BUG - Optimize WSL2 VHDX file using DiskPart

BUG - Optimize WSL2 VHDX file using DiskPart

[Johannes Deivard]

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Hi,

I would like to report that one crucial step is missing in the instructions "2b. Optimize your VHDX file using DiskPart<https://docs.yoctoproject.org/dev-manual/start.html?highlight=wsl2#:~:text=2b.%20Optimize%20your%20VHDX%20file%20using%20DiskPart%3A>".

The attached vdisk must be detached before diskpart is exitted, or you wont be able to start WSL2 again since the VHDX file "is being used by another process."

The instructions for this subsection should be as follows (detach vdisk instruction added before exit):

C:\WINDOWS\system32> wsl --shutdown
C:\WINDOWS\system32> diskpart

DISKPART> select vdisk file="<path_to_VHDX_file>"
DISKPART> attach vdisk readonly
DISKPART> compact vdisk
DISKPART> detach vdisk
DISKPART> exit

Best regards,
Johannes Deivard


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Re: [docs] BUG - Optimize WSL2 VHDX file using DiskPart

[Antonin Godard]

Hi Johannes,

On Wed Oct 23, 2024 at 6:03 PM CEST, Johannes Deivard wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I would like to report that one crucial step is missing in the instructions "2b. Optimize your VHDX file using DiskPart<https://docs.yoctoproject.org/dev-manual/start.html?highlight=wsl2#:~:text=2b.%20Optimize%20your%20VHDX%20file%20using%20DiskPart%3A>".
>
> The attached vdisk must be detached before diskpart is exitted, or you wont be able to start WSL2 again since the VHDX file "is being used by another process."
>
> The instructions for this subsection should be as follows (detach vdisk instruction added before exit):
>
> C:\WINDOWS\system32> wsl --shutdown
> C:\WINDOWS\system32> diskpart
>
> DISKPART> select vdisk file="<path_to_VHDX_file>"
> DISKPART> attach vdisk readonly
> DISKPART> compact vdisk
> DISKPART> detach vdisk
> DISKPART> exit
>
> Best regards,
> Johannes Deivard

Thank you for reporting this.

Although I haven't been able to reproduce the problem you describe (on a Windows
VM with a sample vhdx file), I've had no issue running "detach vdisk" before
running "exit", and I think it is indeed a better practice anyway.

Would you be able to add that line to the documentation? You can see
instructions on how to do that at the following link:
https://git.yoctoproject.org/yocto-docs/tree/README

Cheers,
Antonin

--
Antonin Godard, Bootlin
Embedded Linux and Kernel engineering
https://bootlin.com