'The world is really changing': Why Linux on desktop is taking a sudden leap forward (TechRepublic)

Posted Jun 11, 2020 7:15 UTC (Thu) by zdzichu (subscriber, #17118) [Link] (11 responses)

Existence of WSL1 was already used to shot down any efforts for Linux workstation in the company I work at currently. Coincidentally, when we presented shortcomings, Microsoft come out with WSL2. Then WSL2 was used as an excuse to deny Linux on developers laptops, even though WSL2 was not available yet.
The management's idea of development is using 8core/32GB RAM laptops as a terminal to run embedded putty to "develop" on remote linux servers.
(and WSL2 still provides command-line only, right?)

'The world is really changing': Why Linux on desktop is taking a sudden leap forward (TechRepublic)

Posted Jun 11, 2020 7:44 UTC (Thu) by ibukanov (subscriber, #3942) [Link]

For me it sounds like the management just want to stick with Window, period. The existence of WSL gave them a simple and smart-sounding way to dismiss the question from developers about Linux. If not for WSL, I suppose they could just as well point to Cygwin or VirtualBox (which is not much different from WSL2).

'The world is really changing': Why Linux on desktop is taking a sudden leap forward (TechRepublic)

Posted Jun 11, 2020 19:38 UTC (Thu) by HelloWorld (guest, #56129) [Link] (2 responses)

Microsoft is working on GUI support for WSL 2.
https://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/dri-devel/2020-May...

'The world is really changing': Why Linux on desktop is taking a sudden leap forward (TechRepublic)

Posted Jun 12, 2020 16:47 UTC (Fri) by zdzichu (subscriber, #17118) [Link]

They are working on their own Wayland compositor. I've already have one, namely gnome-shell.

'The world is really changing': Why Linux on desktop is taking a sudden leap forward (TechRepublic)

Posted Jun 13, 2020 12:47 UTC (Sat) by swilmet (subscriber, #98424) [Link]

There is also some info in this recent LWN article:
Free user space for non-graphics drivers.

With a link to this blog post:
https://devblogs.microsoft.com/directx/directx-heart-linux/
"support for Linux GUI applications is coming to WSL"

'The world is really changing': Why Linux on desktop is taking a sudden leap forward (TechRepublic)

Posted Jun 12, 2020 6:32 UTC (Fri) by gfernandes (subscriber, #119910) [Link]

In this day and age (of COVID19 mandated work-from-home), and with BYoD now more or less "normal", what with Zoom on your iPad or Android tablet, there's no reason to _not_ use Linux on your own laptop to connect to whatever your organisation insists on using (we are still on Windows-7, from the Science Museum, for instance, at work).

A lot depends on the connection infrastructure, for working from home. And most corporates insist on paying Citrix mega bucks for something that can be cobbled together for free in a few hours time (HTML5 SSH client, SSH tunnel, RDP from whatever OS you love, to whatever ancient version of Windows your organisation insists on using.

But c'est la vie!

Even WSL1 is compatible with VcXsrv

Posted Jun 12, 2020 15:41 UTC (Fri) by gmatht (guest, #58961) [Link]

There isn't an X-Server in WSL1, but since there already Windows X servers like VcXsrv it isn't a dealbreaker.

Windows X servers seem to require a bit more configuration that just being there as on Linux, but I miss low level stuff like mount more than built-in X.

'The world is really changing': Why Linux on desktop is taking a sudden leap forward (TechRepublic)

Posted Jun 14, 2020 12:45 UTC (Sun) by rsidd (subscriber, #2582) [Link] (4 responses)

You can install one of several X servers (I can confirm X410 works well) and run GUI programs, either in their own windows or in a single overall "desktop" window. You can even run a complete XFCE desktop inside a window, perhaps other desktops too.

'The world is really changing': Why Linux on desktop is taking a sudden leap forward (TechRepublic)

Posted Jun 14, 2020 13:44 UTC (Sun) by zdzichu (subscriber, #17118) [Link] (3 responses)

Sorry, but after so many years with Wayland I don't see how it is reasonable to step back into X11 world.

'The world is really changing': Why Linux on desktop is taking a sudden leap forward (TechRepublic)

Posted Jun 14, 2020 13:58 UTC (Sun) by rsidd (subscriber, #2582) [Link]

I've spent more years with X11 than anyone has spent with Wayland. Wayland has nothing to offer me and plenty to take away.

Point is -- if you want to run a GUI app under WSL2, use X11; it works great. If you don't want X11, find another solution.

'The world is really changing': Why Linux on desktop is taking a sudden leap forward (TechRepublic)

Posted Jun 14, 2020 14:15 UTC (Sun) by mpr22 (subscriber, #60784) [Link] (1 responses)

Plenty of the Linux world are still using xorg, not wayland.

'The world is really changing': Why Linux on desktop is taking a sudden leap forward (TechRepublic)

Posted Jun 14, 2020 15:52 UTC (Sun) by Wol (subscriber, #4433) [Link]

Don't forget, even the guy in charge of xorg views Wayland as xorg v2

Cheers,
Wol