Is there an easy way to have WSL Ubuntu services start automatically on Windows startup?

Question

I have a question about the WSL version of Ubuntu. Is there an easy way to have bash start automatically when Windows starts and pass a command to it to start the SSH server? So that the SSH server runs all the time when Windows runs.

Solution

This also works on WSL 2.

Solution 1: use VBE script

Click on Start and search for shell:startup. also you can go manually to:

C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

now create a new file sshserver.vbe and add this text and save:

Set ws = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell") 
ws.run "wsl -d Ubuntu -u root service ssh start", vbhide

Solution 2: Task Scheduler

Click on Start and search for Task Scheduler.

1. On Task Scheduler click on Action and select Create Basic Task

   

2. On Create Basic Task Fill out Name and Description "Auto Start SSH server"

   

3. On Trigger select: When the computer starts.

   

4. On Action select Start a program

   

5. On Start a Program type path: C:\Windows\System32\wsl.exe, next on add Add arguments (optional): -d Ubuntu -u root service ssh start.

   

You should have something like this on the last step.

Comments

[PF92]

When I try this command I get: "/bin/bash: -d: invalid option". When I remove -d Ubuntu but keep -u root there is a similar error. With "wsl service ssh start" it runs as a non-root user and fails. "wsl sudo service ssh start" asks for a password so it cannot be autorun at startup. Perhaps after editing visudo/sudoers it could work...

[Cornea Valentin]

use wsl not bash if you look close all my calls was made from windows not inside Linux. correct one: C:\Windows\System32\wsl.exe -d Ubuntu -u root service ssh start

[Cornea Valentin]

i forgot to mention this it's for wsl 2

[Cornea Valentin]

another solutin to use bash it's to add in your /etc/sudoers this : << username >> ALL=(ALL:ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL , replace << username >> with your username then call: C:\Windows\System32\bash.exe -c "sudo service ssh start"

[WinEunuuchs2Unix]

I thought WSL2 was still in beta?

[PF92]

So wsl.exe on my laptop is an older version probably. Also, all Linux processes are killed when the shell exits. This command works for me: "wsl.exe sh -c 'sudo /usr/sbin/service ssh start; cat'", adding cat keeps the ssh server running. I used 'visudo' to add this line to sudoers: "<username> ALL = (ALL:ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/sbin/service ssh start" (only running this command is allowed without a password). Later I will try if it works on Windows startup using one of the methods.

[PF92]

Yes it works on startup, using the method with Startup folder and VB script (with wsl command changed like in the previous comment). Thanks for the help.

[CodingMatters]

C:\Users\<< username >>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup on windows 10 home ver 1909 the dir location is different to above. C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp

[cmario]

how can I do in not WSL 2?