microsoft / microsoft/WSL

Include an option in wsl command to force the output to English

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#7,654 5 comments 2 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.
When writing programs or script that calls the wsl command and parses the output, it is challenging if it changes depending on the language installed on the PC. For example, now in the WSL Store version if I call wsl --export, depending on the output I must guess the result. Before this change, no output meant success. Now I must parse the output.

Describe the solution you'd like
I want an option to be added like --force-english-output or --force-locale-output XX to the wsl command to output in a language different from the installed one.

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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 tracing the wsl command's handling of --export and where its localized output is selected. Determine how a force-English or locale option should interact with the installed language and existing command behavior. Done means scripts can request stable English output, with the option and its supported locale behavior documented and verified for export results.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
cli, operating-systems
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
28/100

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