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https://github.com/archenoth/wslsetup

How I like to set up WSL
https://github.com/archenoth/wslsetup

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How I like to set up WSL

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README 

        
#+TITLE:Windows 10 WSL setup

#+AUTHOR:Archenoth

#+EMAIL:[email protected]

:SETTINGS:

#+STARTUP: hidestars inlineimages

#+DRAWERS: SETTINGS

:END:



WSL is nice on its own, but I've found a few ways to make it integrate with Windows a lot nicer!

So this is what I do when I set up WSL!



* Symlinks

The first thing I do when I set up a new WSL instance is make a few symlinks between the two systems.



The first one is for the root drive (Requires root):

#+begin_src sh :dir /sudo:root@localhost:/

  ln -s /mnt/c /host

#+end_src



Then I add a few folders in my home folder that make the link between Windows and Linux pretty seamless. (If you already have these folders, you might need to move or nuke them first)



If you aren't running this from Emacs, you can hit =[Windows] + [R]=, type "=%userprofile%=" and hit =[Enter]=. Then hit =[Ctrl] + [L]= type "=bash=" and =[Enter]= again.

This should put you in correct folder this should be run from.

#+begin_src sh :dir (string-trim (shell-command-to-string "wslpath `cmd.exe /c 'echo %USERPROFILE%'`"))

  for i in Desktop Documents Downloads Videos Music Pictures; do

    ln -s $i ~

  done



  mkdir ~/Documents/Code ~/Documents/Writing

  ln -s ~/Documents/Code ~/Documents/Writing ~

#+end_src



* Base programs

After installing [[https://chocolatey.org/][Chocolatey]], installing some essential programs can be done from the following in an /elevated/ command prompt.

#+begin_src bat :tangle ~/Desktop/install-essentials.bat

  choco install xming autohotkey wsltty -y

#+end_src



And after that's done, the wsltty terminal can be set up with the following:

#+begin_src sh :shcmd "cmd.exe"

  C:\ProgramData\Chocolatey\lib\wsltty\tools\wslttyinstall\install.bat

#+end_src



My configuration for wsltty is basically just to make it look like a simple and slightly transparent terminal:

[[./mintty.png]]



This goes in =%APPDATA%\wsltty\config=

#+begin_src conf :tangle (string-trim (shell-command-to-string "wslpath `cmd.exe /c 'echo %APPDATA%/wsltty/config'`"))

ThemeFile=dainty-monokai-night-mod

Transparency=5

OpaqueWhenFocused=no

CursorType=block

Font=Consolas

FontHeight=11

ZoomShortcuts=no

AltFnShortcuts=no

BackgroundColour=0,0,0

#+end_src



The above theme is follows, and goes in =%APPDATA%\wsltty\themes\dainty-monokai-night-mod= (Originally from [[https://github.com/alexanderte/dainty-wsltty][here]], and modified slightly for contrast):

#+begin_src conf :tangle (string-trim (shell-command-to-string "wslpath `cmd.exe /c 'echo %APPDATA%/wsltty/themes/dainty-monokai-night-mod'`"))

# source: https://github.com/alexanderte/dainty-wsltty

# MIT License



BackgroundColour=40, 40, 40

Black=51, 51, 51

Blue=106, 126, 200

BoldBlack=102, 102, 102

BoldBlue=129, 154, 255

BoldCyan=102, 217, 239

BoldGreen=166, 226, 46

BoldMagenta=195, 159, 255

BoldRed=249, 38, 114

BoldWhite=248, 248, 242

BoldYellow=226, 226, 46

CursorColour=248, 248, 240

Cyan=86, 173, 188

ForegroundColour=222, 222, 222

Green=134, 180, 43

Magenta=195, 159, 255

Red=196, 38, 94

White=227, 227, 221

Yellow=179, 180, 43

#+end_src



For XMing, I update my [[~/.Xresources][.Xresources]] file to get a slightly nicer looking X11:

#+begin_src conf :tangle ~/.Xresources

  Xft.antialias: 1

  Xft.dpi: 96

  Xft.hinting: 1

  Xft.hintstyle: hintsfull

  Xft.lcdfilter: lcddefault

  Xft.rgba: rgb

#+end_src



Then I edit my [[~/.profile]] to include things like the following at the end:

#+begin_src sh

  # Allow graphical Linux programs to know how to connect to XMing

  export DISPLAY=127.0.0.1:0



  # Make XMing look nicer

  xrdb -merge $HOME/.Xresources

#+end_src



For AutoHotKey, I make a little script to start wsltty when I hit =Ctrl + Alt + T=, just like the default keybinding in a lot of Linux window managers.

#+begin_src ahk :tangle ~/Code/ahk/terminal.ahk

  ^!t::

      Run, C:\Users\Archenoth\AppData\Local\wsltty\bin\mintty.exe --WSL= --configdir="%APPDATA%\wsltty" -~

  Return

#+end_src



I also make a little vbscript file to run XMing, and then to start bash once (to run my .profile with the Linux-side XMing configuration):

#+begin_src vbscript :tangle ~/Code/vbs/start-xming-profile.vbs

  CreateObject("Wscript.Shell").Run """C:\Program Files (x86)\Xming\Xming.exe"" :0 -clipboard -multiwindow", 0, False

  CreateObject("Wscript.Shell").Run "bash -lic exit", 0, True

#+end_src



After making these, I copy shortcuts for that *last two* scripts above into my =shell:startup= folder. (You can access by typing that into the run dialog you get by hitting =Win + R=)



That will make this stuff all start on login, and without popping up any ugly command windows on startup. (That's why I used vbscript here--to squelch the command prompt popups)



