How the Windows 10 April 2019 Update Lets You Access Linux Files Directly

The upcoming Windows 10 April 2019 update (also called 19H1) brings a major improvement to the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) by introducing a 9P protocol file server that lets users safely access Linux files from Windows.

With this feature, you can open a file explorer window that points to \\wsl$\{distro name}\ (replace {distro name} with the running distribution’s name) and work with Linux files using most Windows file commands. The Windows file manager acts as a client, while the Linux side runs a 9P server, communicating via AF_Unix sockets.

To use it, start your Linux distribution, ensure you are in the Linux home directory, then run explorer.exe. The Explorer window will open, showing the Linux file system. You can also use UNC paths like \\wsl$\Ubuntu\home\user in supported tools.

Note that the feature only works while the Linux distribution is running; if the distro is stopped, the files are not accessible. Some Windows tools, such as cmd, cannot set a UNC path as the current directory, and accessing certain locations like the Linux AppData folder is unsafe and may corrupt files.

Beyond file access, the update adds several command‑line enhancements: running commands as different users, terminating running distributions, and importing/exporting distributions. You can export a distribution to a .tar file with wsl --export, share it, and later import it on another machine using wsl --import.

Overall, the new WSL capabilities make the subsystem more convenient and powerful, while still requiring users to follow Microsoft’s guidance to avoid damaging the Linux file system.