microsoft / microsoft/WSL

Use multiple and per-user `DistributionListUrl`s

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#13,098 3 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

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feature
Dominant language
C++
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Forks
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Avg merge
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Merged PRs (30d)
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Description

**Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.**

1. I want to use additional distribution sources.
I am not an admin.
Everything else I do with WSL doesn't require administrative privileges and doesn't affect global state and suddenly this does.

2. I want to use multiple additional distribution sources.
I can't.
I can either replace the Microsoft official source or add a single additional source.

**Describe the solution you'd like**

1. I want WSL to consider `HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lxss` and not only the same path under `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE`.

2. `DistributionListUrlAppend` should be `REG_MULTI_SZ` and WSL should consider the multiple sources that may appear there.

**Describe alternatives you've considered**

For the first issue - there aren't any.
For the second issue, a workaround might be to create a local server that generates a combined JSON on the fly.

**Additional context**

See also #13099 for another improvement request regarding the distribution lists.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by locating the WSL code that reads DistributionListUrlAppend and the Lxss registry settings; the issue names the HKCU and HKLM paths but no files or tests. Confirm how per-user settings and multiple REG_MULTI_SZ sources should be combined, then verify behavior for both administrative and non-administrative users.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
operating-systems
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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