Table of contents
Get distrbutions by size
❯ Get-Wsl | Sort-Object -Property Length -Descending | Format-Table Name, @{Label="Size (MB)"; Expression={ $_.Length/1Mb }}, @{Label="File"; Expression={$_.BlockFile.FullName}}
Name Size (MB) File
---- --------- ----
Ubuntu-20.04 87349 C:\Users\AntoineMartin\AppData\Local\Packages\CanonicalGroupLimited.Ubuntu20.04onWindows_79rhkp1fndgsc\LocalState\ext4.vhdx
Arch 33099 C:\Users\AntoineMartin\scoop\persist\archwsl\data\ext4.vhdx
godev 32799 C:\Users\AntoineMartin\Documents\src\godev\ext4.vhdx
cm 19518 C:\Users\AntoineMartin\AppData\Local\cm\ext4.vhdx
citest 5983 C:\Users\AntoineMartin\AppData\Local\citest\ext4.vhdx
rancher-desktop-data 2409 C:\Users\AntoineMartin\AppData\Local\rancher-desktop\distro-data\ext4.vhdx
kaweezle 2078 C:\Users\AntoineMartin\AppData\Local\kaweezle\kaweezle\ext4.vhdx
jekyll 932 C:\Users\AntoineMartin\AppData\Local\Wsl\jekyll\ext4.vhdx
deb 716 C:\Users\AntoineMartin\AppData\Local\Wsl\deb\ext4.vhdx
rancher-desktop 569 C:\Users\AntoineMartin\AppData\Local\rancher-desktop\distro\ext4.vhdx
Get running distrbutions
❯ Get-Wsl -State Running
Name State Version Default
---- ----- ------- -------
jekyll Running 2 False
deb Running 2 False
godev Running 2 False
Stop all running distributions
If a distrbution is currently used in Visual Studio Code, you will be disconnected.
❯ (Get-Wsl -State Running).Stop()
####> Stopping jekyll...[ok]
####> Stopping deb...[ok]
####> Stopping godev...[ok]
❯
Remove distributions
To remove a single distrbution, simply type:
❯ Uninstall-Wsl deb
You can use a wildcard to remove multiple distrbutions at the same time:
❯ Get-Wsl alpine*
Name State Version Default
---- ----- ------- -------
alpine1 Stopped 2 False
alpine2 Stopped 2 False
# or get-wsl alpine* | uninstall-wsl
❯ uninstall-wsl alpine*
❯
Rename distribution
It may be handy to rename a distrbution:
PS> (Get-wsl jekyll2).Rename('jekyll')
PS> Get-Wsl jekyll
Name State Version Default
---- ----- ------- -------
jekyll Running 2 False
PS❯
Export distribution
An existing WSL distribution can be exported for reuse with the Export-Wsl cmdlet:
PS> Export-Wsl jekyll
####> Exporting WSL distribution jekyll to C:\Users\AntoineMartin\AppData\Local\Wsl\RootFS\jekyll.rootfs.tar...
####> Compressing C:\Users\AntoineMartin\AppData\Local\Wsl\RootFS\jekyll.rootfs.tar to C:\Users\AntoineMartin\AppData\Local\Wsl\RootFS\jekyll.rootfs.tar.gz...
####> Distribution jekyll saved to C:\Users\AntoineMartin\AppData\Local\Wsl\RootFS\jekyll.rootfs.tar.gz.
Type Os Release State Name
---- -- ------- ----- ----
Local jekyll 3.19.1 Synced jekyll.rootfs.tar.gz
PS>
The saved root filesystem can be reused to create a new WSL distribution:
PS> Install-Wsl jekyll2 -Distribution jekyll
####> Distribution directory [C:\Users\AntoineMartin\AppData\Local\Wsl\jekyll2] already exists.
####> [jekyll:3.19.1] Root FS already at [C:\Users\AntoineMartin\AppData\Local\Wsl\RootFS\jekyll.rootfs.tar.gz].
####> Creating distribution [jekyll2] from [C:\Users\AntoineMartin\AppData\Local\Wsl\RootFS\jekyll.rootfs.tar.gz]...
####> Done. Command to enter distribution: wsl -d jekyll2
PS>