WSL-Distribution-Switcher Swaps Out Ubuntu For Other Distros On Windows

[duby229]

The question is not if, is when. Its just a matter of time until WSL become as good as bash on linux, probably even better since it can be used on windows and integrated with their tools.

That's a highly intimidating thought.

[137ben]

Good info. This may sound a bit sadistic, but I'm glad user experience hasn't been good. It would be horribly bad if folks started using WSL instead of adopting Linux,

I tried it (one of my computers has a dual installation of Windows 10 and LMDE...all my other machines are just Linux and BSD), and I could access C:. However, NTFS users backslashes where basically all Unix-like file systems use forward slashes. As a result, a lot of BASH scripts I tried didn't work. There might be a way around it, but I didn't bother. I'll just stick with Linux for getting serious work done.

[dxxvi]

Are only bash and bash scripts able to run in WSL? Or can we install any non-gui application there?

[dEnigma]

Are only bash and bash scripts able to run in WSL? Or can we install any non-gui application there?

I did experiment a little bit with it and was able to install gcc and make, and compile and run a small test program in C. Not sure about other applications.

[dEnigma]

Update: Installing and running the "hollywood" app works for the most part^^

[starshipeleven]

The question is not if, is when. Its just a matter of time until WSL become as good as bash on linux, probably even better since it can be used on windows and integrated with their tools.

tools? what tools? On Windows there is jackshit for command line interface apart a few undocumented system tools for windows stuff.

[starshipeleven]

That's a highly intimidating thought.

Don't worry, as far as CLI ecosystem goes, linux/unix roflstomps Windows CLI ecosystem any day.

It's far more likely that this linux subsystem becomes a must-have on windows to do CLI stuff or run scripts there than a utterly non-existant CLI ecosystem on windows does any harm to Linux.

Really, the "advanced windows shell" is PowerShell man. Did you even see PowerShell? It's cool only if you don't have bash/perl/python. If you have them it's a nope.

[aht0]

Really, the "advanced windows shell" is PowerShell man. Did you even see PowerShell? It's cool only if you don't have bash/perl/python. If you have them it's a nope.

AutoIT3.. free, easy syntax and usable for functional and oo programming. Interpreted script like python. Stuff like Windows process/service/file manipulation, Windows API and DLL calls are probably easier in it. Also GUI manipulation/building. Unlike python it's strictly single-threaded which sets it's limitations to what and how much it can do.

[smitty3268]

Are only bash and bash scripts able to run in WSL? Or can we install any non-gui application there?

I believe GUI apps work, but you have to run the X-server as a native windows app (they do exist) and not within WSL.