best way to install Mint in WSL 2 - noob question

[philb2]

OK, I don't really know squat about Linux, just ancient versions of UNIX. https://hardforum.com/threads/progr...e-issue-or-my-lack-of-linux-knowlege.2027730/ And by extension, I don't even know half a squat about WSL 2.

I just heard about Linux Mint, which has a built in GUI. That sounds attractive because I would not have to do all the X11 install stuff, etc. But Mint is not on the supported list of distros.

NAME FRIENDLY NAME
Ubuntu Ubuntu
Debian Debian GNU/Linux
kali-linux Kali Linux Rolling
Ubuntu-18.04 Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
Ubuntu-20.04 Ubuntu 20.04 LTS
Ubuntu-22.04 Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
OracleLinux_7_9 Oracle Linux 7.9
OracleLinux_8_7 Oracle Linux 8.7
OracleLinux_9_1 Oracle Linux 9.1
openSUSE-Leap-15.5 openSUSE Leap 15.5
SUSE-Linux-Enterprise-Server-15-SP4 SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4
SUSE-Linux-Enterprise-15-SP5 SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 SP5
openSUSE-Tumbleweed openSUSE Tumbleweed

So do I need to install Mint as a separate distro? How? How do I make Mint the default install? Again, I am a complete Linux and WSL 2 noob.

 

[LukeTbk]

Maybe you do not want to install it via WSL 2 at all , WSL is useful to have a Linux windows speak too directly (you often keep it even GUI less), S meaning subsystem, that let you have a terminal/neovim-vstudio in your regular windows that compile and run on linux, easily copy-paste file between them, run bash in your powershell etc... you can also install run Linux application with a GUI directly in your windows desktop.

If you want to try Linux Mint to try Linux and not to interact with your Windows session, you are probably better to simply install it in a virtual machine like in the old days.

You can use different virtual machine program, but Windows come with one that work well Hyper-V that you can use

https://www.zoneofdevelopment.com/2023/01/11/linux-how-to-create-a-linux-vm-on-windows-11/

 

[philb2]

Maybe you do not want to install it via WSL 2 at all , WSL is useful to have a Linux windows speak too directly (you often keep it even GUI less),

I like the changes in Ubuntu to make it easier to use for someone who is Windows-centric. E.g. "dir" command, case-insensitivity on file names, ease of mounting Windows partitions, etc. But I also want a GUI so I can do drag-and-drop file operations and GUI-based editing.

S meaning subsystem

Don't understand what you mean here?

, that let you have a terminal/neovim-vstudio

Visual Studio? Sure and I like the fact that it runs native on both Windows and Linux. I havn't worked with it you, so I don't know the ins and outs of working with VStudio in both environments on the same code text files.

in your regular windows that compile and run on linux, easily copy-paste file between them, run bash in your powershell etc... you can also install run Linux application with a GUI directly in your windows desktop.

Sounds good. How do I do that?

If you want to try Linux Mint to try Linux and not to interact with your Windows session, you are probably better to simply install it in a virtual machine like in the old days.

You can use different virtual machine program, but Windows come with one that work well Hyper-V that you can use

https://www.zoneofdevelopment.com/2023/01/11/linux-how-to-create-a-linux-vm-on-windows-11/

Well maybe I don't need Mint after all. I just found the this on the Ubuntu home page https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/instal...h-gui-support#5-install-and-use-a-gui-package

 

[LukeTbk]

Don't understand what you mean here?

WSL is usually to a Linux system that run hidden in background of your windows session, to elevate what your windows can do, it will be more complicated to setup than simply launhing an new virtual machine in your hyper-V manager (that come with already available Ubuntu).

It depends on what you are trying to do in Linux.

 

[philb2]

WSL is usually to a Linux system that run hidden in background of your windows session, to elevate what your windows can do, it will be more complicated to setup than simply launhing an new virtual machine in your hyper-V manager (that come with already available Ubuntu).

It depends on what you are trying to do in Linux.

I'm just trying to run a compiler that is still not available in Windows. Initially I will edit the program input text files in Windows. I'm hoping that I can use Visual Studio in Linux to also edit input files, examine the compiler output (text file). Nothting more. Pretty lightweight.

 

[LukeTbk]

You can probably have your Linux be without a GUI, CLI will do and after your wsl is installed you will have in your windows explorer a Linux section (a bit like were network is) to easily copy or get files from it (like reading the compiler output).

Visual Code (not sure visual studio can run on Linux, but Visual Code is quite mature by now and so popular, by far the most popular coding platform, that you can find extension and tutorial for pretty much anything) can be made to run and use your windows GUI but will be running inside your Linux in reality:
https://code.visualstudio.com/blogs/2019/09/03/wsl2

It has extension made for it that work well, bottom left corner show you if your currently on the Linux subsystem or windows, they have a step by step tutorial for it:

https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/remote/wsl