3

The IT department at work decided to switch from using VPN to a Virtual Desktop solution. Does anyone has experience using WSL 1/2 inside of virtual desktop ? Is it possible to do it? Just want to know before talking to the IT .

PacMan
  • 103
  • 1
  • 9
  • Isn't Virtual Desktop just...a way to see the screen/desktop of a computer in VR? Should have nothing to do with WSL at all since you're running the same computer, just display is in VR. Am I missing something? – wxz Apr 22 '21 at 03:09
  • WSL2 is a VM within Windows OS, so I don't know how if it will just work out of the box for some application like ssh client – PacMan Apr 22 '21 at 18:38
  • I know what WSL2 is, it's Virtual Desktop I'm asking about. Any ssh client that connects you to windows will also get you to the WSL on that windows computer. [Virtual desktop](https://www.vrdesktop.net/) is virtual reality desktop, completely separate. – wxz Apr 22 '21 at 18:55

1 Answers1

3

WSLv1 can work in virtualized Windows. Consider it a compatibility layer like WINE in reverse. It translates Linux OS API calls to Windows OS calls, allowing you to run native Linux binaries on Windows OS.

WSL is a "Windows Feature" which requires elevated privileges to enable. IT department which manages your virtual desktop may decide whether to allow you to enable WSL or block it.

WSLv2 is entirely different case. It runs true Linux kernel in a Virtual Machine. As your desktop is perhaps already virtualized, running WSLv2 would require nested virtualization, which is neither stable or performant. I'd have not much hope for it.

EdWin
  • 31
  • 4