Windows 10: Cannot run GUI app on WSL 2

I want to open some GUI apps on WSL 2 using Windows Insider 19640, but it doesn't work. For example, if I want to open gthumb in Ubuntu terminal, it throws an error:


lemma@DESKTOP-TE65AIF:~$ xhost +

xhost: unable to open display ":0"

lemma@DESKTOP-TE65AIF:~$ gthumb

Unable to init server: Could not connect: Connection refused



** gthumb:17130: CRITICAL **: 18:42:10.819: Failed to parse arguments: Cannot open display:


In .bashrc file, I set:

export DISPLAY=':0'

export LIBGL_ALWAYS_INDIRECT=1

:)

 

WSL 2, GUI Applications using XServer

I've seen this question before, but none of the solutions are working for me. I know the steps that are mentioned everywhere to get GUI applications working for WSL 2 on the Windows 10 Pro Insider Preview.

1. Install XServer on your windows 10 machine (here I used VcXsrv)
   
2. Run the XServer
   
3. Install something in WSL 2 that you want to display (for me it was terminator)
   
4. Run DISPLAY=:0 terminator -u to get it running.
   

However, when I do number 4, I get:

When I echo $DISPLAY it returns :0 as expected.

When I try to open something simple like xclock I get Error: Can't open display: :0

The X server is definitely running as I set it up and it exists in the Windows 10 system tray. I've tried many configurations for the X server, and I get the same thing every time. I've also tried just setting the $DISPLAY in the .bashrc file, with the same results.

I've also tried the solutions proposed here, by exporting DISPLAY to localhost:0.0, which the same results (also tried 0.0, :0, and a few others).

I've tried rebooting, uninstalling and reinstalling things, and I get the same results every time. I'm not sure what to try next.

 

Blurry fonts on using Windows default scaling with WSL GUI applications (HiDPI)

Is there a way to fix blurry fonts in linux GUI applications when being run from WSL (Ubuntu 18.04) using the default Windows scaling? Things I have tried so far:

With Xming:

1. Tried disabling Windows scaling and setting it from linux side using GDK_DPI_SCALE=2.5, the problem with this is several things like context menu icons don't play nicely and are often not scaled. Without GDK_DPI_SCALE=2.5, applications are basically unusable since the text is extremely tiny.
   
2. Tried installing all the fonts from C:\Windows\Fonts to C:\Program Files\Xming\fonts\TTF and running mkfontscale, couldn't make it work this way either.
   
3. Tried using VcXsrv, has the same issue.
   

Screenshots

• Clion:
  

• Comparison between emacs (WSL) and VS Code (Windows native)
  

All the resources I have looked up so far:

1. Why are WSL GUI apps rendered with blurry fonts with Xming?: The answer here is specifically for just firefox and electron based applications.
   
2. Gnome-Terminal blurry on Xming: Doesn't have anything helpful in particular either other than a suggestion to disable scaling and using something else than Xming.
   
3. DPI issues running GUI programs on a 4K screen: Suggests using VcXsrv.
   

The main purpose of doing all this is to be able to run text editors(emacs)/IDE(Clion) from WSL. And, the reason I cannot install their windows equivalent is we develop only for linux.

Few system details:

Screen

4K (3840x2160) - 15.6"

OS

• Windows: Windows 10 Home v1803 Build: 17134.345
  
• WSL: Ubuntu 18.04 (Linux username 4.4.0-17134-Microsoft #345-Microsoft Wed Sep 19 17:47:00 PST 2018 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux)
  

 

WSL and Linux apps

Hi there

@decimus
@margrave55

if you install an X-server for Windows you can actually run some Linux GUI apps (you won't get a full Linux GUI though but some individual apps work quite well)

This X-server works for me : VcXsrv Windows X Server download | SourceForge.net

What I like is that any Linux file manager can handle long path / directory and file names --the 266 limitation on standard windows apps has irritated me for ages -- especially with large disk capacities in RAID configurations.

WSL can also handle Linux formatted file systems and run SAMBA. I think UBUNTU is the easiest to use on WSL --to get some GUI apps you can install the KDE plasma desktop via Ubuntu's package manager, start the Windows X-Server, connect to a screen on your Ubuntu and then try and start some apps. Dolphin (file manager) and kpatience (spider solitaire etc) work perfectly. GRSYNC - another great program for backing up data works a treat too -- note this is for DATA backup --for system imaging I use like a lot of people on these boards the excellent Macrium Free edition.

here' s two examples on Ubuntu using WSL on W10 -- have fun !!!!









Cheers
jimbo