WSL crashes shortly after startup
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Description
### Windows Version
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.26200.7840]
### WSL Version
2.6.3.0
### Are you using WSL 1 or WSL 2?
- [x] WSL 2
- [ ] WSL 1
### Kernel Version
6.6.87.2
### Distro Version
Ubuntu 24.04
### Other Software
_No response_
### Repro Steps
This machine previously had Ubuntu 20.04 installed on WSL2, but it was removed using `wsl --unregister`.
To reproduce the problem:
1. Execute `wsl --install` to install Ubuntu 24.04.
2. Execute `wsl` to run Ubuntu 24.04.
3. It displays
```
Provisioning the new WSL instance Ubuntu
This might take a while...
Create a default Unix user account: tzeng
logger: socket /dev/log: No such file or directory
logging to syslog failed: command line logger --id=215 --tag=adduser --priority=user.info -- Adding user `tzeng' ... returned error: 256
logger: socket /dev/log: No such file or directory
logging to syslog failed: command line logger --id=215 --tag=adduser --priority=user.info -- Selecting UID/GID from range 1000 to 59999 ... returned error: 256
logger: socket /dev/log: No such file or directory
logging to syslog failed: command line logger --id=215 --tag=adduser --priority=user.info -- Adding new group `tzeng' (1000) ... returned error: 256
logger: socket /dev/log: No such file or directory
logging to syslog failed: command line logger --id=215 --tag=adduser --priority=user.info -- Adding new user `tzeng' (1000) with group `tzeng (1000)' ... returned error: 256
logger: socket /dev/log: No such file or directory
logging to syslog failed: command line logger --id=215 --tag=adduser --priority=user.info -- Creating home directory `/home/tzeng' ... returned error: 256
logger: socket /dev/log: No such file or directory
logging to syslog failed: command line logger --id=215 --tag=adduser --priority=user.info -- Copying files from `/etc/skel' ... returned error: 256
New password:
Retype new password:
passwd: password updated successfully
logger: socket /dev/log: No such file or directory
logging to syslog failed: command line logger --id=215 --tag=adduser --priority=user.info -- Adding new user `tzeng' to supplemental / extra groups `users' ... returned error: 256
logger: socket /dev/log: No such file or directory
logging to syslog failed: command line logger --id=215 --tag=adduser --priority=user.info -- Adding user `tzeng' to group `users' ... returned error: 256
wsl: Failed to start the systemd user session for 'tzeng'. See journalctl for more details.
To run a command as administrator (user "root"), use "sudo ".
See "man sudo_root" for details.
```
4. After about 3 minutes, WSL will crash and jump back to the upper-level cmd window.
### Expected Behavior
Normal continuous execution.
### Actual Behavior
WSL crashes and jumps back to the upper-level cmd window.
### Diagnostic Logs
1. [WslLogs-2026-02-23_10-55-46.zip](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/25474916/WslLogs-2026-02-23_10-55-46.zip)
2. [WSL Debug Console](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/25475049/wsl_debug_console.log)
Contributor guide
Research direction
Start by reproducing the failure with WSL 2, Ubuntu 24.04, and the listed Windows and kernel versions. Inspect WslLogs-2026-02-23_10-55-46.zip and wsl_debug_console.log, focusing on the delayed crash after provisioning; done means Ubuntu remains running normally instead of returning to the parent cmd window.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- linux, ubuntu
- Domain
- operating-systems
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 42/100