"Hidden window" mode

[arcanis]

It would be nice to be able to run GUI utilities without having the console window displayed. For example, I've made a shortcut to C:\Windows\System32\bash.exe -c "DISPLAY=localhost:0.0 uxterm", but when I run it I end up with two windows (the extra one being unresponsive).

[arcanis]

I've tried start /B bash -c "DISPLAY=localhost:0.0 nohup uxterm &" && exit, but with no avail :(

Same thing with disown: exiting the bash shell also exits all child processes.

Also tried powershell -WindowStyle hidden -Command bash -c "DISPLAY=localhost:0.0 uxterm", nope.

[arcanis]

I've finally succeded with the following:

powershell -windowstyle hidden -command "&{ bash -c 'DISPLAY=localhost:0.0 uxterm' }"

However, there's still a quick window flash when the command starts, but have no idea how to remove it.

[dertuxmalwieder]

I second that. The PowerShell shortcut works but it has usability issues.

[onomatopellan]

From build 17666 release notes

Add --exec option for wsl.exe to invoke a single binary without a shell.

Maybe it's what you are looking for.

[dertuxmalwieder]

>wsl --exec <my application here>
/bin/bash: --: invalid option

I don't seem to have build 17666 yet. :-)

[onomatopellan]

Only Insiders in the fast Ring can try it. Others will need to wait for Fall 2018 Update.

[dertuxmalwieder]

Thank you. I'll wait.

[benhillis]

They functionality is will still launch a console. It it mainly a way to launch a particular binary without invoking it through $SHELL -c command. Useful if you hosed your /etc/passwd file or set your default shell to one that doesn't work.

[onomatopellan]

@benhillis I see, thanks for the clarification.

[therealkenc]

Useful if you hosed your /etc/passwd file or set your default shell to one that doesn't work.

But that was fixed, no?

[benhillis]

The former, not the later. Let's say you're a sadomasochist and set your root user's shell to echo.

[therealkenc]

Got it. That makes sense. It is useful for other stuff too 😉.

[benhillis]

@therealkenc - Exactly!

[therealkenc]

Now you just need to fix up the signature of WslLaunch. It looks like:

int execve(const char *filename, char *const argv[], char *const envp[]);

It is interactive unless the caller close()ed fd 0/1/2, naturally.

[hugmanrique]

This ranks high on my list of hacks:

1. Create runhidden.vbs file with the following contents:

CreateObject("Wscript.Shell").Run "" & WScript.Arguments(0) & "", 0, False

2. Run the script with wscript:

wscript "[SCRIPT_LOCATION]\runhidden.vbs" "wsl code ~"

The window flash is gone! wscript is the .exe version of cscript, which is used to run the VB script. This script was made by harrymc and is available at https://superuser.com/a/62646/1047024 (Solution 1, 3rd script)