Windows Wsl Coordination

Windows-WSL Coordination

• NEVER store live .env files or credentials inside any skill folder.
• .env.template files belong only in templates/ within a skill.
• Store live secrets in ~/.admin/.env (or another non-skill location you control) and reference them from there.

Status: Production Ready Last Updated: 2025-12-06 Dependencies: winadmin-powershell skill, WSL2 installed WSL Version: WSL2 with systemd support

Quick Start (5 Minutes)

1. Verify WSL Installation

# Check WSL version
wsl --version

# List installed distributions
wsl --list --verbose

# Check default distribution
wsl --status

2. Configure Resources (.wslconfig)

# Create or edit .wslconfig
notepad "$env:USERPROFILE\.wslconfig"

3. Apply Configuration

# Shutdown WSL to apply changes
wsl --shutdown

# Start default distribution
wsl

Critical Rules

WinAdmin Handles (Windows Side)

• WSL installation and updates (wsl --install, wsl --update)
• Resource allocation (.wslconfig: memory, CPU, swap)
• WSL distribution management (wsl --list, wsl --set-default)
• Windows Terminal WSL profile configuration
• Docker Desktop settings (Windows app)
• Git Credential Manager configuration

WSL Admin Handles (Linux Side)

• Linux package installation (apt install)
• Docker container management
• Python environments (uv, venv)
• Shell configuration (.zshrc, .bashrc)
• systemd services
• Linux file permissions (chmod, chown)
• Git operations within WSL

Never Do

• Run apt install from Windows PowerShell
• Modify .wslconfig from inside WSL
• Use Windows paths directly in Linux scripts
• Edit Linux files with Windows tools that don't handle line endings
• Assume PATH is shared between Windows and WSL

.wslconfig Reference

File Location

C:\Users\{USERNAME}\.wslconfig

PowerShell:

$wslConfigPath = "$env:USERPROFILE\.wslconfig"

Complete .wslconfig Template

# Settings apply to all WSL 2 distributions

[wsl2]
# Memory - How much memory to assign to the WSL 2 VM
# Default: 50% of total memory on Windows or 8GB, whichever is less
memory=16GB

# Processors - How many processors to assign to the WSL 2 VM
# Default: Same number as Windows
processors=8

# Swap - How much swap space to add to the WSL 2 VM
# Default: 25% of available memory
swap=4GB

# Swap file path - Custom swap VHD path
# swapFile=C:\\temp\\wsl-swap.vhdx

# Page reporting - Enable/disable page reporting (memory release)
# Default: true
pageReporting=true

# Localhost forwarding - Enable localhost access from Windows to WSL
# Default: true
localhostForwarding=true

# Nested virtualization - Enable nested virtualization
# Default: true
nestedVirtualization=true

# Debug console - Enable output console for debug messages
# debugConsole=false

# GUI applications - Enable WSLg GUI support
# Default: true
guiApplications=true

# GPU support - Enable GPU compute support
# Default: true
# gpuSupport=true

# Firewall - Apply Windows Firewall rules to WSL
# Default: true
# firewall=true

# DNS tunneling - Enable DNS tunneling
# Default: true
# dnsTunneling=true

# Auto proxy - Use Windows HTTP proxy settings
# Default: true
# autoProxy=true

[experimental]
# Sparse VHD - Enable automatic compaction of WSL virtual hard disk
sparseVhd=true

