WSL DDEV Vite Slow Fix

—

### 🧠 Root Cause
WSL2 has **slow file I/O when using mounted Windows drives** (like `/mnt/c/…`). Tools like Vite, which rely heavily on rapid file watching, suffer badly when your Laravel project is located **outside the Linux filesystem**.

—

### ✅ Solutions

#### 🔁 1. **Move the project into the Linux file system**
The single biggest speed improvement:

# In WSL
mkdir -p ~/projects
cp -r /mnt/c/Users/YourName/path-to-laravel-project ~/projects/
cd ~/projects/your-laravel-project
ddev start

> Keep all your DDEV projects inside `~/projects` (or similar) in your WSL home directory for max speed.

—

#### ⚙️ 2. **Enable Vite polling mode (instead of file system watch)**
In `vite.config.js`, change the server settings:

export default defineConfig({
  server: {
    watch: {
      usePolling: true,
    },
  },
});

Polling is heavier, but more reliable inside virtualized environments like WSL.

—

#### 🐳 3. **Use the DDEV Node service for builds (optional)**
If you're using `vite` for frontend builds, you can offload that to a dedicated container instead of doing it on the host.

# .ddev/docker-compose.nodejs.yaml
services:
  node:
    image: node:21
    working_dir: /var/www/html
    volumes:
      - .:/var/www/html
    command: tail -f /dev/null

Then in DDEV, attach to the node container and run your build:

ddev ssh -s node
yarn dev

—

#### 🧹 4. **Disable Windows Defender for WSL paths**
Windows Defender aggressively scans file changes and slows down everything.

– Open `Windows Security` → `Virus & threat protection` → `Manage settings` → `Exclusions`
– Exclude:
– Your WSL project folder
– The `.ddev` directory

—

#### 🛠️ 5. **Use `ddev-host` volume mount optimization**
In `.ddev/config.yaml`, make sure you're using DDEV's optimized bind mounts:

bind_mounts:
  - source: ./path
    target: /var/www/html/path

Or switch to **mutagen** (experimental):

use_mutagen: true

> ⚠️ Mutagen can improve performance a lot but may cause sync delays. Use cautiously.

—

### ✅ TL;DR

| Step | Impact | Difficulty |
|——|——–|————|
| Move to WSL filesystem (`~/projects`) | 🚀🚀🚀 High | Easy |
| Enable Vite polling | 🚀 Moderate | Easy |
| Exclude from Defender | 🚀 Moderate | Medium |
| Use Node container | 🚀 Low | Medium |
| Enable `mutagen` | 🚀 High (experimental) | Medium |

—

Let me know where your project is located (`/mnt/c/…` or `~/projects/…`), and I can tailor the advice even better.

export default defineConfig({
plugins: [
laravel({
input: ['resources/js/app.js', 'resources/js/app-backend.js','resources/css/app.css',],
refresh: true,
}),
vue({
template: {
transformAssetUrls: {
base: null,
includeAbsolute: false,
},
},
}),
],
server: {
// respond to all network requests:
force: true,
host: '0.0.0.0',
port: port,
strictPort: true,
origin: origin,
hmr: {
protocol: 'wss',
host: `${process.env.DDEV_HOSTNAME}`, // Change from 'localhost' to '0.0.0.0'
clientPort: port, // Ensure this matches the port you're using for Vite
overlay: true,
},
watch: {
ignored: ['**/node_modules/**', '**/vendor/**'],
usePolling: true,
},

},

});

—

### ✅ What You’ve Done Right:
– ✅ Using `host: '0.0.0.0'` – required for Vite to be accessible inside Docker.
– ✅ Using `usePolling: true` – needed under WSL2 to detect file changes.
– ✅ Specifying `origin` and `HMR` – good for DDEV setup.
– ✅ Specifying `DDEV_PRIMARY_URL` and `DDEV_HOSTNAME` – very DDEV-aware. 👍

—

### 🔧 Recommended Tweaks:

#### 1. **Fix `origin` definition**
Your `origin` is being set as:

const origin = `${process.env.DDEV_PRIMARY_URL}:${port}`

However, `DDEV_PRIMARY_URL` already includes a port (`https://your-site.ddev.site`). Adding another port to it makes it invalid.

