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Show HN: Build Your WSL Distro in Docker

48 points by K0IN 2y ago

cckk 2y ago
looks cool! Forgive my ignorance, but what's the adv of this over using Docker on WSL2?
- K0IN 2y ago
  for me, the advantages are: * In WSL2 I don't need to worry about, ports, mounts and data persistence (I think this is possible in docker but it needs more setup work) * I don't need docker desktop running in the end I think that both can solve the problem, I myself prefer wsl for my day to day tasks.
  - tricked 2y ago
    fyi docker works perfectly fine in wsl on Ubuntu and other distro using the standard installation method on Linux, no docker desktop needed.
K0IN 2y ago
I love WSL, but I have multiple systems and juggling apt packages is a pain. So I had this in my head for a long time, that I can just build a rootfs using docker and load it in WSL. I tried it yesterday, and now I have a CLI tool to build my WSL image using Dockerfiles. I'm not sure if it helps anyone, but I wanted to share it, just in case. Cheers.
- gavinray 2y ago
  Could you add this to the README? I went looking for the "Why?" and couldn't find it, I think others would like to hear this too =) Best thing I could come up with was "declarative WSL setup like Nix/Fedora Silverblue"
- turboponyy 2y ago
  Somewhat related: https://github.com/nix-community/NixOS-WSL https://github.com/nix-community/NixOS-WSL
Rucadi 2y ago
Nice tool :) I did something similar in a hackathon some years ago. https://github.com/Rucadi/wsld https://github.com/Rucadi/wsld It's totally unmaintained and forgotten :D In general, what I do now to generate WSL images is to docker run a container, and then export it to a .tar, finally, install that tar, is that easy. However, if I had your tool installed, for sure I would use that for ease of use.
- K0IN 2y ago
  Hei interesting, thanks for sharing. Also, the idea to do it the other way around WSL -> docker image is really nice.
el_oni 2y ago
Very cool, this should help me to be able to separate my different testing environments. Thanks for sharing!
marmaduke 2y ago
This is awesome! I was just today building a new wsl distro, and I didn’t want it tied to just a version of Linux but rather a project. I had to download a rootfs of Ubuntu and import it, and then spent time installing everything. Ofc I could use a bash script to automate the second part. So this would have solved my prob: have a dockerfile or image and up an wsl env for it. Given how great wsl is these days (i used to have Linux and Mac as daily drivers, now wsl) I guess this sort of thing will become more and more relevant
pasi1337 2y ago
Thats a pretty nice thing to have! Thanks for sharing this.

48 points by K0IN 2y ago

cckk 2y ago

looks cool! Forgive my ignorance, but what's the adv of this over using Docker on WSL2?

K0IN 2y ago
for me, the advantages are: * In WSL2 I don't need to worry about, ports, mounts and data persistence (I think this is possible in docker but it needs more setup work) * I don't need docker desktop running in the end I think that both can solve the problem, I myself prefer wsl for my day to day tasks.
- tricked 2y ago
  fyi docker works perfectly fine in wsl on Ubuntu and other distro using the standard installation method on Linux, no docker desktop needed.

K0IN 2y ago

I love WSL, but I have multiple systems and juggling apt packages is a pain. So I had this in my head for a long time, that I can just build a rootfs using docker and load it in WSL. I tried it yesterday, and now I have a CLI tool to build my WSL image using Dockerfiles. I'm not sure if it helps anyone, but I wanted to share it, just in case. Cheers.

gavinray 2y ago
Could you add this to the README? I went looking for the "Why?" and couldn't find it, I think others would like to hear this too =) Best thing I could come up with was "declarative WSL setup like Nix/Fedora Silverblue"
turboponyy 2y ago
Somewhat related: https://github.com/nix-community/NixOS-WSL https://github.com/nix-community/NixOS-WSL

Rucadi 2y ago

Nice tool :) I did something similar in a hackathon some years ago. https://github.com/Rucadi/wsld https://github.com/Rucadi/wsld It's totally unmaintained and forgotten :D In general, what I do now to generate WSL images is to docker run a container, and then export it to a .tar, finally, install that tar, is that easy. However, if I had your tool installed, for sure I would use that for ease of use.

K0IN 2y ago
Hei interesting, thanks for sharing. Also, the idea to do it the other way around WSL -> docker image is really nice.

el_oni 2y ago

Very cool, this should help me to be able to separate my different testing environments. Thanks for sharing!

marmaduke 2y ago

This is awesome! I was just today building a new wsl distro, and I didn’t want it tied to just a version of Linux but rather a project. I had to download a rootfs of Ubuntu and import it, and then spent time installing everything. Ofc I could use a bash script to automate the second part. So this would have solved my prob: have a dockerfile or image and up an wsl env for it. Given how great wsl is these days (i used to have Linux and Mac as daily drivers, now wsl) I guess this sort of thing will become more and more relevant

pasi1337 2y ago

Thats a pretty nice thing to have! Thanks for sharing this.