# Auto memory reclaim - Reclaim cached memory
# Options: disabled, dropcache, gradual
autoMemoryReclaim=gradual

# Network mode - mirrored mirrors Windows networking
# networkingMode=mirrored

Resource Recommendations

WSL Commands Reference

Distribution Management

# List all distributions
wsl --list --verbose
wsl -l -v

# Set default distribution
wsl --set-default Ubuntu-24.04

# Run specific distribution
wsl -d Ubuntu-24.04

# Run as specific user
wsl -d Ubuntu-24.04 -u root

# Terminate specific distribution
wsl --terminate Ubuntu-24.04

# Shutdown all WSL
wsl --shutdown

# Unregister (delete) distribution
wsl --unregister Ubuntu-24.04

Installation and Updates

# Install WSL (first time)
wsl --install

# Install specific distribution
wsl --install -d Ubuntu-24.04

# Update WSL
wsl --update

# Check WSL version
wsl --version

# List available distributions
wsl --list --online

Import/Export

# Export distribution to tar
wsl --export Ubuntu-24.04 D:\backups\ubuntu-backup.tar

# Import distribution from tar
wsl --import Ubuntu-Custom D:\wsl\ubuntu-custom D:\backups\ubuntu-backup.tar

# Set imported distribution version to WSL2
wsl --set-version Ubuntu-Custom 2

Run Commands

# Run single command in WSL
wsl -d Ubuntu-24.04 -e bash -c "echo Hello from WSL"

# Run command and return to Windows
wsl -d Ubuntu-24.04 -- ls -la /home

# Run with specific working directory
wsl -d Ubuntu-24.04 --cd /home/user -- pwd

Cross-Platform File Access

Windows Accessing WSL Files

# UNC path to WSL filesystem
\\wsl$\Ubuntu-24.04\home\username\

# In PowerShell
$wslHome = "\\wsl$\Ubuntu-24.04\home\username"
Get-ChildItem $wslHome

# Read file from WSL
Get-Content "\\wsl$\Ubuntu-24.04\home\username\.bashrc"

# Copy file from WSL to Windows
Copy-Item "\\wsl$\Ubuntu-24.04\home\username\file.txt" "C:\Users\Owner\Documents\"

WSL Accessing Windows Files

# Windows drives are mounted at /mnt/
/mnt/c/Users/Owner/Documents/
/mnt/d/projects/

# Access Windows file from WSL
cat /mnt/c/Users/Owner/.gitconfig

# Copy file from Windows to WSL
cp /mnt/d/projects/file.txt ~/

# Navigate to Windows directory
cd /mnt/d/projects

Path Conversion

# Windows to WSL path (PowerShell)
function Convert-ToWslPath {
    param([string]$WindowsPath)
    $path = $WindowsPath -replace '', '/'
    $path = $path -replace '^([A-Za-z]):', '/mnt/$1'.ToLower()
    $path
}

# Usage
Convert-ToWslPath "D:\projects\myapp"
# Returns: /mnt/d/projects/myapp

# WSL to Windows path (Bash)
wslpath -w /home/username/file.txt
# Returns: \\wsl$\Ubuntu-24.04\home\username\file.txt

# Windows to WSL path (Bash)
wslpath -u 'C:\Users\Owner\Documents'
# Returns: /mnt/c/Users/Owner/Documents

Path Mapping Table

Handoff Protocols

WinAdmin → WSL Admin Handoff

When Windows admin encounters a WSL-specific task:

function Request-WslAdminHandoff {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$Task,
        [string]$Details,
        [string]$AdminRoot = $env:ADMIN_ROOT
    )

    # Log handoff request
    $timestamp = Get-Date -Format "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss"
    $logEntry = "$timestamp - [$env:COMPUTERNAME-WIN] [REQUIRES-WSL-ADMIN] $Task - $Details"

    if ($AdminRoot) {
        Add-Content "$AdminRoot/logs/central/operations.log" -Value $logEntry
    }

    # Display handoff message
    Write-Host "`n" -NoNewline
    Write-Host "========================================" -ForegroundColor Yellow
    Write-Host "  This operation requires WSL Admin" -ForegroundColor Yellow
    Write-Host "========================================" -ForegroundColor Yellow
    Write-Host ""
    Write-Host "Please switch to WSL environment:" -ForegroundColor Cyan
    Write-Host "  wsl -d Ubuntu-24.04" -ForegroundColor White
    Write-Host "  cd ~/wsl-admin" -ForegroundColor White
    Write-Host ""
    Write-Host "Task for WSL Admin:" -ForegroundColor Cyan
    Write-Host "  $Task" -ForegroundColor White
    if ($Details) {
        Write-Host "  $Details" -ForegroundColor Gray
    }
    Write-Host ""
}

# Usage
Request-WslAdminHandoff -Task "Install Python packages" -Details "pip install pandas numpy"

WSL Admin → WinAdmin Handoff

When WSL admin encounters a Windows-specific task:

#!/bin/bash
# request-winadmin-handoff.sh

request_winadmin_handoff() {
    local task="$1"
    local details="$2"

    # Log handoff request
    local timestamp=$(date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
    local hostname=$(hostname)
    local log_entry="$timestamp - [$hostname-WSL] [REQUIRES-WINADMIN] $task - $details"

    if [ -n "$ADMIN_ROOT" ]; then
        echo "$log_entry" >> "$ADMIN_ROOT/logs/central/operations.log"
    fi

    # Display handoff message
    echo ""
    echo "========================================"
    echo "  This operation requires WinAdmin"
    echo "========================================"
    echo ""
    echo "Please exit WSL and use PowerShell:"
    echo "  exit"
    echo "  cd D:\\_admin"
    echo ""
    echo "Task for WinAdmin:"
    echo "  $task"
    if [ -n "$details" ]; then
        echo "  $details"
    fi
    echo ""
}

# Usage
# request_winadmin_handoff "Increase WSL memory" "Edit .wslconfig, set memory=32GB"

Log Tags for Cross-Admin Communication

Decision Matrix

Common Operations

Increase WSL Memory

# 1. Check current memory usage
wsl -d Ubuntu-24.04 -e free -h

# 2. Edit .wslconfig
$config = @"
[wsl2]
memory=32GB
processors=12
swap=8GB
"@
$config | Set-Content "$env:USERPROFILE\.wslconfig"

# 3. Restart WSL
wsl --shutdown
Start-Sleep 2
wsl -d Ubuntu-24.04 -e free -h

# 4. Log the change
Log-Operation -Status "SUCCESS" -Operation "WSL Config" `
    -Details "Increased memory to 32GB" -LogType "system-change"

Check WSL Resource Usage

function Get-WslResourceUsage {
    param([string]$Distribution = "Ubuntu-24.04")

    Write-Host "`n=== WSL Resource Usage ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan

