Scenario
To automatically install and initialize WSL Ubuntu 18.04 with powershell, I am trying to initialize/set the first username and password automatically. However, when I first run the wsl from a powershell command, the powershell goes to the shell of the wsl which waits for the user input the password manually.
MWE
I five different attempts to pipe the username, password (and password again) to the prompt for input after initialization of the wsl, which are contained in the following MWE.
##############Required for MWE###################
# Enable wsl subsystems for linux (if powershell is ran in admin mode)
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux
# Set Tls12 protocol to be able to download the wsl application
[Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12
# check to see if ubuntu1804 installation file exists and download the app otherwise
$fileToCheck = "Ubuntu1804.appx"
if (Test-Path $fileToCheck -PathType leaf)
{"File does Exist"}
else
{Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://aka.ms/wsl-ubuntu-1804 -OutFile Ubuntu1804.appx -UseBasicParsing}
# Actually install the wsl ubuntu 18.04 app
Add-AppxPackage .\Ubuntu1804.appx
Write-Output "Installed the ubuntu18.04"
# backup installation command if the first command did not function properly
invoke-expression -Command "Add-AppxPackage .\Ubuntu1804.appx"
Write-Output "Installed the ubuntu with backup attempt"
##############Actual attempts to initialize ubuntu without prompting for user input###################
Write-Host "Trying to initialize ubuntu"
# Attempt 0: makes it start installing the wsl but hangs prompting user name
#Write-Host "wsl whoami"
# Attempt 0 conclusion: Starts installing the wsl but then waits on user input
# Attempt 0.1: So would like to pipe a "password | password | username | whoami" in there but that does not work.
#Write-Host "wsl 'somepassword | somepassword | someusername | whoami'"
#Write-Host "wsl somepassword | somepassword | someusername | whoami"
# Attempt 0.1 conclusion: doesn't work, still dives into the wsl shell and waits on user input
# Attempt 1: does not make it start installing
#$output = bash -c "wsl whoami"
#$output = bash -c "wsl 'somepassword | somepassword | someusername | whoami'"
# Attempt 1 conclusion: Does not work, requires a user input to start installing (e.g. arrow down) (and then waits on user input).
# Attempt 2: try to prevent the prompt for username by setting default user to root immediatly
# Attempt 2.1: First define path to the installed ubuntu1804.exe
$str1="/Users/"
$str2="/AppData/Local/Microsoft/WindowsApps/ubuntu1804"
$hdd_name=(Get-WmiObject Win32_OperatingSystem).SystemDrive
$username=$env:UserName
[String] $ubuntu1804_path=$hdd_name+$str1+$username+$str2
# Attempt 2.2: Create command to set root as default user
$str1=" config --default-user root"
$set_user=$ubuntu1804_path+$str1
# Attempt 2.3: Create command to set root as default user and execute it
#invoke-expression -Command $set_user
# Attempt 2.3 conclusion: Doesn't work still asks for username and waits on user input
# Attempt 3: passing a username, password, and password again as one is prompted at the startup
$strA = "test | test | root"
#$output = bash "-c" $strA
# Attempt 3 conclusion: Doesn't work, requires user input to go to the next line (e.g. arrow down)
# Attempt 4: let root be default username
$str1=" install --root"
$set_user=$ubuntu1804_path+$str1
# Attempt 4 conclusion: Doesn't work, requires user input to go to the next line (e.g. arrow down)
invoke-expression -Command $set_user
# Attempt 4 conclusion: Pending.
Write-Host "Done with setup."
None of attempts 0,1,2, and 3 were succesfully at automatically initializing the WSL Ubuntu 18.04 without user intervention. The issues of the attempts are written in the conclusions in comments. It comes down to, the wsl, once activated starts installing/initializing but then waits for user input in the powershell window, without piping the remainder of the command in there.
Question:
How can I perform the unattended installation and initialization of WSL Ubuntu 18.04 from powershell?
Assumptions
I know the username and password in a variable in Powershell in advance.
