WSL 2 not working after installing 20262

Mary Hoffman

I don't think this is quite right. WSL(1) was indeed available in Windows Server 2019 LTSC and I was able to use it perfectly fine. WSL2 on the other hand wasn't, because it simply did not exist back then yet.

Also, WSL2 was backported to Windows 10 Versions 1903 and 1909 a while ago (WSL 2 Support is coming to Windows 10 Versions 1903 and 1909), but not the Windows Server 2019 LTSC, which is based on Windows 10 version 1809.

WSL2 then worked perfectly for the first early LTSC preview builds, but then suddenly stopped working once the flighting branch was changed to "fe_release[_server]" in build 20246 onwards. Main Windows 10 Insider Preview also switched branches there (Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 20246 | Windows Insider Blog). WSL1 however appears to continue to work just fine.

I had opened a GitHub issue about this a while ago: WSL 2 broken on Windows Server Preview (since change to fe_release branch) · Issue #6301 · microsoft/WSL (github.com)

Mary HoffmanWe need a proper desktop environment, and CUDA support on a command line (e.g. for tensorflow or Docker or other Linux command line applications that need GPU acceleration). So we need WSL2. Strangely, Microsoft offers this option on Windows 10 but not Windows Server. (At the same time, Windows 10 and Windows 10 Pro for Workstation do not allow multiple users to logon simultaneously, so we cannot use them). There was a glimmer of hope with WSL2 support in the early vNext versions of Windows Server 2022, so we started using it, tolerating all the bugs. Now, Microsoft appears to be dropping the ball again, by dropping WSL2 support from Windows Server LTSC entirely... I am not sure why such strange decisions are being made. If we want multiple users + a desktop environment + CUDA on a command line, we are out of luck. Microsoft is leaving us without any option here, other than a full Linux desktop.

Mary Hoffman 

I see, but there wasn't any new LTSC version of server released since WS2019 (1809), so it is clear that WSL2 was released only in the SAC.

AFAIK the WS2022 is being developed in the same cycle as the Windows 10 and Windows Server 21H2.

If that is true, there is quite a big chance WSL2 will be part of the WS2022, when released.

Well, unless the product team decides to remove it, not include it or simply not support it.

If nothing goes wrong the WS2022 will be here in few months, so there isn't much time left for the decision to be made.

When it will be announced what will be part of the LTSC and what will be deprecated?

thanks

Lubomir