    # Memory
    Write-Host "`nMemory:" -ForegroundColor Yellow
    wsl -d $Distribution -e free -h

    # Disk
    Write-Host "`nDisk:" -ForegroundColor Yellow
    wsl -d $Distribution -e df -h /

    # Processes
    Write-Host "`nTop Processes:" -ForegroundColor Yellow
    wsl -d $Distribution -e bash -c "ps aux --sort=-%mem | head -10"
}

Get-WslResourceUsage

Reclaim WSL Disk Space

# 1. Inside WSL - clean up
wsl -d Ubuntu-24.04 -e sudo apt autoremove -y
wsl -d Ubuntu-24.04 -e sudo apt clean

# 2. Shutdown WSL
wsl --shutdown

# 3. Compact the virtual disk (requires admin PowerShell)
$vhdxPath = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Packages\CanonicalGroupLimited.Ubuntu24.04LTS_*\LocalState\ext4.vhdx"
$vhdx = Get-ChildItem $vhdxPath | Select-Object -First 1

if ($vhdx) {
    Write-Host "Compacting: $($vhdx.FullName)"
    Optimize-VHD -Path $vhdx.FullName -Mode Full
    Write-Host "Compaction complete" -ForegroundColor Green
}

Set Up Shared Directory

# Create shared directory accessible from both
$sharedPath = "D:\shared"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $sharedPath -Force

# WSL can access via /mnt/d/shared
Write-Host "Windows path: $sharedPath"
Write-Host "WSL path: /mnt/d/shared"

Line Ending Handling

Problem: CRLF vs LF

Windows uses CRLF (\r\n), Linux uses LF (\n).

Solutions

# Convert Windows file to Unix (for use in WSL)
$content = Get-Content "script.sh" -Raw
$content = $content -replace "`r`n", "`n"
[System.IO.File]::WriteAllText("script.sh", $content)

# Convert in WSL using dos2unix
sudo apt install dos2unix
dos2unix script.sh

# Convert back to Windows
unix2dos script.sh

Git Configuration

# Configure Git to handle line endings
git config --global core.autocrlf true     # Windows
git config --global core.autocrlf input    # WSL

# Or use .gitattributes
@"
* text=auto
*.sh text eol=lf
*.ps1 text eol=crlf
"@ | Set-Content ".gitattributes"

Troubleshooting

Problem: WSL not starting

# Check WSL status
wsl --status

# Update WSL
wsl --update

# Reset network
netsh winsock reset

# Restart WSL service
Restart-Service LxssManager

Problem: WSL using too much memory

# Add memory reclaim to .wslconfig
@"
[wsl2]
memory=16GB

[experimental]
autoMemoryReclaim=gradual
"@ | Set-Content "$env:USERPROFILE\.wslconfig"

wsl --shutdown

Problem: Can't access Windows files from WSL

# Check if drives are mounted
ls /mnt/

# If missing, check /etc/wsl.conf
cat /etc/wsl.conf

# Should have:
# [automount]
# enabled = true
# root = /mnt/
# options = "metadata"

Problem: Permission denied on WSL files from Windows

# Access WSL files through \\wsl$ path
# NOT through the AppData path directly

# Correct:
Get-Content "\\wsl$\Ubuntu-24.04\home\user\file.txt"

# Wrong (may have permission issues):
Get-Content "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Packages\...\LocalState\rootfs\home\user\file.txt"

Known Issues Prevention

Issue #1: Editing .wslconfig from WSL

Error: Changes don't take effect Prevention: Always edit from Windows, then wsl --shutdown

Issue #2: Running apt from PowerShell

Error: Command not found Prevention: Use wsl -e apt install or switch to WSL

Issue #3: Windows paths in Linux scripts

Error: Path not found Prevention: Use wslpath to convert paths

Issue #4: Line ending corruption

Error: Script has ^M characters Prevention: Use dos2unix or configure Git

Issue #5: Memory not reclaimed

Error: WSL VM keeps growing Prevention: Enable autoMemoryReclaim=gradual

Using Bundled Resources

Scripts (scripts/)

Get-WslStatus.ps1 - Comprehensive WSL status report

.\scripts\Get-WslStatus.ps1

Set-WslResources.ps1 - Configure WSL resources

.\scripts\Set-WslResources.ps1 -Memory 16GB -Processors 8

Templates (templates/)

• .wslconfig - Complete configuration template
• wsl.conf - WSL distribution configuration

Complete Setup Checklist

• WSL2 installed (wsl --version)
• Distribution installed (wsl -l -v)
• .wslconfig created with resource limits
• WSL restarted after config changes
• Cross-platform paths working
• Git line endings configured
• Handoff protocols understood
• Logging configured for cross-admin

Official Documentation

• WSL Documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/
• WSL Config: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/wsl-config
• WSL Filesystems: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/filesystems

Package Versions (Verified 2025-12-06)

{
  "wsl": "2.x",
  "distributions": {
    "Ubuntu-24.04": "Supported",
    "Ubuntu-22.04": "Supported",
    "Debian": "Supported"
  }
}