* Startup services

To get Linux *services* starting on Windows start (Before anyone logs in), I create a startup script in /etc/ named after the user that will run it, so in my case, I call it =rc.arch.local=:

#+begin_src sh :tangle /sudo:root@localhost:/etc/rc.arch.local :tangle-mode (identity #o500)

  #!/bin/bash

  service cron start

  service ssh start

#+end_src



I then add my user to a sudoers files to allow this to be run as root without a password:

#+begin_src sh :tangle /sudo:root@localhost:/etc/sudoers.d/archrc :tangle-mode (identity #o400)

  # Startup script access for default user

  archenoth ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /etc/rc.arch.local

#+end_src



In Windows, I open up the Task Scheduler and make scheduled tasks to run the [[/sudo:root@localhost:/etc/rc.arch.local][/etc/rc.arch.local]] file with passwordless sudo when the computer starts.



This is what the task I made looks like exported as XML (You may need to change the user in here if you are planning on importing it into your Task Scheduler):

#+begin_src xml :tangle ~/Desktop/WSL rc.arch.local.xml

  

  

    

      2019-11-08T12:49:06.8481246

      JIRACHI\Archenoth

      Starts the Linux Subsystem rc.arch.local script

      \WSL rc.arch.local

    

    

      

        true

      

    

    

      

        S-1-5-21-3695860422-1816032588-548272057-1001

        S4U

        LeastPrivilege

      

    

    

      IgnoreNew

      false

      true

      true

      true

      false

      

        true

        false

      

      true

      true

      false

      false

      false

      PT72H

      7

    

    

      

        C:\Windows\System32\bash.exe

        -c "sudo /etc/rc.arch.local"

      

    

  

#+end_src



I didn't bother with vbscript for this one since it runs before I even log on, so there still aren't any command prompt popups.



And that about covers the main tweaks I make! Feel free to steal as many of these ideas as you like..! ^^



* Tweaks

These aren't as major, but they are nice little things I sometimes enjoy being able to use.



** Using Linux programs from cmd.exe

I wrote a little Windows binary that, if you rename it to a Linux command, that Linux command will run. So if you like having git.exe on your path, you can use the Linux version with your Linux SSH config.



To set it up, you can run the following:

#+begin_src sh

  mkdir -p /host/Oshawott/bin

  wget https://github.com/Archenoth/wsl_proxy/releases/download/0.2.0/wsl_proxy.exe -O /host/Oshawott/wsl_proxy.exe



  remaining=1023

  find /bin /usr/bin /usr/local/bin /usr/sbin -executable -type f -maxdepth 1 ! -name bash -printf "%f\n" \

      | sort | uniq | while read bin; do

      echo "Linking $bin"

      if [ "$remaining" -le "0" ]; then

          remaining=1023

          cp /host/Oshawott/wsl_proxy.exe /host/Oshawott/wsl_proxy2.exe

          mv /host/Oshawott/wsl_proxy.exe "/host/Oshawott/bin/$bin.exe"

          mv /host/Oshawott/wsl_proxy2.exe /host/Oshawott/wsl_proxy.exe

      else

          remaining=$((remaining-1))

          ln /host/Oshawott/wsl_proxy.exe "/host/Oshawott/bin/$bin.exe"

      fi

  done

#+end_src



This will download the =wsl_proxy.exe= program, and link every executable in a number of bin folders likely on your =$PATH=. (We aren't gonna use =$PATH= proper since it will return many executables that aren't actually if you have any Windows paths in there)



The 1023 links per copy business is because each file can have only a maximum of 1024 links at any given time. (And yes, WSL hardlinks work on Windows)



To use this, you'll need to change your "Path" in =sysdm.cpl= under "Advanced" -> "Environment Variables" -> "User variables for " to include =C:\Oshawott\bin=.



** Run exes without writing ".exe"

You can use =command_not_found_handle= to automatically append =.exe= to your commands if they don't exist on Linux and try again.

All you need to do is modify the handle in [[/sudo:root@localhost:/etc/bash.bashrc::command_not_found_handle][bash.bashrc]] to look like:



#+begin_src sh

  if [ -x /usr/lib/command-not-found -o -x /usr/share/command-not-found/command-not-found ]; then

      function command_not_found_handle {

          if which "$1.exe" 1>/dev/null 2>&1; then

              EXE="$1.exe"

              shift

              $EXE $*

              return $?

          else

              # check because c-n-f could've been removed in the meantime

              if [ -x /usr/lib/command-not-found ]; then

                  /usr/lib/command-not-found -- "$1"

                  return $?

              elif [ -x /usr/share/command-not-found/command-not-found ]; then

                  /usr/share/command-not-found/command-not-found -- "$1"

                  return $?

              else

                  printf "%s: command not found\n" "$1" >&2

                  return 127

              fi

          fi

      }

  fi

#+end_src



Since WSL does pathname translation, this means you can do crazy things like =explorer Code/ahk= and it will open that code folder with =explorer.exe= properly if it's in your $PATH!



*Note:* Programs run this way won't work on paths that only WSL can see. Which is another good reason to have [[Symlinks][symlinks between your two systems set up]]!



** Turn off dings every time you hit tab (And other things)

I don't really like how tab completion, or many other actions in Linux make my computer ding at me, so I like to replace the =bell-style= in [[/sudo:root@localhost:/etc/inputrc::bell-style][/etc/inputrc]] to be =set bell-style none=.



* Conclusion

I mostly wrote this file for myself, but if you stumbled across it somehow, I hope you found these tricks useful!