VScode opens in Windows Host instead of WSL remote

[VarunNikam22]

Type: Bug

Context

I'm running a Windows 11 machine with Ubuntu-24.04 installed in the WSL-2.0 envionment. In my workflow, I use the Terminal application to access the distro, and use code . CLI to open VScode workspaces in difference directories.

Expected Behaviour

A VScode instance should open up connected to my WSL distro remote along with the worskpace in the directory from which the code . command was run.

Bug

VScode instance opens up in the same directory but in my native Windows environment instead of connecting to WSL remote.

VS Code version: Code 1.97.2 (e54c774, 2025-02-12T23:20:35.343Z)
OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.26100
Modes:
Remote OS version: Linux x64 5.15.167.4-microsoft-standard-WSL2

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-10300H CPU @ 2.50GHz (8 x 2496)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled canvas_oop_rasterization: enabled_on direct_rendering_display_compositor: disabled_off_ok gpu_compositing: enabled multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on opengl: enabled_on rasterization: enabled raw_draw: disabled_off_ok skia_graphite: disabled_off video_decode: enabled video_encode: enabled vulkan: disabled_off webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: enabled webnn: disabled_off
Load (avg)	undefined
Memory (System)	7.80GB (0.71GB free)
Process Argv	. --crash-reporter-id c60cd1bc-7c65-46cd-b259-ff360e690ed1
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

Item	Value
Remote	WSL: Ubuntu-24.04
OS	Linux x64 5.15.167.4-microsoft-standard-WSL2
CPUs	Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-10300H CPU @ 2.50GHz (8 x 0)
Memory (System)	3.73GB (2.44GB free)
VM	0%

Extensions (22)

Extension	Author (truncated)	Version
jupyter-keymap	ms-	1.1.2
remote-ssh	ms-	0.117.1
remote-ssh-edit	ms-	0.87.0
remote-wsl	ms-	0.88.5
pdf	tom	1.2.2
vscode-icons	vsc	12.11.0
ruff	cha	2025.14.0
copilot	Git	1.275.0
copilot-chat	Git	0.24.1
vscode-pull-request-github	Git	0.104.1
MagicPython	mag	1.1.0
git-graph	mhu	1.30.0
black-formatter	ms-	2024.6.0
debugpy	ms-	2025.0.1
python	ms-	2025.0.0
vscode-pylance	ms-	2025.2.1
jupyter	ms-	2025.1.0
jupyter-keymap	ms-	1.1.2
jupyter-renderers	ms-	1.1.0
vscode-jupyter-cell-tags	ms-	0.1.9
vscode-jupyter-slideshow	ms-	0.1.6
autodocstring	njp	0.6.1

(1 theme extensions excluded)

A/B Experiments

vsliv368:30146709
vspor879:30202332
vspor708:30202333
vspor363:30204092
vscod805:30301674
binariesv615:30325510
py29gd2263:31024239
vscaat:30438848
c4g48928:30535728
azure-dev_surveyone:30548225
962ge761:30959799
2e7ec940:31000449
pythontbext0:30879054
cppperfnew:31000557
dwnewjupyter:31046869
nativerepl1:31139838
pythonrstrctxt:31112756
nativeloc1:31192215
iacca1:31171482
5fd0e150:31155592
dwcopilot:31170013
6074i472:31201624
dwoutputs:31242946
customenabled:31248079
5a9hg449:31230677
hdaa2157:31222309
copilot_t_ci:31222730
jda6j935:31233686
copilothoveron:31248524

[aeschli]

Can you add a screenshot?
If you are in a WSL terminal, code . will open a new WSL window.

[VarunNikam22]

Here, you can see I use the code . command from my terminal in WSL, and in the next screenshot, you can see the path it is trying to open is in the Windows file system C:\Users\FOX TROT\Desktop instead of something like /mnt/c/Desktop

Special case

When I use the same command from an already open VScode instance running on WSL host, it does open another instance of VSCode running on WSL host, as expected.

