WSL file access right problem

Question

Hello,

I recently installed Windows Server Datacenter 2022, installed the Docker-Desktop.exe application and then installed Ubuntu using the following command: wsl --install Ubuntu

I then launched Ubuntu and configured the first boot, then added my current user and root to the www-data group.

I did this to be able to access, from Windows Explorer, the WSL files located at \wsl.localhost.

I then set up docker-desktop to use the Ubuntu distribution.

The problem is that at startup I have access to the files, but as soon as I try to perform an operation on the files, I lose access rights.

I've also added a file in the following directory: /etc/wsl.conf which contains the following:

# Enable extra metadata options by default
[automount]
enabled = true
root = /windir/
options = "metadata,umask=22,fmask=11"
mountFsTab = false
[network]
generateHosts = true
generateResolvConf = true

How can I keep access rights to files?

Answer 1

Hello Stanislas, I am Henry and I want to share my insight about your issue.

The problem is that when you edit files from Windows Explorer, the Linux permissions are reset. Your /etc/wsl.conf settings are for a different purpose and won't fix this. The solution is to run these commands inside your Ubuntu terminal. They force your project folder to automatically assign the correct group (www-data) to all new files and folders, even when created from Windows.

The Fix:

Run these three commands in your Ubuntu terminal. Replace /path/to/your/project with your actual project path.

1. Set ownership to your user and the www-data group

• sudo chown -R $USER:www-data /path/to/your/project

2. Give the group write permissions

• sudo chmod -R g+w /path/to/your/project

3. Make all new files inherit the 'www-data' group

• sudo chmod g+s /path/to/your/project

Online References for Details:

• Why this works (setgid bit): The chmod g+s command is the key. It forces group inheritance.
  • Reference: Linuxize - chmod Command (setgid section)
• How WSL file systems work: Understanding the interaction between Windows and Linux.
  • Reference: Microsoft Docs - Working with files across Windows and WSL

Hope this clears things up