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.

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.
• Start the Xmin X Server app. It will appear in the notification area (system 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.

• Now, to launch the Galculator app, type the following:

  DISPLAY=:0 galculator

  

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

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

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