microsoft / microsoft/WSL

FEAT: Configure Default dotfiles for all WSL distributions

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#11,880 3 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
feature
Dominant language
C++
Stars
33.7k
Forks
1.8k
Avg merge
3d 17h
Merged PRs (30d)
116

Description

**Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.**
It can be a bit of time-consuming personalizing each WSL distribution. This might save users a bit of time.

**Describe the solution you'd like**
I find myself recreating some of the same files (or at least certain values/variables/aliases that are common to those files) across distributions. It would be great if we could point to a folder on Windows where we have a set of default files stored, i.e., `.bashrc`, `.profile`, etc (or in the alternative, a section of the wslconfig file where a user can configure certain settings that should persist across WSL beyond those currently available), and from the command line, tell `wsl` to place these files in each new distribution as a way to automate the setup.

**Describe alternatives you've considered**
The standard - backing up dotfiles and manually placing them in each new distro - it's workable but not ideal

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start by reviewing how the wsl command creates or initializes a new distribution and how wslconfig settings are currently handled. The request mentions default .bashrc and .profile files, or settings in wslconfig; done would mean agreeing on a concrete configuration scope and automating its application to each new distribution.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
cpp, shell
Domain
cli, operating-systems
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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