Linux GUI application on windows: WSL2 and VcXsrv configuration

It is now quite easy to use X application from WSL2 linux distribution. Let’s review how.

Prerequisites

• You are using chocolatey
• You already have configured your WSL2 image and have a GUI program available like xeyes

Step by step

On WSL2 Linux side:

• Add this to /etc/profile.d/set-display.sh¹ - then source it:

export HOST_IP=$(cat /etc/resolv.conf | grep nameserver | awk '{print $2}')
export DISPLAY=$HOST_IP:0

The WSL2 virtual machine has its own network stack, it can retrieve its host IP through the /etc/resolv.conf file.

On windows side:

• Install VcXsrv

choco install vcxsrv -y

• Auto start VcXsrv by
  • win + r then type shell:startup
  • Right click > new > shortcut
  • Enter shortcut location to "C:\Program Files\VcXsrv\vcxsrv.exe" -ac -multiwindow

-ac option means the X server will accept any client connection. It should be okay for a home desktop. Be careful of these kind of options on a laptop.

We will have to configure firewall rules, otherwise WSL2 linux would not be able to communicate with VcXsrv

• Double click on the shortcut you just created.
• When for firewall configuration about VcXsrv, check second option ensuring it can communicate on public networks.

Conclusion

You should now be able to launch a graphical application from WSL2 and see its graphical window appear. Your configuration should also be persisted across reboots

To test it, in linux terminal:

xeyes

should open a GUI application with two eyes following your mouse cursor.

Troubleshooting

If you have trouble at this point, check no blocking rule exist for VcXsrv windows xserver in your firewall configuration:

• win + r. then type wf.msc
• Click on inbound rule
• Delete each blocking rule for VcXsrv windows xserver

Resources

• GitHub - cascadium/wsl-windows-toolbar-launcher: Adds linux GUI application m…