README.md Building Project with Visual Studio instructions incorrect

[Hoverbear]

Hi!

In https://github.com/microsoft/WSL-DistroLauncher#building-project-visual-studio the step states:

You can also easily build and deploy the distro launcher from Visual Studio. To sideload your appx on your machine for testing, all you need to do is right-click on the "Solution (DistroLauncher)" in the Solution Explorer and click "Deploy Solution". This should build the project and sideload it automatically for testing.

In order run your solution under the Visual Studio debugger, you will need to copy your install.tar.gz file into your output folder, for example: x64\Debug. NOTE: If you have registered your distribution by this method, you will need to manually unregister it via wslconfig.exe /unregister

Right clicking on "Solution 'DistroLauncher'" (Not "Solution (Distrolauncher)") here you can find "Deploy Solution":

However clicking on this does not actually produce any results.

It seems that the user must select their arch and mode here then hit "Start":

However, if the user followed the Getting Started steps https://github.com/microsoft/WSL-DistroLauncher#getting-started they never changed or set OutputPath, so they see this error:

This results in errors still:

No combination or debug/release x86/ARM works.

[ipsyllas]

Hello @Hoverbear

did you get anywhere with it?
I have not installed VS since the previous decade and i faced a bunch of issues.
Managed to get a clean build with the community edition and despite installing 20GB of msbuild tools and forcing 141/142, when i share the launcher gives the infamous msvc140d error.
Runs fine on my desktop so i cant really debug.

If you have some notes for the community version that has a working launcher please share.

[Hoverbear]

I kind of put it down and haven't gotten back to it. :(

[Biswa96]

when I share the launcher gives the infamous msvc140d error.

Because by default Visual Studio compiles a project dynamically with MS C runtime. You have use Release Mode or pack your application including msvcrt or vcruntime dlls.

[ipsyllas]

@Biswa96
as i dont have experience with VS and this project sais use the default build.bat
why do i need to ship the launcher with all these dll's? None of the official distro launchers do.

Readme sais go modify 15-20 entries for you project in 3 files and away you go.

If you have a nice sanitised way within the readme/project please do share