Desktop support for WSLg

[awatarswiatlo1]

Is your feature request related to a problem:

I hate that i need to use default windows desktop and i really want that virtual env experience.

Describe the solution you'd like:

a window representing a destkop like windows sandbox or a dedicated command or icon to switch from linux to windows

Describe alternatives you've considered:

none

Additional context:

No response

[Biswa96]

It is possible to change the view like full desktop mode with WSL2_WESTON_SHELL_OVERRIDE=desktop-shell environment variable. More info can be found here https://github.com/microsoft/wslg/wiki/WSLg-Configuration-Options-for-Debugging

[shoffmeister]

While the wiki lists such an option, naïvely putting

[system-distro-env]
WSL2_WESTON_SHELL_OVERRIDE=desktop-shell

is not good enough, as the wiki alludes to - but weston.rdp is a mystery?

With just the config listed above, after wsl --shutdown I get a flickering mouse cursor, a flicker msdtc app - and no content on screen.

Is there some additional magic that I could try? I do understand that this may not be a supported approach, just would like to explore it.

[Biswa96]

There is another option which is not documented in wiki but mentioned in the code. If you are using latest versions WSL from Windows Store, the following option may work:

[system-distro-env]
WSL2_RDP_CONFIG_OVERRIDE=wslg_desktop.rdp

Add those lines in C:\Users\<your-user-name>\.wslgconfig file. Then wsl.exe --shutdown and start wsl.

That option was added in this commit https://github.com/microsoft/wslg/commit/690c91c25400bc53aab708187452d4b31d991023. I am not sure if it is meant for all users. There will a full window with close and minimize buttons above.

[shoffmeister]

https://github.com/microsoft/wslg/tree/435b42ad093d8c9e785b57f2455098db2e3508c0/package is interesting; with that, the rather terse comment on the wiki (remoteapplicationprogram:s:dummy-entry) actually makes sense, to the extent that

[system-distro-env]
WSL2_WESTON_SHELL_OVERRIDE=desktop-shell
WSL2_RDP_CONFIG_OVERRIDE=wslg_desktop.rdp

actually produces a fully fledged session window, with what appears to be the default Weston server - and a horribly janky mouse cursor:

This does not seem to be all that useful, though, because of the jankiness, the server not resizing with the mstsc window, ... . But its cute :)

[standrze]

The cursor may be able to get corrected with the following environment variable WLR_NO_HARDWARE_CURSORS=1

In sway for RDP, this env variable is used WLR_LIBINPUT_NO_DEVICES=1

How did you get Konsole and Firefox installed?

I had the same issue in Hyper-V with the cursor on Wayfire

[shoffmeister]

re: the UI things - I simply installed https://github.com/WhitewaterFoundry/Fedora-Remix-for-WSL and did sudo dnf install ...; the dependencies worked out. I have systemd enabled, I believe.

On Ubuntu, it's the same story, IIRC - but there, by default, you'd have to have systemd enabled, due to Ubuntu's decision to ship Firefox as a snap (- or you simply ignore what Ubuntu want and enable some proper PPA for the native Firefox)

TL;DR: Just use your package manager, possibly install any dependencies that the distro did not define well.