Advertisement

How to run Linux GUI apps on Windows 10 in Bash

With the recently released Windows 10 build 14316, which is part of the upcoming Anniversary Update, Microsoft introduced a new Linux command line shell "bash" to Windows. It allows running console Linux apps. Microsoft claims that the Linux subsystem is a native implementation which makes it faster than any virtual machine. But unlike a Linux virtual machine instance, the bash console of Windows 10 doesn't allow you to run Linux GUI apps out-of-the-box. Here is how to bypass this limitation so you can run X server graphical apps.

Advertisеment


On Linux and other UNIX-like operating systems, there is an X windowing system which provides the basic framework for a GUI environment. There is a third party Win32 (desktop) app for Windows called Xming X Server. It implements an X server session inside the Windows operating system. Once you install it, you can tell Ubuntu Bash to use it as the primary X display. Here is how.

How to run Linux GUI apps on Windows 10 in Bash

  • Point your browser to the following page and download Xming X Server for Windows.
  • Download and install the app, which has version 6.9.0.31 as of this writing.Windows 10 setup x server for bashWindows 10 setup x server for bash 02Windows 10 setup x server for bash 03
  • Start the Xmin X Server app. It will appear in the notification area (system tray).Windows 10 x server for bash in tray
  • Now, open Bash on Ubuntu as described HERE and install some GUI app. For example, let's try with the lightweight "Galculator" app, which is just a GTK+ calculator.
    Type the following command:
    apt-get install galculator

    You will be prompted to install additional packages. Type Y to confirm and wait till everything is downloaded and installed.Windows 10 install galculator

  • Now, to launch the Galculator app, type the following:
    DISPLAY=:0 galculator

    Windows 10 run Linux GUI app

Voila, you have a Linux calculator app running on your Windows 10 computer.

That's it! Credits for this trick go to this reddit.

Support us

Winaero greatly relies on your support. You can help the site keep bringing you interesting and useful content and software by using these options:

If you like this article, please share it using the buttons below. It won't take a lot from you, but it will help us grow. Thanks for your support!

Advertisеment

Author: Sergey Tkachenko

Sergey Tkachenko is a software developer who started Winaero back in 2011. On this blog, Sergey is writing about everything connected to Microsoft, Windows and popular software. Follow him on Telegram, Twitter, and YouTube.

4 thoughts on “How to run Linux GUI apps on Windows 10 in Bash”

  1. I installed Xming fonts but still cannot display Unicode characters correctly… Try https://www.wikipedia.org/ in a browser.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

css.php
Using Telegram? Subscribe to the blog channel!
Hello. Add your message here.