# microsoft/WSL-DistroLauncher

Sample/reference launcher app for WSL distro Microsoft Store packages.

Repository: https://github.com/microsoft/WSL-DistroLauncher
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/wsl-distrolauncher
Language: C++
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: wsl, uwp-apps
Archived: true
Last push: 2025-01-07T22:22:48+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 10/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3396, "days_push": 603, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases, archived
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1732, forks 518 (observed 2026-08-28T04:05:28.765643+00:00)

## What it is
A C++ reference implementation of a launcher app required for packaging custom Linux distributions as WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) Microsoft Store packages. It handles distro registration, installation, user setup, and launching shell instances on top of WSL.

## Use cases
- package a custom linux distro for the microsoft store
- create a sideloadable WSL distribution
- build a launcher app for my WSL distro
- register a custom distro tarball with WSL
- launch a custom linux environment on windows

## When to choose
- you are a distro maintainer packaging for the Microsoft Store
- you want to sideload a custom WSL distro on your machines
- you need a starting template for a WSL distro launcher

## When to avoid
- you just want to run Linux on Windows (use standard WSL)
- you need the newest custom distro method (Microsoft now documents a newer approach)
- you are not building or packaging a WSL distribution

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: maintenance
- function: developer-tools, cli, configuration-management
- domain: developer-tools, operating-systems
- platform: windows, cpp
- tags: wsl, distro-launcher, reference-implementation, uwp, microsoft-store, command-line

## Member repositories
- microsoft/WSL-DistroLauncher (main) score 10

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:28.765643+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T03:31:31.075015+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/microsoft/WSL-DistroLauncher (fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:28.765643+00:00, sha ffd77155c1ac)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.