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There's Bugs In The Windows 10 Implementation of Bash (altervista.org)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the sudo-apt-get-install-bsdgames dept.

First-time submitter Big O Notation shares "an honest review about the new Ubuntu Bash" that shipped with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. While it's still officially beta, most of the commands work as expected, and it includes popular programs like the Pico text editor. Here's some of the review's highlights: Pros: You can also manage and manipulate other files inside your entire Hard Disk, even those outside of your Linux home directory.
Cons: Even if you chmod something properly, when you use ls -l the Bash would not show the correct permissions. [And] if you try to create a Folder in your Linux Home Directory by using the Windows GUI, it would be impossible to read and manage it. Don't try this at home.
Microsoft says they've included the Windows Subsystem for Linux primarily as "a tool for developers -- especially web developers and those who work on or with open source projects." One Scandinavian developer has even tried running X on Bash on Ubuntu on Windows, reporting success running simpler programs like xcalc and xclock, as well as Gnome Control Center and xeditor and SciTE. "Things start to fall apart if you try to get more ambitious, though."

4 of 163 comments (clear)

  1. Slow news day? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That "review" is tiny and doesn't really tell you much. It doesn't even say what happens if you do mess with the Linux subsystem directories from Windows apart from "it would be impossible to read and manage it". Grats for random guy getting a ton of ad hits on a crappy 5 minute blog post. Woo.

  2. Can't even match Cygwin by Todd+Knarr · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So basically MS's Linux subsystem can't even do the job Cygwin does quite nicely? I think MS ought to go and read the code, learn some lessons and carry it back. It's not like you can't translate Unix permissions to Windows' permissions system and vice-versa, the code's even right there to read.

    1. Re:Can't even match Cygwin by thegarbz · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That depends on what you call match or what you call quite nicely. By all accounts Microsoft's effort has well and truly blown Cygwin out of the water in terms of both speed and ability to get things running.

      Also if you think Cygwin was feature complete and bug free with version one then you're utterly delusional.

    2. Re:Can't even match Cygwin by Ash-Fox · · Score: 4, Insightful

      So basically MS's Linux subsystem can't even do the job Cygwin does quite nicely?

      Cygwin can't run native Ubuntu elf executables which is wehat the Linux subsystem does.

      I think MS ought to go and read the code, learn some lessons and carry it back.

      How would that help? Cygwin doesn't execute native ELF executables to begin with.

      It's not like you can't translate Unix permissions to Windows' permissions system and vice-versa, the code's even right there to read.

      Cygwin depends on extended meta attributes though rather than just translating alone?

      --
      Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.