✅ **Fix:**

const origin = process.env.DDEV_PRIMARY_URL;

Your server section will still specify the port (`5189`), which is fine.

—

#### 2. **Ensure `.env` is providing DDEV env vars to Vite**
If you're not running `vite` inside DDEV (`ddev ssh && yarn dev`), then `process.env.DDEV_PRIMARY_URL` and others will be undefined.

✅ **Solution**: Run Vite inside the DDEV container:

ddev ssh
yarn dev

Or use a `.env` file with fallback:

const origin = process.env.DDEV_PRIMARY_URL || `http://localhost:${port}`;

—

#### 3. **Try reducing `watch.ignored` (optional tweak)**
You’re ignoring `node_modules` and `vendor` – that’s good. But sometimes Vite gets too aggressive with watch exclusion under WSL.

✅ Try this:

watch: {
  usePolling: true,
  interval: 100,
  ignored: ['**/node_modules/**'],
}

Vendor folder usually doesn’t change anyway, so skipping it might not help.

—

### 🧪 Bonus (Optional Optimizations)

#### Use `.ddev/docker-compose.override.yaml` to mount with cached volumes:

services:
  web:
    volumes:
      - .:/var/www/html:cached

—

### 🧼 Final Clean `vite.config.js` Snippet

import { defineConfig } from 'vite';
import laravel from 'laravel-vite-plugin';
import vue from '@vitejs/plugin-vue';

const port = 5189;
const origin = process.env.DDEV_PRIMARY_URL || `http://localhost:${port}`;

export default defineConfig({
    plugins: [
        laravel({
            input: [
                'resources/js/app.js',
                'resources/js/app-backend.js',
                'resources/css/app.css',
            ],
            refresh: true,
        }),
        vue({
            template: {
                transformAssetUrls: {
                    base: null,
                    includeAbsolute: false,
                },
            },
        }),
    ],
    server: {
        host: '0.0.0.0',
        port,
        strictPort: true,
        origin,
        hmr: {
            protocol: 'wss',
            host: process.env.DDEV_HOSTNAME || 'localhost',
            clientPort: port,
            overlay: true,
        },
        watch: {
            usePolling: true,
            interval: 100,
            ignored: ['**/node_modules/**'],
        },
    },
});

—

Let me know:
– Where your project is located (`/mnt/c/…` vs `~/projects/…`)
– Whether you're running `yarn dev` inside or outside of `ddev ssh`

And I can fine-tune things even further!

Now that I know this, here are a few **tailored performance and reliability improvements** you can apply confidently:

—

### ✅ 1. **Keep your project inside the Linux file system**
If your project is currently located in `/mnt/c/…`, performance will be **much slower**.

✅ **Move it to your WSL home folder** if you haven’t already:

# Inside WSL
mkdir -p ~/projects
mv /mnt/c/Users/YourName/path-to-your-project ~/projects/

This gives you the full speed of the Linux ext4 file system, drastically improving Vite, Laravel, and DDEV performance.

—

### ✅ 2. **You're using `usePolling: true` – Keep it**
That's 100% correct for WSL2. You can optimize it a bit further:

watch: {
  usePolling: true,
  interval: 100, // lower for faster refresh
  ignored: ['**/node_modules/**'],
}

—

### ✅ 3. **Refine `origin` setup (small fix)**
You don’t need to append the port to `DDEV_PRIMARY_URL`. It's already a full URL like `https://your-project.ddev.site`.

