Error `wsl: Processing /etc/fstab with mount -a failed.` printed on first opening of WSL terminal after boot to mount Google Drive
- Dominant language
- C++
- Stars
- 33.7k
- Forks
- 1.8k
- Avg merge
- 3d 17h
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 116
Description
### Windows Version
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.26100.6725]
### WSL Version
2.6.1.0
### Are you using WSL 1 or WSL 2?
- [x] WSL 2
- [ ] WSL 1
### Kernel Version
6.6.87.2-microsoft-standard-WSL2
### Distro Version
Ubuntu 25.04
### Other Software
Google Drive Version: 114.0.1.0
### Repro Steps
My WSL2 Ubuntu distro prints the error on the first line of opening the terminal right after booting. I configured .wslconfig to automount my fstab so it mounts the G: drive which is Google Drive to /mnt/g as configured on `/etc/fstab`.
Right after my terminal opens, if I type manually `sudo mount -a` the `/mnt/g` mountpoint is correctly mounted. I wonder whats failing so it doesn't mount on open/boot. I wonder if maybe when the WSL2 VM boots, the G: drive is still not available and created by Google Drive.
```sh
❯ cat /etc/fstab
LABEL=cloudimg-rootfs / ext4 defaults 0 0
G: /mnt/g drvfs metadata,rw,umask=22,fmask=11,case=dir,uid=1000,gid=1000 0 0
```
My `.wsl.conf`:
```ini
[automount]
enabled = true
mountFsTab = true
root = /mnt/
options = "metadata,rw,umask=22,fmask=11,case=dir,uid=1000,gid=1000"
[network]
generateHosts = true
generateResolvConf = true
[interop]
enabled = true
appendWindowsPath = true
[user]
# default = $USER
[boot]
systemd = false
```
My `.wslconfig`:
```ini
[wsl2]
networkingMode=mirrored
[experimental]
sparseVhd=true
```
I don't use systemd as it increases startup time and also brings issues with Podman. After some minutes of starting, it deletes the XDG_RUNTIME_DIR that points to `/run/user/1000` and breaks other stuff.
Versions:
```
╰─ wsl.exe --version 3
WSL version: 2.6.1.0
Kernel version: 6.6.87.2-1
WSLg version: 1.0.66
MSRDC version: 1.2.6353
Direct3D version: 1.611.1-81528511
DXCore version: 10.0.26100.1-240331-1435.ge-release
Windows version: 10.0.26100.6725
```
### Expected Behavior
G drive to be automatically mounted.
### Actual Behavior
Automount doesn't work.
### Diagnostic Logs
[WslLogs-2025-10-03_16-50-42.zip](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/22687334/WslLogs-2025-10-03_16-50-42.zip)
Contributor guide
Research direction
Start with the reported /etc/fstab entry and the [automount] settings in .wsl.conf, then compare the first terminal startup with a manual `sudo mount -a`. Review the attached diagnostic logs and .wslconfig settings for the startup ordering involved. Done means the G: drive mounts automatically on the first WSL launch without printing the fstab error.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- linux, ubuntu
- Domain
- operating-systems
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 3/5
- Estimated time
- 1-2 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 45/100