microsoft
WSL Ubuntu starts in Windows Terminal, not Ubuntu-style terminal and Terminal Starts Ubuntu in Ubuntu style Terminal
Windows Version
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.22631.4460]
WSL Version
WSL version: 2.3.26.0
Are you using WSL 1 or WSL 2?
- [x] WSL 2
- [ ] WSL 1
Kernel Version
No response
Distro Version
Ubuntu 24.04
Other Software
No response
Repro Steps
I just installed Wsl and Ubuntu nothing else, i didn't even notice it at first but then opened one with different method and it was completely different.
Normal method i use :
Different method i used to open terminal in a new tab:
Expected Behavior
I'm expecting that when i launch "ubuntu" from start menu it launches me in Ubuntu style terminal and if i launch the "Terminal" it doesent lanuch the Ubuntu but whatever it used to do before ( i think it was powershell or command line not sure).
Ubuntu style terminal :
Actual Behavior
I recently started using WSL and i have some problemes with it :
When launch i launch Ubuntu from start menu it opens in windows terminal.
When i open new Ubuntu terminal from inside the terminal it opens "Ubuntu style" terminal.
When from start menu i search Ubuntu and do "Run As Administrator" it opens this terminal.
and if i launch it from powershell using "wsl -d Ubuntu" it launches inside powershell.
and when i search just "Terminal" and launch it, guess what instead of normal windows terminal it launches the Ubuntu Terminal.
It's very annoying that it's different depending on where you launch it from.
Diagnostic Logs
No response
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How to collect WSL logs
Download and execute collect-wsl-logs.ps1 in an administrative powershell prompt:
Invoke-WebRequest -UseBasicParsing "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/WSL/master/diagnostics/collect-wsl-logs.ps1" -OutFile collect-wsl-logs.ps1
Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force
.\collect-wsl-logs.ps1
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View similar issues
Please view the issues below to see if they solve your problem, and if the issue describes your problem please consider closing this one and thumbs upping the other issue to help us prioritize it!
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i lanched the WSL Ubuntu in all ways that are stated above for the logs :
LogsWslLogs-2024-12-01_08-10-36.zip
... if you think you've got it.. lol... when i try to launch Ubuntu from start, i get "search for ubuntu" or "xterminal (ubuntu)". Despite having both Ubuntu and Terminal (Ubuntu) in my start.
... if you think you've got it.. lol... when i try to launch Ubuntu from start, i get "search for ubuntu" or "xterminal (ubuntu)". Despite having both Ubuntu and Terminal (Ubuntu) in my start.
Try adding it to indexing option or add ubuntu to network location that might solve it. (tell me if it works)
Solution to Open Linux Distro in Its Own Terminal Tab
@A-s-a-d I faced the same problem with Ubuntu, and it persisted even after I switched to Arch Linux. Here’s how I resolved it. Follow these steps to open your Ubuntu (or any distro) in a dedicated Windows Terminal tab:
Step 1: Create a Shortcut for Your Distro
-
Right-click on your Desktop → New → Shortcut
-
In the location field, type:
wt -p "Ubuntu"(Replace
"Ubuntu"with your distro name if it’s different)
-
Name the shortcut (e.g., Ubuntu) and customize the icon if you like.
Step 2: Modify Windows Terminal Profile
- Open Windows Terminal → Settings → Open JSON file (
settings.json) - Find your distro profile (e.g.,
"Ubuntu") and add this line inside it:{ "commandline": "wsl -d Ubuntu" } - Save and close the file.
Step 3: Test Your Shortcut
- Double-click the shortcut you created. It should now open Ubuntu in its own terminal tab (instead of CMD).
Final Step (For Better Experience)
Since you created the shortcut on your desktop, you may now see two "Ubuntu" options in the Start Menu. Let’s fix that:
- Search for "Ubuntu" in the Start Menu → Right-click → Open file location.
- Identify which shortcut belongs to the old profile and delete it.
- Now, cut the new shortcut from the Desktop and paste it into:
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
That’s it! You’ll now have only one "Ubuntu" entry in the Start Menu, and it will always open in its dedicated terminal tab.
I hope this works for you because it worked perfectly for me!
I'm not sure if this is the exact problem others are having but for me, having my WSL2/Ubuntu start in Windows Terminal was driving me bananas. I fixed this by going to Terminal Settings and changing "the default terminal app to host command-line apps" from "Let Windows decide" to "Windows Console Host". My general rule of thumb is never let Windows decide.