Update your origin like this:

const origin = process.env.DDEV_PRIMARY_URL || `http://localhost:${port}`;

And update `hmr.host` too:

hmr: {
  protocol: 'wss',
  host: process.env.DDEV_HOSTNAME || 'localhost',
  clientPort: port,
  overlay: true,
}

—

### ✅ 4. **(Optional) Improve hot reload logging**
Add this in `vite.config.js` to help debug reload issues:

server: {
  // ...
  hmr: {
    // other stuff...
    overlay: true,
  },
  // Log all requests to Vite server
  middlewareMode: false,
},

—

### ✅ 5. **Check container performance**
Run these inside DDEV container (`ddev ssh`):

top         # See CPU usage
df -h       # Check disk space

If CPU is high when watching files, try increasing polling interval:

interval: 300 // instead of 100

—

### 🚀 Summary of Final Actions:

– ✅ You're doing `yarn dev` **inside DDEV** — good!
– ✅ Ensure your project is in **`~/projects`**, not `/mnt/c`
– ✅ Fix `origin` and `hmr.host` if you added port incorrectly
– ✅ Tune polling interval depending on CPU load
– ✅ Optionally enable `mutagen` in `.ddev/config.yaml` for near-native sync (experimental)

—

Let me know if your project is still in `/mnt/c/…` or inside `~/projects`. That’s the key bottleneck if you’re still seeing slowness.

Here’s how to access it from Windows:

—

### 🏠 **Access WSL Home Directory in Windows**

#### ✅ Option 1: File Explorer (Recommended)
1. Open File Explorer.
2. In the address bar, enter:

\wsl$Ubuntuhome<your-username>

Replace `Ubuntu` with your distro name (`Ubuntu-20.04`, `Debian`, etc.):
– You can check it with: `wsl -l`
– Example:

\wsl$Ubuntu-22.04homeneeraj

3. You’ll now be inside your WSL Linux home directory in Explorer.

> 💡 You can **pin this path** in Quick Access for future use.

—

#### ✅ Option 2: Windows Terminal
If you’re in WSL (inside `ddev ssh` or `wsl`), your home directory is:

cd ~
pwd

You’ll get something like:

/home/neeraj

This path corresponds to:

\wsl$Ubuntuhomeneeraj

when viewed from Windows.

—

#### 🧼 Bonus Tip: Move your Laravel project into WSL
To boost performance, move your project from `/mnt/c/…` to your home:

# From inside WSL
mv /mnt/c/Users/YourName/your-project ~/projects/your-project

Then `cd ~/projects/your-project && ddev start && ddev ssh && yarn dev`.

—

Let me know your WSL distro name if you want the exact path customized.

ddev stop

Or if you only want to stop a **specific project**, go into the project folder and run:

cd /path/to/your/project
ddev stop

This will gracefully shut down the containers without deleting anything.

—

### 🔄 After that:
Once you've moved your project into your WSL home directory (`~/projects/…`), run:

cd ~/projects/your-project
ddev start
ddev ssh
yarn dev

Your Vite + Laravel + Vue setup should now run way faster 🚀

Let me know when you're ready and I can help double-check the setup inside WSL too.

—

### ✅ To fix it:

Run the following command:

ddev stop --unlist syt

This will:
– Stop the project
– Remove it from DDEV’s project registry

Then, go to the new location (in your WSL home):

cd ~/projects/shareyourthoughts
ddev start

That will re-register `syt` with the new path under WSL’s native file system — much faster now!

—

### 🔁 Bonus: Rename if needed

If you want to **keep the old project** and start a new one in the new location:

1. Rename `.ddev/config.yaml` and change the project name:

name: syt-wsl

2. Then run:

ddev start

Let me know which direction you're taking — moving fully, or keeping both copies?

—

### ✅ Step-by-Step: Open `~/projects` in VS Code

#### 🔹 Option 1: From inside WSL terminal

1. Open your WSL terminal:

wsl

2. Navigate to your project:

cd ~/projects/shareyourthoughts

3. Then launch VS Code:

code .

> If `code` isn’t recognized, see “Fix: code command not found” below.

—

#### 🔹 Option 2: From VS Code GUI (with WSL extension)

1. Open **VS Code** on Windows.
2. Press `F1` (or `Ctrl+Shift+P`) to open the Command Palette.
3. Type and select:

Remote-WSL: Open Folder in WSL...

