Running arch with i3 in wsl using vcxsrv

Created April 17, 2022

Code blog

The goal of this post is to show a minimal configuration to run i3 in Arch linux under WSL using vcxsrv.

Installing necessary apps

Make sure you installed Arch linux on WSL
Download and install VcXsrv

Creating launch scripts

Step 1:

You are going to need 2 files. The first is called arch.vbs and contains the following:

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Set shell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell" )
shell.Run "wsl.exe -u <username> -- sh ~/.config/wsl.sh", 0

⚠️ Make sure your replace <username> with your actual user.

Step 2:

Next, inside wsl run the following code:

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mkdir ~/.config
touch ~/.config/wsl.sh

This will create a .config folder in your home, and add a wsl.sh file to it.

Step 3:

Add the following to the wsl.sh file:

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#!/bin/bash

export DISPLAY=$(cat /etc/resolv.conf | grep nameserver | awk '{print $2}'):0;
export WAYLAND_DISPLAY=$(cat /etc/resolv.conf | grep nameserver | awk '{print $2}'):0;

/mnt/c/Program\ Files/VcXsrv/vcxsrv.exe -ac -wgl -dpms -fullscreen&
i3

Let’s break down the file: The first 2 line are important to tell wsl how to connect to the X-server. You don’t have to worry about customizing it.

The line that launches vcxsrv is important:

The -ac is very important. It disables access control. Without it, nothing will work.
The last options are… optional 😆 Try playing around with the -fullscreen and -multimonitor options depending on your setup

You might also want to try -nodecoration in case you don’t want to run the -fullscreen option. A full breakdown of options is available on the VcXsrv page

Launch it

Now, when you double click the arch.vbs file in windows, it should run wsl and start i3 for you.
If it fails, try running wsl.sh from a wsl instance running in a standard windows terminal.

🪴 Second Brain