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

[phoronix]

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

With the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) that allows for "Bash on Windows" via the Windows 10 Anniversary update, Ubuntu is the default choice while a new WSL-Distribution-Switcher open-source project makes it easy to now load the distribution of your choice under Windows...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=WSL-Distribution-Switcher

[nullsteph]

As cool as this feature sounds, I'm finding it useless. You can't access C: from the bash shell, or do anything with the host system. Using Cygwin gives me more functionality, or even running Docker for a nix shell would be better.

[kaprikawn]

I hadn't realised this was released with the anniversary update. This prompted me to look, and I've just installed it. Git doesn't seem to work

Edit : it seems ssh was the issue, works fine when I clone using http

[duby229]

As cool as this feature sounds, I'm finding it useless. You can't access C: from the bash shell, or do anything with the host system. Using Cygwin gives me more functionality, or even running Docker for a nix shell would be better.

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,

[LinAGKar]

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,

Having a bad experience with WSL isn't going to make people like Linux.

[duby229]

Having a bad experience with WSL isn't going to make people like Linux.

Not like, adopt. I think there's a difference in that adopting a linux distribution is often times the first experience people get with open source. And it's a powerful experience for many people.

[xilun]

You can't access C: from the bash shell, or do anything with the host system.

You can trivially access C: (its in /mnt/c/, and that's well documented - you clearly way too much are misinformed!)

In the next version you'll be able to launch Win32 .exe from WSL - it's already possible in the last Insider versions. The way it has been implemented is even quite good: it uses a standard Linux interface (binfmt_misc)

[edmon]

You can trivially access C: (its in /mnt/c/, and that's well documented - you clearly way too much are misinformed!)

In the next version you'll be able to launch Win32 .exe from WSL - it's already possible in the last Insider versions. The way it has been implemented is even quite good: it uses a standard Linux interface (binfmt_misc)

you are an "insider", aren't you

[edoantonioco]

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.

[edoantonioco]

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,

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.