[aeschli]

Can you run code . --verbose in the WSL terminal?

You can ctrl+C after a few seconds, I'm only interested in the first few lines where we see how code.exe is invoked

[VarunNikam22]

Here you go. It did output a bunch of things, let me know if you need more of it.

---

[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.186Z] PolicyConfiguration#initialize
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.187Z] PolicyConfiguration#updatePolicyDefinitions [
'update.mode',
'update.channel',
'update.enableWindowsBackgroundUpdates',
'update.showReleaseNotes',
'http.useLocalProxyConfiguration',
'http.electronFetch',
'http.proxy',
'http.proxyStrictSSL',
'http.proxyKerberosServicePrincipal',
'http.noProxy',
'http.proxyAuthorization',
'http.proxySupport',
'http.systemCertificates',
'http.experimental.systemCertificatesV2',
'http.fetchAdditionalSupport',
'telemetry.telemetryLevel',
'telemetry.enableTelemetry'
]
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.190Z] NativePolicyService#_updatePolicyDefinitions - Found 1 policy definitions
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.205Z] [File Watcher (node.js)] Request to start watching: c:\Users\Varun\AppData\Roaming\Code\User (excludes: , includes: , filter: , correlationId: ),c:\Users\Varun\AppData\Roaming\Code\User\settings.json (excludes: , includes: , filter: , correlationId: )
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.225Z] NativePolicyService#_onDidPolicyChange - Updated policy values: {}
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.226Z] PolicyConfiguration#update [ 'update.mode' ]
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.232Z] Starting VS Code
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.232Z] from: c:\Program Files\Microsoft VS Code\resources\app
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.232Z] args: {
_: [ '\\wsl.localhost\Ubuntu-24.04\home\deds3c' ],
diff: false,
merge: false,
add: false,
remove: false,
goto: false,
'new-window': false,
'reuse-window': false,
wait: false,
help: false,
'list-extensions': false,
'show-versions': false,
'pre-release': false,
'update-extensions': false,
version: false,
verbose: true,
status: false,
'prof-startup': false,
'no-cached-data': false,
'prof-v8-extensions': false,
'disable-extensions': false,
'disable-lcd-text': false,
'disable-gpu': false,
'disable-chromium-sandbox': false,
sandbox: false,
telemetry: false,
debugRenderer: false,
'enable-smoke-test-driver': false,
logExtensionHostCommunication: false,
'skip-release-notes': false,
'skip-welcome': false,
'disable-telemetry': false,
'disable-updates': false,
'use-inmemory-secretstorage': false,
'disable-workspace-trust': false,
'disable-crash-reporter': false,
'crash-reporter-id': 'c60cd1bc-7c65-46cd-b259-ff360e690ed1',
'skip-add-to-recently-opened': false,
'open-url': false,
'file-write': false,
'file-chmod': false,
force: false,
'do-not-sync': false,
'do-not-include-pack-dependencies': false,
trace: false,
'trace-memory-infra': false,
'preserve-env': false,
'force-user-env': false,
'force-disable-user-env': false,
'open-devtools': false,
'disable-gpu-sandbox': false,
'__enable-file-policy': false,
'enable-coi': false,
'no-proxy-server': false,
'no-sandbox': false,
nolazy: false,
'force-renderer-accessibility': false,
'ignore-certificate-errors': false,
'allow-insecure-localhost': false,
'disable-dev-shm-usage': false,
'profile-temp': false,
logsPath: 'C:\Users\Varun\AppData\Roaming\Code\logs\20250306T095506'
}
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.233Z] Resolving machine identifier...
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.233Z] Resolved machine identifier: 03278e25e417a8c4a54b9885804e88924cdf9fc5825c3d1b2135dcbc6405f3d1
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.233Z] Main->SharedProcess#connect
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.235Z] PolicyConfiguration#updatePolicyDefinitions [
'terminal.integrated.automationProfile.linux',
'terminal.integrated.automationProfile.osx',
'terminal.integrated.automationProfile.windows',
'terminal.integrated.profiles.windows',
'terminal.integrated.profiles.osx',
'terminal.integrated.profiles.linux',
'terminal.integrated.useWslProfiles',
'terminal.integrated.inheritEnv',
'terminal.integrated.persistentSessionScrollback',
'terminal.integrated.showLinkHover',
'terminal.integrated.ignoreProcessNames'
]
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.236Z] PolicyConfiguration#updatePolicyDefinitions [
'terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.linux',
'terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.osx',
'terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.windows'
]
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.241Z] PolicyConfiguration#update []
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.241Z] PolicyConfiguration#update []
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.244Z] [File Watcher (node.js)] Started watching: 'c:\Users\Varun\AppData\Roaming\Code\User'
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.245Z] StorageMainService: creating application storage
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.251Z] ElectronURLListener: waiting for window to be ready to handle URLs...
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.251Z] lifecycle (main): phase changed (value: 2)
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.252Z] windowsManager#open
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.265Z] [File Watcher (node.js)] Started watching: 'c:\Users\Varun\AppData\Roaming\Code\User\settings.json'
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.370Z] [File Watcher (node.js)] [raw] ["change"] globalStorage
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.370Z] [File Watcher (node.js)] [CHANGED] c:\Users\Varun\AppData\Roaming\Code\User\globalStorage
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.371Z] [File Watcher (node.js)] [raw] ["change"] globalStorage
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.372Z] [File Watcher (node.js)] [CHANGED] c:\Users\Varun\AppData\Roaming\Code\User\globalStorage
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.458Z] [File Watcher (node.js)] >> normalized [CHANGED] c:\Users\Varun\AppData\Roaming\Code\User\globalStorage
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:06.459Z] User data changed
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:07.932Z] windowsManager#open pathsToOpen [ [Object: null prototype] {} ]
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:07.934Z] windowsManager#doOpenEmpty {
restore: false,
remoteAuthority: undefined,
filesToOpen: undefined,
forceNewWindow: false
}
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:07.936Z] IPC Object URL: Registered new channel vscode:28608308-f7ec-4772-b006-820116acf0fe.
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:07.936Z] window#validateWindowState: validating window state on 1 display(s) { mode: 0, x: 168, y: 32, width: 1200, height: 800 }
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:07.936Z] window#validateWindowState: single monitor working area { x: 0, y: 0, width: 1536, height: 816 }
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:07.937Z] window#ctor: using window state { mode: 0, x: 168, y: 32, width: 1200, height: 800 }
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:08.004Z] window#load: attempt to load window (id: 1)
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:08.024Z] windowsManager#open used window count 1 (workspacesToOpen: 0, foldersToOpen: 0, emptyToRestore: 0, maybeOpenEmptyWindow: true)
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:08.025Z] lifecycle (main): phase changed (value: 3)
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:08.025Z] resolveShellEnv(): skipped (Windows)
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:08.026Z] update#setState idle
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:08.118Z] [File Watcher (node.js)] [raw] ["change"] globalStorage
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:08.119Z] [File Watcher (node.js)] [CHANGED] c:\Users\Varun\AppData\Roaming\Code\User\globalStorage
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:08.120Z] [File Watcher (node.js)] [raw] ["change"] globalStorage
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:08.121Z] [File Watcher (node.js)] [CHANGED] c:\Users\Varun\AppData\Roaming\Code\User\globalStorage
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:08.129Z] resolveShellEnv(): skipped (Windows)
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:08.130Z] [File Watcher (node.js)] [raw] ["change"] globalStorage
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:08.130Z] [File Watcher (node.js)] [CHANGED] c:\Users\Varun\AppData\Roaming\Code\User\globalStorage
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:08.195Z] [File Watcher (node.js)] >> normalized [CHANGED] c:\Users\Varun\AppData\Roaming\Code\User\globalStorage
[main 2025-03-06T04:25:08.195Z] User data changed