14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft announced Ubuntu Bash support in Windows 10 at Build 2016, and the feature finally debuted for users with build 14316, but initially, it only allowed the running of apps in command line.
And yet, it turns out that there’s a way to run Ubuntu apps on Windows 10 even with a user interface, which is pretty much the best mix that you can get right now between the two operating systems.
WindowsClan is reporting about a tool developed by reddit user w2q2, who managed to find a way to run X server outside of Bash and thus make it possible to launch Ubuntu apps with a graphical user interface.
“Obviously it's going to be slower than a native Windows/Linux application but probably better than VNC/X11 forwarding,” the developer explains.
To do this, you need to install the Xming X Server for Windows and then run the following command in Bash (you can replace the Firefox string with any other app installed in Bash):
Ubuntu Dash in Windows 10 build 14316
Windows 10 Redstone build 14316, which is a preview of the Anniversary Update coming in the summer, is the first to bring Dash support for insiders, but what’s important to know is that the feature isn’t enabled by default in the operating system.
To use it, you must first enable Developer Mode in Settings > Update & Security > For developers, then search for Windows Features, and click the option that reads “Turn Windows features on or off.” Here you need to enable “Windows Subsystem for Linux (Beta),” and you’re done.
If you want to launch Bash, all you have to do is open a command prompt window and type “bash.”
Remember that this feature is still in beta stage, and some apps fail to work properly, but the whole experience should be smoother when the Anniversary Update debuts in the summer.
Thanks for the tip, Awais!