in Windows 11

If this is the first time you are using WSL on Windows 11, you will be automatically offered a WSL 2 environment. All you need to do is to ensure CPU virtualization is enabled in the BIOS and WSL features are installed in your environment.

1. To enable WSL, click on the Start button.

2. Type “Turn Windows features on or off”, and in the dialog box enable Windows Subsystem for Linux, Windows Hypervisor Platform, and Virtual Machine Platform.

3. Click on Ok and restart the PC.

The best part about WSL 2 is that most kernel-level features are directly supplied by Windows Update. Your PC may automatically offer the WSL 2 kernel update. If not, just go to the Settings app, click on Windows Update, and click Check for updates to download the latest kernel that enables WSLg (short for WSL GUI) functionality.

At this point, note that you need to have the latest graphics drivers from Intel, NVIDIA, or AMD depending on your primary GPU adapter in order to get full GPU acceleration. You can use the beta drivers for your corresponding GPU or just install the latest public versions. Now that the prerequisites are taken care of, you are all set to install a Linux distro on your Windows 11 machine.

Installing a Linux distro in WSL 2 on Windows 11

The easiest way to get Linux up and running on Windows 11 is to just go to the Microsoft Store and search for a distro of your choice. Currently available options include Ubuntu (16.04, 18.04, and 20.04), Kali Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, openSUSE leap, Fedora Remix for WSL, and Debian.

While the Microsoft Store allows for easy download and installation of these distros, the choices are currently limited. However, with WSL 2, it is possible to create and sideload your own distribution by obtaining the corresponding .tar file. For this article, we will use Ubuntu since it is very popular and there are excellent resources available online if you ever get stuck at a particular command or operation.

Some organizations or domain-joined PCs may have limited access to the Microsoft Store. In such cases, you can directly download the install packages from Microsoft. Follow the steps below to install the distro:

1. You can double-click the installer or use the below PowerShell command from the installer folder.

Add-AppxPackage .distro_name.appx

2. Once your distro of choice has been installed, it should pop up instantly on the Start Menu.

3. Just click on the icon to start an installation instance of Ubuntu.

4. After a few seconds, you will be prompted to create a user account and password. If for some reason, the installer does not prompt you for a user account or password, it will directly log you in as root.

Remember that operating with root privileges is a bad security practice. There is no root password assigned by default, which makes it all the more vulnerable. It always helps to first assign a root password and then create a regular user account. Here’s how you can do it:

1. To assign a new root password, use the command:

sudo passwd root

2. Next, enter and confirm the new root password. Be sure to note it down safely. To create a regular user account, which can then be used for root access as and when needed, type:

sudo adduser <username>

3. Ubuntu will then ask to enter and confirm your password along with some other information such as your Full Name and Phone (this is optional).

4. This creates your dedicated /home directory and shows your username with a $ sign at the bash shell prompt.

The WSL 2 Ubuntu instance is now ready for use.

Update your WSL apps

At this point, we are done with installing Ubuntu and creating a user account and password. Before going on to further steps, it helps to do a quick update check and install the latest packages available for your distro version.

This ensures all your inbox packages are up to date and that you are using the latest features and security improvements. Follow the steps:

1. Enter the following commands to fetch new versions:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get upgrade

2. At the bash prompt, the first time you run sudo, it asks you to enter your password, which should be valid for at least 15 minutes to run successive sudo commands.

Do note that apt-get upgrade will only refer to the repositories defined in /etc/apt/sources/list or /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ and upgrades accordingly.

3. For a more seamless update process, also run:

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

This command can intelligently add or remove packages to ensure there are no redundancies in the system.

Check and upgrade Linux distro version

Generally, the Microsoft Store offers the latest long-term service (LTS) version of Ubuntu by default. It is recommended to use the LTS versions for maximum stability. You can check for new OS versions by running:

sudo do-release-upgrade

However, ensure that the existing installation is up to date by first running the update and upgrade commands as described above. You can check your OS version by typing:

lsb_release -a

Do note that you can also get more information about any command by typing:

man <command name>

Accessing Linux files in Windows 11 and vice-versa

Now that we have successfully installed and configured Ubuntu in Windows 11’s WSL 2, it helps to know how to seamlessly move between Linux and Windows files. In Linux, NTFS and other file systems can be mounted onto a dedicated mount directory.

One neat approach with WSL is that you can directly invoke a Linux terminal from a Windows folder and have the folder already mounted for you. This is made possible via a filesystem plugin called DrvFs that WSL uses to enable interop between the Linux instance and the Windows filesystem.

DrvFs automounts fixed disks such as HDDs and SSDs and makes them available for immediate use. The C drive is mounted on /mnt/c, D drive on /mnt/d, and so on.