4. Navigate to:

/home/your-username/projects/shareyourthoughts

(You can also just paste: `~/projects/shareyourthoughts`)

—

### 🛠 Fix: `code` command not found?

If you run `code .` inside WSL and get a "command not found" error:

1. Open VS Code on Windows.
2. Install the **"Remote – WSL"** extension (if not already installed).
3. In the command palette (`Ctrl+Shift+P`), run:

Remote-WSL: Install VS Code Server

Then go back to your WSL terminal and try again:

code .

—

Let me know if you'd like to auto-open VS Code when you `ddev start` or need settings optimized for WSL!

Here’s how you can do it step-by-step:

—

## ✅ Step-by-Step: Install WSL on D: Drive

### 📦 1. Download the WSL distro (e.g., Ubuntu)
1. Go to the official page:
[https://aka.ms/wslubuntu](https://aka.ms/wslubuntu) – This will download `Ubuntu.appx`
2. Rename the `.appx` file to `.zip` and extract it (or use a tool like 7-Zip).

—

### 📁 2. Move and install it to D: drive
1. Create a folder where you want to install:

D:wslubuntu

2. Move the extracted Ubuntu files to that folder.

3. Open **Command Prompt as Administrator**, and run:

D:wslubuntuubuntu.exe install --root

or, if you want a regular install (not root):

D:wslubuntuubuntu.exe

4. It will now initialize Ubuntu in your `D:wslubuntu` directory 🎉

—

### 🛠 Optional: Set WSL 2 as default (if not already)

wsl --set-default-version 2

—

### 🔁 Optional: Set it as default distro

wsl --set-default <YourDistroName>

You can get the name via:

wsl -l -v

—

### 🧠 Notes:
– This method allows multiple distros in custom locations.
– The downloaded `.appx` file can be reused on other systems.
– DDEV will still work normally once WSL is installed and `ddev` is installed inside the distro.

—

Would you like me to guide you through moving your **existing WSL** installation to D: or just starting fresh?

—

## 🚚 Move Existing WSL Distro (e.g. Ubuntu) to D: Drive

### ⚠️ Important Notes:
– This process **removes the original distro** after backup, but your data is preserved.
– It's **100% safe** if you follow the steps carefully.
– You'll need **Admin rights** to perform the move.

—

### ✅ Step 1: Check current WSL distros
Open **PowerShell or CMD** and run:

wsl --list --verbose

Example output:

NAME      STATE           VERSION
* Ubuntu    Running         2

Here, `Ubuntu` is the distro name.

—

### ✅ Step 2: Export the distro to a `.tar` file

wsl --export Ubuntu D:wslubuntu-backup.tar

This creates a backup of your WSL (all files + config) on your `D:` drive.

—

### ✅ Step 3: Unregister the old distro
⚠️ This **removes the old distro**, so make sure the export finished successfully.

wsl --unregister Ubuntu

> 🧠 Don’t worry — your files are safely in `ubuntu-backup.tar`.

—

### ✅ Step 4: Import to new location (e.g. `D:wslubuntu`)

wsl --import Ubuntu D:wslubuntu D:wslubuntu-backup.tar --version 2

– First `Ubuntu`: new distro name (keep same as before if you want).
– First `D:wslubuntu`: folder where it will live.
– Second `D:wslubuntu-backup.tar`: your exported file.
– `–version 2`: makes sure WSL2 is used.

—

### ✅ Step 5: Run the new WSL instance

wsl -d Ubuntu

You’re now running Ubuntu from `D:wslubuntu`, fully migrated 🎉

—

### 🔁 Optional: Set as default (if you renamed it)

wsl --set-default Ubuntu

—

### 🧼 Cleanup (Optional)
You can delete the `.tar` file if you're happy:

del D:wslubuntu-backup.tar

—

Let me know if you'd like to also migrate DDEV projects or Laravel/Vue files along with this!

