Bash on Ubuntu on Windows

[joxley]

Now that Bash on Ubuntu on Windows 10 is a thing , does anyone know if it's possible to start bash from SecureCRT, similar to a Local Shell connection in Linux & Mac

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexp...w-build-14316/
https://blogs.windows.com/buildingap...tu-on-windows/

[rtb]

Hi joxley,

This may be a thing for some individuals, but I have the latest preview build for the fast ring, and don't have access to this feature yet.

With that said, last week I read the second blog post you referenced, and noticed this text:

Second, while you’ll be able to run native Bash and many Linux command-line tools on Windows, it’s important to note that this is a developer toolset to help you write and build all your code for all your scenarios and platforms. This is not a server platform upon which you will host websites, run server infrastructure, etc. For running production workloads on Ubuntu, we have some great solutions using Azure, Hyper-V, and Docker, and we have great tooling for developing containerized apps within Windows using Docker Tools for Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code and yo docker.

Third, note that Bash and Linux tools cannot interact with Windows applications and tools, and vice-versa. So you won’t be able to run Notepad from Bash, or run Ruby in Bash from PowerShell.

Who knows what will be possible as this feature matures, but for now, it seems like you won't be able to use Bash programs in SecureCRT.

Also, Rich Turner posted some comments to the blog post providing more detail about the communication limitation between Windows and Bash applications.

[rtb]

Hi All,

I finally was able to install build 14316. You will only have the option to use the Linux subsystem on a 64-bit version of Windows 10.

It is possible to launch Bash using a button on the Button Bar. Here is how to map a button to run a program:

1. Right-click on a button on the Button Bar.
2. Select Launch Application from the Function dropdown menu.
3. Browse to the application executable file location in the Launch Application field.
4. Give the button a label.

In this case, the program to map is "C:\Windows\System32\bash.exe"

We will post here if we add support for Bash on Windows in a SecureCRT tab.

If you would like to be notified directly, please complete and submit the form at the following location:

Submit Feature Request

[joxley]

Hi Todd,

Thanks for your response. To clarify, Bash on Windows in a SecureCRT tab is exactly what I was asking for.

If you do the work for that, how hard would it be to run PowerShell.exe and cmd.exe as well?

--John

[rtb]

You are welcome, John.

I don't think it is as easy as launching the executable in a tab. If it were that easy, we would likely have had CMD or PowerShell support a long time ago. Additionally, the Linux subsystem is not installed by default, so that may be another limiting factor.

We will post here if we add support for any local shell in a SecureCRT tab on Windows.

I did try and get sshd running and excepting connections in bash, but haven't succeed. This may be due to the information in the quote that I posted previously. If I do get this to work, I will post how I did it.

I also found out that the alternative of installing the Microsoft Telnet server for local shell access is no longer an option in Windows 10, but I did use our VShell server to get access to the Bash shell on Windows 10 which was kind of nice.

[apollostees]

Would you mind detailing how you used VShell server to get access to the Bash shell on Windows 10, please.

[rtb]

Hi apollostees,

First you must install the Windows 10 Subsystem for Linux. There is information on the internet about how to do this.

Once the Windows 10 Subsystem for Linux is installed, you would have to configure VShell to launch the bash executable as the shell. You can do this in the SSH2 category of the VShell control panel. The name of the option is Command shell:.

[Maureen]

Local shell support has been added to SecureCRT 8.7*. CMD.exe, PowerShell, or any console application can be specified as the local shell.

SecureCRT 8.7 is in beta. The installer can be downloaded here:

https://www.vandyke.com/cgi-bin/rele...curecrt&beta=1

Maureen

* Must be running Windows 10 build 1809 or later (or Server 2019)