1. You can verify this by running the df -h command to list all disks and their mount points. In this example, we have a single C drive, which is mounted on /mnt/c via DrvFs

2. To switch to a Windows drive onto WSL, type the following command in the command prompt and hit enter.

cd /mnt/c #substitute c with the corresponding drive letter as needed

3. Just like regular Linux, you can also mount external storage devices by creating a mount point. Use the following command

sudo mkdir /media/<dir name> #where <dir name> can be any directory name you wish to mount onto.

4. Then mount a drive or partition to this directory.

sudo mount /dev/<deviceID> /media/<dir name>

5. To view the contents of the mounted drive, first switch to it using the command.

cd /media/<dir name>

6. Lastly, list the contents using the command.

ls -ls

Since the whole point of WSL is to have seamless interop between Linux and Windows, it is also possible to view Linux files directly under Windows and edit them with Windows programs.

Windows sees WSL as a PC on the network and mounts Linux as a network share to ensure file permissions are properly maintained as users switch between both operating systems. There are several ways to access WSL files from Windows.

Ways to access WSL Files from Windows

1. The easiest way is to simply look at the left-hand panel of File Explorer for an entry named “Linux”.

2. Clicking on that will list your installed distros as folders. Click the corresponding distro folder to access all Linux directories in that distro.

3. From there, you can create your own files and directories just like how you normally do in Windows.

4. The above directory listing can also be reached by typing \wsl$ in any File Explorer or Run dialog box in Windows.

5. If endless navigation is not your cup of tea, you can also type explorer.exe from any Linux directory in WSL. This will directly open the Windows File Explorer in the current working Linux directory.

In this article, we have familiarized ourselves with WSL 2 and how to successfully install and update a Linux instance within WSL 2. We have also seen how to seamlessly navigate with filesystems across both Windows and Linux. In the upcoming articles, we will look into installing graphics and audio apps and see how well they work in WSLg in Windows 11.

If you have something to add, drop your thoughts in the comments below.

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The connection between Linux and Windows is getting closer and closer. Now that Microsoft has supported Linux with the WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), it is doing what users have asked it to do: The Windows 10 April 2019 update allows access to Linux files from Windows.

Version 1903 of Windows 10 not only gives you the ability to open Linux files in the Explorer, but also the ability to edit Linux files on Windows.

One of the most surprising things about Windows 10 is that you can activate a Windows subsystem for Linux, install a Linux distribution like Ubuntu, and then run Linux commands in a Bash shell.

What is a Windows subsystem for Linux (WSL)?

The Windows for Linux Subsystem (WSL) is a new feature of Windows 10 that allows you to run native Linux command line tools directly on Windows in addition to your traditional Windows desktop applications and modern shop applications.

This feature has been available in one form or another since early 2016, but Microsoft is constantly working to improve the way Windows and Linux can be shared.

For example, you couldn’t start Windows applications from a Linux terminal at an early stage. Now you can. And although you have been able to access Windows files from a Linux terminal for some time now, it is not the opposite that happens. But it will be soon.

How to access Ubuntu files (Windows subsystem) from Windows 10

Although we show this tutorial for the Ubuntu subsystem, the process will be the same for other systems installed on the WSL, such as OpenSUSE, Kali, and others.

The address at which Windows 10 WSL stores the Linux environment file: %user profile%AppDataLocal packages

To access Linux WSL files on Windows 10, do the following.

1. Enable the WSL function.
2. Install Distro, for example Ubuntu, and start it.
3. If you are in a directory under Linux FS, type explorer.
4. This will open a File Explorer window located inside your Linux distribution.

From there, you can access all Linux files, just like any other file in the File Explorer. This includes operations such as: Drag and drop files in both directions, copy and paste, and even use custom context menu items added by Notepad++, VSCode, and other software.

The File Explorer displays the distribution files as a virtual network share under the path \wsl$\.

Accessing Linux files from running WSL Distro in PowerShell

1. open a PowerShell or a raised PowerShell.

2. copy and paste the wsl –list – which works in PowerShell, then press Enter to display the current WSL distortions. Note the name of the WSL distribution (for example, Ubuntu) for which you want to access the files. (see screenshot below)

Type the following command in PowerShell and press Enter to go to the WSL distribution directory.

cd wsl$NameDistributionName>>NameDistribution

Replace in the above command with the real name of the WSL distribution (e. g. “Ubuntu”) you want in step 2.

For example: cd wsl$Ubuntu

Enter them at the command prompt and press Enter to display the above directory.

You can now access your Linux files as usual in PowerShell.

Start the root from the file explorer

It is a relatively simple method.

1. Start the File Explorer.
2. Type Linux and press Enter in the address bar of the file explorer.
3. It will mount the memory for the Linux distributions installed on your computer.
4. The files are visible in the File Explorer.

After accessing these files in the File Explorer, you can run them normally with the programs installed on your computer. And all the changes you make will be visible in the Terminal window.

https://superuser.com/questions/1083962/windows-linux-subsystem-accessing-files-outside-of-ubuntu

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