—

## 🚀 Move Laravel/Vue DDEV Project into New WSL (on D drive)

Let’s say your project is currently in:

D:ddevappsshareyourthoughts

And you’ve moved your WSL to:

D:wslubuntu

We’ll now move your project into **WSL’s Linux file system**, **start DDEV from there**, and you’ll be blazing fast.

—

### ✅ Step 1: Launch WSL and create a project directory
Open your **new Ubuntu shell**:

wsl -d Ubuntu

Then inside WSL:

mkdir -p ~/projects

This creates a native Linux directory: `/home/yourname/projects`

—

### ✅ Step 2: Move your Laravel/Vue project from Windows to WSL
From inside WSL, copy files from mounted D: drive:

cp -r /mnt/d/ddevapps/shareyourthoughts ~/projects/

You now have:

~/projects/shareyourthoughts

—

### ✅ Step 3: Unlist old DDEV project (if not done)
If DDEV is still pointing to the old Windows path, unlist it:

ddev stop --unlist shareyourthoughts

—

### ✅ Step 4: Start the project from new location
Now go to your new project folder in WSL:

cd ~/projects/shareyourthoughts
ddev start

If everything’s good, enter container:

ddev ssh
yarn dev

> You can also run `code .` here to open in VS Code directly.

—

### 🧪 Step 5 (Optional): Clean up old Windows copy
Once verified, you can safely delete the old one at `D:ddevappsshareyourthoughts`.

—

### ✅ Summary of What You've Achieved

| Step | Result |
|——|——–|
| ✅ Moved WSL distro to `D:wsl` | Faster WSL, space on D drive |
| ✅ Migrated DDEV project into WSL | Native speed, no `/mnt/…` lag |
| ✅ Running Laravel + Vue + Vite in WSL | Vite + HMR much faster 🚀 |

—

Need help updating `.bashrc` for quick `cd` into your projects? Or making `code .` default to WSL version? I can assist with that too!

Now that your Laravel + Vue + Vite **DDEV projects are inside `~/projects` in WSL**, you're officially using:

– ✅ Native Linux filesystem (fastest for WSL)
– ✅ Proper `ddev` setup (no cross-filesystem delays)
– ✅ Working `yarn dev` with Vite (hot reload won't lag anymore)

—

### 🔧 Recap of what you're using:

| Tool | Location | Status |
|————–|———————-|————-|
| Laravel App | `~/projects/…` | ✅ Native in WSL |
| DDEV | Running inside WSL | ✅ Fast + synced |
| Vite Dev | Via `yarn dev` inside `ddev ssh` | ✅ Reliable & hot |
| VS Code | Launched with `code .` in WSL | ✅ Integrated via Remote-WSL |

—

### 🧼 Final Tips to Keep Things Smooth

#### 1. Add alias for quick access:
In your `~/.bashrc` or `~/.zshrc`, add:

alias proj='cd ~/projects/shareyourthoughts && code .'

Then run:

source ~/.bashrc

Now just run `proj` any time to jump in!

—

#### 2. Add `.ddev` folder to `.gitignore`
Avoid syncing environment-specific files:

# .gitignore
.ddev/.global_commands
.ddev/.dbinfo

—

#### 3. Make sure `ddev` is installed inside WSL
If not already:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ddev/ddev/master/scripts/install_ddev.sh | bash

—

You're now in the **best-performing WSL + DDEV + Laravel + Vite** setup possible. 🎉

Let me know if you want help:
– Setting up automatic SSL on `*.ddev.site`
– Adding mailhog/adminer support in `.ddev`
– Creating multiple project aliases

Happy coding, Neeraj!

### 🔍 What are those warnings?

You're seeing messages like:

pax format cannot archive sockets: ./var/lib/docker/overlay2/.../socket

These are **harmless warnings** caused by the `.tar` archive format not supporting **UNIX socket files** (like `/var/run/php-fpm.sock`, `/run/supervisor.sock`, etc.).

