Bug#968331: ITP: systemd-genie -- quick way into a systemd "bottle" under Windows Subsystem for Linux
> If I understand correctly, this is a problem with WSL 1 that will go away with
> WSL 2, because WSL 1 is a compatibility layer in which the Windows kernel
> pretends to be Linux (like Wine in reverse), but WSL 2 is a virtual machine
> running a real Linux kernel (suitable for e.g. systemd)?
No, it's a current WSL 2 problem, I'm afraid.
You can't run systemd under WSL 1 at all, even with this tool or other hacks, because the compatibility layer doesn't implement some of the required system calls.
Under WSL 2, though, while the kernel has the necessary to support it, it's not used by default, as WSL injects its own init which handles the various issues surrounding interoperability, running multiple distributions off the same kernel, and so forth. If you want a real (pid 1) systemd, the only way to do it is to set up a pid namespace and run it within that, the assorted wrinkles around doing which are what genie exists to simplify/automate.
> If that's the case, then the useful lifetime of this package might be limited.
> (That doesn't *necessarily* mean it shouldn't be in Debian, depending on
> availability and adoption of WSL 2.)
I suspect - and hope! - its eventual lifespan may be limited, as there's clearly a lot of demand for system services under WSL (as per the ongoing discussion at https://github.com/microsoft/WSL/issues/994 etal.), but as of right now, there are no signs that it's anywhere close to the top of Microsoft's plans at this point.
Reply to: