New posts: _posts/2024-07-23-coolretroterm-on-Windows-10-WSL-2024.md

_posts/2024-07-23-coolretroterm-on-Windows-10-WSL-2024.md

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+---
+title: cool-retro-term on Windows 10 WSL 2024
+author: peter
+date: 2024-07-23 18:21:42 +0800
+categories: [Blogging] # Blogging | Electronics | Programming | Mechanical | SelfHosting
+tags: [getting started] # systems | embedded | rf | microwave | electronics | solidworks | automation | tip
+image: assets/img/2024-07-23-coolretroterm-on-Win/working.png
+---
+
+Install Xserver on Windows side:
+
+I will use chocolatey to install it but you may also download X server from the sourceforge page
+
+Run this command in an administrator powershell prompt to install
+
+```powershell
+choco install vcxsrv
+```
+
+In WSL Ubuntu, install the `cool-retro-term` package using `apt`:
+
+```bash
+sudo apt install cool-retro-term
+```
+
+Add this to your `.bashrc` file so WSL knows the address of the Xserver
+
+I found this method to set `DISPLAY` to be the most robust as it works even when your `.wslconf` doesn't have `generateResolvConf=true` and when you are using a custom DNS server. The previous method I was using to set `DISPLAY` would use the wrong address with my setup.
+
+```bash
+export DISPLAY=$(ip route list default | awk '{print $3}'):0
+```
+
+Now when you run `cool-retro-term` you should get a window!
+
+Making a shortcut to start `cool-retro-term` is annoying since if you try to run it directly from a commandline in Windows, you will likely get this error (I also get this error when specifying the `DISPLAY` parameter in the commandline):
+
+```
+C:\Users\Peter>bash -c cool-retro-term
+qt.qpa.xcb: could not connect to display
+qt.qpa.plugin: Could not load the Qt platform plugin "xcb" in "" even though it was found.
+This application failed to start because no Qt platform plugin could be initialized. Reinstalling the application may fix this problem.
+
+Available platform plugins are: eglfs, linuxfb, minimal, minimalegl, offscreen, vnc, xcb.
+
+```
+
+This will work, I think because it opens a login shell.
+
+```bat
+bash -c "bash --rcfile <(echo '. ~/.bashrc; cool-retro-term; exit')"
+```
+
+Now wrap it in a `vbs` script to hide the `cmd.exe` window from appearing:
+
+```vbs
+Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
+objShell.Run "%comspec% /c start /B """" bash -c ""bash --rcfile <(echo '. ~/.bashrc; cool-retro-term -p DEFAULT_PROFILE; exit')""", 0 'Hide
+```
+
+And call this from a shortcut's target field:
+
+```
+C:\Windows\System32\wscript.exe "C:\YOUR_PATH_HERE\cool-retro-term.vbs"
+```
+
+Congratulations, when you click the shortcut you should get a cool-retro-term window without any other windows being spawned!
+
+![Hooray!](/assets/img/2024-07-23-coolretroterm-on-Win/working.png)