WSL tutorials should clearly state they are Windows 11 only

[dotnetCarpenter]

I'm using WSL2 Ubuntu 21.04 on Windows 10 with a x86_64 5.10.16.3-microsoft-standard-WSL2 kernel.

I need to run a python3 script that uses python3-tk .

While I can install python3-tk via apt, I get the following error: _tkinter.TclError: no display name and no $DISPLAY environment variable.

So I found someone needing to setup $DISPLAY on WSL2, then I found a Microsoft Tech article about installing VcXsrv Windows X Server and in that article it said that support for running GUI Apps will soon be released. Hence, I found this article.

I'm on the Insider Program but got bumped from the Beta Channel to Release Preview Channel, because I only have a TPM 1.2 chip and apparently everything earlier than Release Preview Channel is Windows 11 only.

Run Linux GUI apps on the Windows Subsystem for Linux (preview) fails to mention that this feature is only available in Windows 11! The article is not old, its from April this year (2021).

Please update the article to state that this is Windows 11 only or provide a way for Windows 10 users to get Windows 10 Insider Preview build 21362!

Since I will never be able to run Windows 11 on my laptop it would waste 100% less of my time if all articles on https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/tutorials/ would clearly state that they are Windows 11 only or provide work-arounds.

Thanks!

PS. winver says I have Version 21H2 (OS Build 19044.1165) - there should to be a way to copy this information (I had to write down what the dialog said!).

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Document Details

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• ID: 9766c3d7-c8ac-d361-3d34-eadaacee283c
• Version Independent ID: 03d806dd-56d9-f230-b7f8-b6f583168247
• Content: Run Linux GUI apps with WSL
• Content Source: WSL/tutorials/gui-apps.md
• Product: dev-environment
• Technology: windows-subsystem-for-linux
• GitHub Login: @craigloewen-msft
• Microsoft Alias: crloewen

[dzid26]

The article is confusing.
Seems like Windows 10 Insider Preview 10.0.21364.1000 was available a couple of months ago in the Dev Insider channel, but it isn't anymore.
It's also not available as a standalone ISO.

So I don't see a way to get the WSL gui on Win10 anymore.

[dotnetCarpenter]

@dzid26 I've successfully used https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-dev-appconsult/running-wsl-gui-apps-on-windows-10/ba-p/1493242 on my system (disregard the xfce4 stuff, unless you are planning to use that desktop environment).

To avoid having to run that command every time that WSL is launched, you can include the command at the end of the /etc/bash.bashrc file:

I also skipped that ☝️ part and instead added export DISPLAY to my .profile. I'm using Ubuntu BTW

export DISPLAY="`sed -n `'s/nameserver //p' /etc/resolv.conf`:0"

But you are right about the article. It should be fixed. False hope and all that :(

[dzid26]

Run Linux GUI apps on the Windows Subsystem for Linux (preview) fails to mention that this feature is only available in Windows 11! The article is not old, its from April this year (2021).

Please update the article to state that this is Windows 11 only or provide a way for Windows 10 users to get Windows 10 Insider Preview build 21362!

Seems like they updated the article.