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How to start Xorg on WSL?

in flag

I have installed Windows subsystem for Linux on my Windows 10 laptop. This is a simple terminal tool which does not have graphical interface at all. I therefore installed everything together with the Xorg, in order to set up the Graphical User Interface.

Unfortunately, when I ran startx after installation, it reported error message 'çan't find /etc/X11/.Xauthority'. I don't know what do I lack, because I have done everything I can.

I saw a software in Microsoft shop named Xserver, which should work, I will have a try.

Nmath avatar
ng flag
*"This is a simple terminal tool which does not have graphical interface at all"*. You're exactly right. This is the stated purpose of WSL. It is **possible** to get a desktop or GUI apps working, but it's not easy and it's not what WSL was designed to do. If you want an Ubuntu desktop while running Windows, you should use a VM like VirtualBox. See: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/faq#can-i-run-all-linux-apps-in-wsl-
hr flag
Still relevant: [What's the easiest way to run GUI apps on Windows Subsystem for Linux as of 2018?](https://askubuntu.com/questions/993225/whats-the-easiest-way-to-run-gui-apps-on-windows-subsystem-for-linux-as-of-2018)
NotTheDr01ds avatar
vn flag
You'll need a *Windows* X server, along with all the X libraries installed under Ubuntu. There are a large number of [existing questions and answers](https://askubuntu.com/search?q=%5Bwsl%5D+xserver) on the topic, so I'm going to recommend closing this one as a duplicate. Please read through other answers first, then come back and say what did or didn't work for you from those. Thanks!
NotTheDr01ds avatar
vn flag
Does this answer your question? [What's the easiest way to run GUI apps on Windows Subsystem for Linux as of 2018?](https://askubuntu.com/questions/993225/whats-the-easiest-way-to-run-gui-apps-on-windows-subsystem-for-linux-as-of-2018)
NotTheDr01ds avatar
vn flag
@Nmath I wouldn't go so far as to say that "not having a graphical interface" is the (or even "a") stated purpose of WSL. In fact, that's one of the features currently being added to WSL, and currently available in Windows Insider/Preview builds (see "WSLg"). Note that I don't recommend going Insider/Preview just for this feature, but it will soon be released (planned for H2 of this year).
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