Use instance name as folder name when --name is specified #13554
Conversation
When creating a WSL 2 instance with `--name` but without `--location`, and when `distributionInstallPath` is configured in `.wslconfig`, the folder name now uses the instance name instead of a GUID.
1. **src/windows/service/exe/LxssUserSession.cpp**
- Updated `RegisterDistribution` method to use the provided distribution name as the folder name when:
- `DistributionName` is provided (via `--name` parameter)
- `TargetDirectory` is not provided (no `--location` parameter)
- Maintains backward compatibility by using GUID when no name is provided
2. **test/windows/UnitTests.cpp**
- Enhanced existing test to verify folder name matches instance name
- Added new test case to verify GUID behavior is preserved when no name is provided
Fixes microsoft#13530
This change improves usability by making distribution folders more identifiable and easier to manage when users explicitly provide instance names.
Signed-off-by: Giovanni Magliocchetti <[email protected]>
obrobrio2000
requested review from
OneBlue,
benhillis,
Copilot,
craigloewen-msft and
justus-camp-microsoft
There was a problem hiding this comment.
Pull Request Overview
This PR implements a quality-of-life improvement that uses the --name parameter value as the folder name for new WSL distributions when distributionInstallPath is configured but --location is not explicitly provided. Previously, WSL would always use GUID-based folder names even when users specified a custom instance name.
Key changes:
- Modified distribution registration logic to use instance name as folder name when
--nameis provided - Preserved GUID-based naming for backward compatibility when no name is specified
- Added comprehensive test coverage for both named and auto-named distribution scenarios
Reviewed Changes
Copilot reviewed 2 out of 2 changed files in this pull request and generated no comments.
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| src/windows/service/exe/LxssUserSession.cpp | Updated RegisterDistribution logic to use instance name as folder name when available |
| test/windows/UnitTests.cpp | Enhanced existing test and added new test case to validate both named and GUID-based folder creation |
test/windows/UnitTests.cpp
Outdated
| { | ||
| std::wstring cmd = std::wstring(L"--unregister ") + name; | ||
| LxsstuLaunchWsl(cmd.c_str()); | ||
| break; |
There was a problem hiding this comment.
Let's use hardcoded name for the test distributions here, otherwise this might conflicts with pre-existing distributions and I'd rather not have the tests remove my distributions when I run them :)
There was a problem hiding this comment.
CreateTarFromManifest() can be used to generate a .tar with a specific default name
test/windows/UnitTests.cpp
Outdated
| // Find the installed distribution | ||
| auto distros = wsl::windows::common::SvcComm().EnumerateDistributions(); | ||
| std::wstring installedName; | ||
| for (const auto& distro : distros) |
There was a problem hiding this comment.
We can remove this block, since ValidateDistributionStarts will validate that the distribution exists
test/windows/UnitTests.cpp
Outdated
| VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(std::filesystem::path(basePath).parent_path().string(), currentPath.string()); | ||
|
|
||
| // Validate that the folder name is a GUID (since no --name was provided) | ||
| auto folderName = std::filesystem::path(basePath).filename().wstring(); |
There was a problem hiding this comment.
nit: We could use GetDistributionId(<name>) and validate that the GUID matches the distribution ID here
Signed-off-by: Giovanni Magliocchetti <[email protected]>
2 participants
Closes #13530
Summary
This PR implements a quality-of-life improvement that uses the
--nameparameter value as the folder name for new WSL distributions whendistributionInstallPathis configured in.wslconfigbut--locationis not explicitly provided.Problem
Currently, when creating a WSL 2 instance with a specific name and a configured default installation path in
.wslconfig, the folder created uses a GUID-based name rather than the instance name:With
.wslconfig:Results in:
This makes it harder to manage instances and requires users to always specify
--locationexplicitly.Solution
This PR modifies the distribution registration logic to use the provided instance name as the folder name when:
--nameis specified--locationis NOT specified.wslconfig)After this change:
Results in:
Backward Compatibility
The GUID-based folder naming is preserved when no
--nameis provided, ensuring backward compatibility with existing workflows and automation that rely on auto-generated names.Changes Made
Code Changes
src/windows/service/exe/LxssUserSession.cpp
RegisterDistributionto check if a distribution name is providedtest/windows/UnitTests.cpp
Testing
The changes include comprehensive test coverage:
--locationparameter still works as expectedBenefits