### ✅ Good News:
– These **socket files are auto-generated** when services (like Docker, PHP-FPM, MySQL) start — they’re **not critical to back up**.
– Your export will **still be complete and usable** — everything needed (like your Laravel code, DDEV configs, databases, and installed packages) will be preserved.

—

### ⏳ Just Let It Finish
The message:

Export in progress, this may take a few minutes...

…and the size indicator like `(10826 MB)` just means it's still working and reporting progress. **Wait until it finishes** and gives control back in PowerShell — that means the export is complete.

—

### ✅ Next Step After Export Completes

Once done:

1. Run:

wsl --unregister Ubuntu

2. Then import to the new D: location:

wsl --import Ubuntu D:wslubuntu D:wslubuntu-backup.tar --version 2

Let me know when you're done exporting or if you want to rename the distro during import.

—

### ✅ Option 1: PowerShell (Best for All Versions)

Run this in **PowerShell**:

wsl --list --verbose

This will show you all installed distros. Now get the **actual install path** using this:

Get-ItemProperty "HKCU:SoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionLxss*" | Select-Object DistributionName, BasePath

You'll see output like:

DistributionName BasePath
---------------- --------
Ubuntu           C:UsersNeeraj TiwariAppDataLocalPackagesCanonicalGroupLimited.UbuntuonWindows_...

That `BasePath` is your current WSL install location for each distro.

—

### ✅ Option 2: Using `wsl –status` (Shows default base)

wsl --status

This won't show **per-distro paths**, but it will confirm WSL version and kernel, and default distro name.

—

### ✅ Option 3: Directly via File Explorer

Open this in File Explorer:

%LOCALAPPDATA%Packages

Look for a folder like:

CanonicalGroupLimited.UbuntuonWindows_79rhkp1fndgsc

Inside you'll find `LocalState` which contains your full WSL data (`ext4.vhdx`, etc.).

—

Let me know:
– Which distro you're checking?
– If you want to confirm **it's now running from `D:wsl…`** after import?

I can help verify that too.

Here’s how you can access it — and also what’s *not* possible:

—

### 🧠 Important Concept:
When you install a WSL distro using:

wsl --import Ubuntu D:wslubuntu ...

It stores the **entire Linux filesystem (including `/home`, `/etc`, `/var`, etc.)** inside a **virtual disk file**:

D:wslubuntuext4.vhdx

So even though your project is inside:

~/projects/shareyourthoughts

…it’s stored **inside `ext4.vhdx`**, which is **not directly browsable via File Explorer like regular folders**.

—

## ✅ How to Access `~/projects` via Windows

### 🔹 Option 1: Open via WSL share in File Explorer
From **Windows Explorer**, open:

\wsl$Ubuntuhomeyour-usernameprojects

You can type this directly in the File Explorer address bar.

> 💡 `Ubuntu` here is the **distro name** you used when you did `wsl –import`. Use `wsl -l` to double-check.

### 🔹 Option 2: Use `explorer.exe` from WSL
In your WSL terminal, run:

explorer.exe .

This will open the current WSL directory (`~/projects`, etc.) in **Windows File Explorer**, via the `\wsl$` network bridge.

—

### 🔹 Option 3: Create a Quick Shortcut

1. Right-click on your desktop or taskbar > **New > Shortcut**
2. For the path, use:

\wsl$Ubuntuhomeyour-usernameprojects

3. Name it something like `WSL Projects`

Now you can open it any time in one click.

—

### 🧼 Recap

| What you want | How to do it |
|———————-|————————————-|
| See `~/projects` | Open `\wsl$Ubuntuhomeyournameprojects` |
| Open from WSL | Run `explorer.exe .` |
| D: direct access | ❌ Not possible (stored in ext4.vhdx) |
| Create shortcut | Use WSL UNC path in shortcut |

—

Let me know if you want to **mount `ext4.vhdx` manually** (read-only) or access from scripts.

> A profile (like your WSL distro or PowerShell) in your Windows Terminal settings is trying to load an icon file that doesn't exist or has an invalid path.

