how to set default user

[draylegend]

How to set a default user after export and import?

Steps:

wsl --export alpine d:\wsl\custom-alpine.tar wsl --import custom-alpine d:\wsl\ d:\wsl\custom-alpine.tar

Error

I tried to use wsl -d custom-alpine config --set-default-user bosss but I get /bin/ash: config: Permission denied.

[agowa]

Sorry, but if you use export and import, you're on your own, as you don't use the wrapper, and this GitHub project is just the wrapper. This is probably a question for Microsoft.

Nonetheless, you can look at https://github.com/agowa338/WSL-DistroLauncher-Alpine/blob/master/DistroLauncher/DistroSpecial.h#L23 to see what customizations my wrapper does.

Also, your wsl command is wrong. You're telling it to execute a binary named "config" with the argument "--set-default-user bosss" within the Alpine environment. And the error message is the shell ash reporting that such a binary does not exist.

My guess is that you're trying to use the config parameter of the wrapper (https://github.com/agowa338/WSL-DistroLauncher-Alpine/blob/master/DistroLauncher/DistroLauncher.h#L4). The generic "wsl.exe" does not have that option. So you'd need to either build your own wrapper (this project with your own tar) or find another way.

[agowa]

Here is the Stack Exchange answer: https://superuser.com/a/1627461

Tl;Dr: As I said, not possible with wsl.exe, but alternatives exist.

1) /etc/wsl.conf with

[user]
default=username

2) Setting DefaultUid in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lxss\{$GUID}