WSL2 Distro Manager 1.9.0 released
A new version of the WSL2 Distro Manager has been released, bringing a free and open-source graphical interface to the table for managing Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) distributions with greater ease.
Among other things, this new version brings Japanese translation support onboard, which should make things smoother for users who speak that language or need localized help. There's also notable progress with handling interrupted move operations; the developers have added recovery markers to hopefully catch and prevent those kinds of headaches when you're relocating distributions.
Want more flexibility? You can now configure Docker mirrors directly through this app, which is handy if you use containers frequently. And behind the scenes, path management has been overhauled entirely, using a broader data location approach. This change aims to boost both the application's adaptability and its overall stability significantly.
On the usability side, progress notifications have made their debut during the cleanup process, giving users more insight into what's going on under the hood without digging through logs or guessing. Plus, you can now edit templates, manage descriptions freely, and tweak terminal preferences, all features that genuinely expand control over your WSL setup while keeping things user-friendly.
Beyond these new capabilities, it appears several bugs have been ironed out to make the software more dependable overall. For instance, the createInstance function now handles path separators correctly, and other stability improvements are also present. The localization files themselves have also received updates so everyone receives relevant information based on their system settings. And for clarity while working inside the app, helpful UI tooltips are now available.
Staying current with Ubuntu was another consideration in this update. Image URLs specifically updated to accommodate both 24.04 and 22.04 releases mean your existing WSL distributions should no longer try downloading old images unnecessarily. This saves bandwidth and system resources down the line, essentially preventing wasted effort for users updating their distros. The team also added checks to stop duplicate distro name entries from happening.
All these changes together point to a more refined experience with managing multiple WSL instances on Windows. It feels like they've addressed core needs as well as some of the finer points that matter in daily use, helping to keep things running smoother and offering greater convenience through its accessible interface.
The new version can be downloaded from the GitHub page below:
Release wsl2-distro-manager v1.9.0
What's Changed Add Japanese translation by @straygizmo in #282 Implement recovery markers for interrupted move operations (closes #280) Add Docker mirror configuratio...
