WSL Graphics

WSL Graphics enables running Linux GUI applications and full desktop environments from Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) distributions — displayed directly inside OxideTerm via VNC.

Opening WSL Graphics

Open a new tab and select WSL Graphics from the tab type picker.

Selecting a Distribution

OxideTerm auto-detects installed WSL distributions and lists them with their status:

Running — VNC server is active
Stopped — distribution is not running

Select a distribution from the dropdown to proceed.

Prerequisites

Before first use, install the required packages inside your WSL distribution:

# VNC server + D-Bus
sudo apt install tigervnc-standalone-server dbus-x11 -y

# Desktop environment — choose one:
sudo apt install xfce4 -y                    # XFCE (lightweight)
sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop -y           # GNOME (full Ubuntu)
sudo apt install kde-plasma-desktop -y       # KDE Plasma

For single-app mode, also install Openbox (minimal window manager):

sudo apt install openbox -y

Desktop Mode

Desktop Mode starts a full desktop environment inside OxideTerm:

Select your distribution
Click Desktop Mode
OxideTerm starts TigerVNC and your desktop environment
The desktop renders in the tab — scroll to zoom, drag to pan

Use Fullscreen to expand the VNC view to fill the OxideTerm window.

App Mode

App Mode launches a single GUI application without a full desktop:

Select your distribution
Choose App Mode
Enter the command (e.g., gedit /home/user/notes.txt, gimp, firefox)
Click Start App

Common app examples are listed as quick shortcuts.

VNC Session Management

Action	Button
Reconnect	Click Reconnect if the VNC connection drops
Stop	Terminate the VNC server and session
Fullscreen	Toggle fullscreen VNC view

If the VNC server is not found, OxideTerm shows the install command. If D-Bus is missing, it shows the dbus-x11 install instruction.

Display Settings

Setting	Options
Resolution	1024×768 / 1280×720 / 1920×1080 / Custom
Color Depth	24bpp (recommended) / 16bpp
Scaling	Fit to window / 100% / 150% / 200%
Clipboard Sharing	Share clipboard between Windows and WSL apps

WSLg Compatibility

If your Windows 11 system has WSLg (WSL built-in GUI support), OxideTerm detects it and shows “Available”. WSLg provides native Wayland/X11 forwarding without requiring TigerVNC, but OxideTerm’s VNC mode offers a self-contained embedded view that works without WSLg.

Use Cases

Run Linux-native GUI tools (GIMP, Inkscape, LibreOffice) on Windows
Develop with a full Linux desktop environment without a separate VM
Test Linux GUI applications in different distributions side-by-side
Run GUI-only apps (database GUIs, IDE plugins, X11 tools) from WSL