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--- win10:wsl [2025/11/07 14:30] – [Installation] Bernard Condrau
+++ win10:wsl [2025/11/08 13:33] (current) – [Osiris, Cassandra, Hera, Vulcan, Hercules, Poseidon, Iapetus] Bernard Condrau
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ====== Windows Subsystem for Linux - Debian 10.3 =====
-===== Cassandra, Hera, Vulcan, Hercules, Poseidon, Iapetus =====
+===== Osiris, Cassandra, Hera, Vulcan, Hercules, Poseidon, Iapetus =====
+This guide has been tested under Windows 10 / Debian 10 and Windows 11 / Debian 13.
 ===== Installation =====
   - Enable "Developer mode" in //Settings --> System --> Advanced// (Win 11) or //Settings --> Update & Security --> For developers// (Win 10)
@@ Line 12: / Line 13: @@
 pause</file>
   - Restart your computer
-  - Open the Microsoft Store and search for "Linux". Choose and get Debian, as per 2020-03-10 this is Debian 10 Buster.
+  - Open the Microsoft Store and search for "Linux". Choose and get Debian, as per 2020-03-10: Debian 10 Buster, 2025-11-7: Debian 13.0 Trixie.
   - Open //Debian// from the start menu and complete installation.
   - Upgrade all packages:<code>sudo apt update
@@ Line 24: / Line 25: @@
   - The root file system can be found at a path similar to:<code>C:\Users\bco\AppData\Local\Packages\TheDebianProject.DebianGNULinux_76v4gfsz19hv4\LocalState\rootfs</code>
   - Add {{:win10:debian.ico?20|Debian}} and {{:win10:debianf.ico?20|Debian rootfs}} icons to the shortcuts
+===== Files =====
+  * WSL2 image file is located at ''C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Packages\<distribution>\LocalState\ext4.vhdx'' (replace 'ext4' with the filesystem of your distribution)
+  * You can copy file ''ext4.vhdx'' to another location and open it with 7zip.
+  * To read files from an ext4.vhdx file, which is commonly used by Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) 2, you can utilize the wsl --mount command. This process involves mounting the VHDX file within Windows and then accessing its contents from within your WSL environment. See following steps to read files from ext4.vhdx using WSL.
+  * Terminate WSL Instances: Ensure all running WSL instances are shut down to prevent conflicts with the VHDX file.<file>wsl.exe --shutdown</file>
+  * Mount the VHDX in Windows (with Administrator privileges): Open PowerShell or Command Prompt as an administrator and use Mount-VHD to make the VHDX file accessible to Windows. Replace <pathToVHD> with the actual path to your ext4.vhdx file.<file>Mount-VHD -Path "<pathToVHD>"</file>
+  * Alternatively, you can use diskpart to mount the VHDX:<file>diskpart
+    select vdisk file="<pathToVHD>"
+    attach vdisk</file>
+  * Identify the Disk Path in Windows: After mounting, you need to find the disk path assigned by Windows. You can use Get-Disk in PowerShell or list disk in diskpart to identify the newly mounted disk.
+  * Mount the Disk in WSL: Open your WSL distribution (e.g., Ubuntu) and mount the disk path identified in the previous step. Replace <diskPath> with the actual disk path (e.g., /dev/sdb) and <mountPoint> with your desired mount point within WSL (e.g., /mnt/ext4).<file>sudo wsl --mount <diskPath> --bare
+sudo mkdir -p <mountPoint>
+sudo mount <diskPath> <mountPoint></file>
+  * Access Files within WSL: Once mounted, you can navigate to the <mountPoint> within your WSL environment and access the files stored on the ext4.vhdx.<file>cd <mountPoint>
+ls -l</file>
+  * Unmount and Detach (after use): When you are finished, unmount the disk within WSL and detach the VHDX from Windows.<file>sudo umount <mountPoint>
+wsl --unmount <diskPath></file>
+  * If you used Mount-VHD:<file>Dismount-VHD -Path "<pathToVHD>"</file>
+  * If you used diskpart:<file>diskpart
+select vdisk file="<pathToVHD>"
+detach vdisk</file>
+  * Alternative Method (for viewing only): For simply viewing the contents of an ext4.vhdx file without mounting, you can use tools like 7-Zip. 7-Zip can open and browse the contents of various disk image formats, including ext4.vhdx, allowing you to extract files without needing to mount the entire disk.
 ===== SSH Server =====

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