Install Void Linux on WSL2

void-wsl.txt

# Based on https://gist.github.com/kmatt/71603170556ef8ffd14984af77ff10c5
# prompt ">" indicates Powershell commands
# prompt "$" are Linux shell commands

# https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-win10

> dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
> dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

# install https://wslstorestorage.blob.core.windows.net/wslblob/wsl_update_x64.msi

> wsl --set-default-version 2

# use rootfs tarball from https://voidlinux.org/download
# ex: https://repo-default.voidlinux.org/live/current/void-x86_64-ROOTFS-20230628.tar.xz
# uncompress but do not extract tar file (don't tar -x)

> wsl.exe --import $DISTRONAME $STORAGEPATH void-$VERSION.tar

> wsl -d $DISTRONAME 

# optional - update xbps mirrors 
$ cp /usr/share/xbps.d/*-repository-*.conf /etc/xbps.d/
# if in US https://voidlinux.org/news/2021/10/mirror-retirement.html

$ xbps-install -Su xbps
$ xbps-install -u
$ xbps-install base-system
$ xbps-remove base-voidstrap
$ xbps-reconfigure -fa

$ useradd -m -G wheel -s /bin/bash $USERNAME
$ passwd $USERNAME

# Default user
$ echo -e "[user]\ndefault=$USERNAME" > /etc/wsl.conf

# Grant sudo
$ sed -i 's/# %wheel ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL/%wheel ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL/' /etc/sudoers

> wsl --terminate $DISTRONAME
> wsl -d $DISTRONAME

I highly doubt editing the registry is "the official way" when WSL reads the configuration file I noted in order to get the information.

@jsumners it reads the registry first, then the config file.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/wsl-config#automount-options

I prefer not to edit the Windows registry if at all possible.

Well the registry is just another place to configure the distro, and these are per-user settings anyway. It's basically the same in the end. Besides, those automount options are not the same setting as setting the default WSL user in general, they're used to give that user the respective permissions.

I don't get what "uncompress but do not unzip tar file" should mean

I don't get what "uncompress but do not unzip tar file" should mean

gunzip rootfs.tar.gz but do not tar xf rootfs.tar

curl.exe seems to be bundled with Windows:

C:\Users\roman>where curl.exe
C:\Windows\System32\curl.exe

and since you'll need something to decompress the rootfs anyway...

> scoop install xz

> rootfs=void-x86_64-ROOTFS-20240314.tar.xz
# the `.exe` is neccessary to disambiguate from the incompatible, half-assed PowerShell cmdlet
> curl.exe -LSfs --remote-name --no-clobber --remove-on-error \
  https://repo-default.voidlinux.org/live/current/$rootfs
> xz -d $rootfs

stripping the .xz tail from $rootfs so this dovetails with the following wsl.exe --import command is left as an excercise for the reader, i've had enough PowerShell. alternatively, you could

> rootfs=void-...tar
> curl.exe ... https://.../$rootfs.xz
> xz -d $rootfs.xz
> wsl --import ... $rootfs

Great document thanks for sharing, this distro is great for development stuff

Thanks. This configuration worked perfectly for me.

i accidentally didn't unzip the rootfs. it turns out it still works, i think? so i think that's an unnecessary step...