—

### ✅ How to Fix It

#### 🛠 Option 1: Edit `settings.json` in Windows Terminal

1. Open **Windows Terminal**
2. Press `Ctrl + ,` or use the dropdown → **Settings**
3. Scroll to the bottom left → Click **“Open JSON file”**
4. Look for the `icon` field in any profile:

"profiles": {
  "list": [
    {
      "guid": "{...}",
      "name": "Ubuntu",
      "icon": "C:/fake/path/icon.png",  ← ❌ invalid path
      ...
    }
  ]
}

5. Either:
– Fix the path to a real image (e.g. `.png` file)
– OR just remove the `icon` line completely

6. Save the file and relaunch Windows Terminal

—

#### ✅ Option 2: Use a Valid Icon (Optional)

If you want to set a custom icon, point it to a valid `.png` or `.ico` file. For example:

"icon": "C:/Users/Neeraj Tiwari/Pictures/ubuntu.png"

Make sure:
– The path is correct
– It's **escaped** properly if needed (or use forward slashes)

—

Let me know if you want a cool icon for your WSL profile — I can generate one too! 🐧✨

—

## ✅ What You've Achieved

| Action | Status |
|——–|——–|
| Exported WSL (e.g. Ubuntu) | ✅ |
| Unregistered original | ✅ |
| Imported WSL to `D:wslubuntu` | ✅ |
| Project files moved to `~/projects` inside WSL | ✅ |
| DDEV + Laravel + Vue + Vite working inside WSL | ✅ |

—

## 🔍 Where Your Files Actually Live Now

All of your Linux files — including:

– `/home/yourname/projects/`
– `/etc`, `/var`, installed packages, and databases

Are stored inside:

D:wslubuntuext4.vhdx

This is a **virtual hard disk** that Windows mounts automatically when you start WSL.

—

## 📁 Accessing Your Project in File Explorer

To view your project folder from Windows:

### ✅ Use this path in File Explorer:

\wsl$Ubuntuhome<yourname>projects

For example:

\wsl$Ubuntuhomeneeraj_iwariprojects

If you renamed the distro during import, use that name instead of `Ubuntu` (run `wsl -l` to confirm).

—

## 🚀 Optional: Re-link VS Code / Git / Terminals

Now that things live in WSL (on D:), make sure your tools are using the **Remote – WSL** mode:

– **VS Code**: Open `~/projects/…` using `code .` inside WSL
– **Git**: Use Git inside WSL (`ddev ssh` or `wsl`) for proper performance
– **Terminal**: Set Windows Terminal profile to use new WSL (check `wsl -l -v`)

—

## 🧼 You Can Now Delete the Old Copy

If you copied your Laravel project from `/mnt/d/ddevapps/…`, and you're happy with everything, you can safely delete the old Windows version to save space:

Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "D:ddevappsshareyourthoughts"

(Confirm everything works first of course.)

—

Let me know if you want to:
– Backup the new WSL
– Schedule auto-start for dev tools
– Customize your terminal for easier access

You're in a *very* optimized WSL dev environment now. 🚀

—

## 🛠️ Fix "Found a profile with an invalid icon" Error

### ✅ Step-by-Step via JSON Settings

1. **Open Windows Terminal**
2. Click the dropdown arrow next to the tab → choose **"Settings"**
3. Scroll down in the left sidebar → click **“Open JSON file”**

This will open the `settings.json` in VS Code or your default editor.

4. Inside the `"profiles"` section → `"list"`, locate the profile causing the issue, like this:

{
  "guid": "{some-guid}",
  "name": "Ubuntu",
  "source": "Windows.Terminal.Wsl",
  "icon": "C:/Users/Neeraj Tiwari/Documents/wrong-icon.png",
  ...
}

5. **Fix it** by either:
– Pointing to a real image (e.g. `.png`, `.ico`)
– Or removing the `"icon"` line altogether

✅ **Working example:**

"icon": "C:/Users/Neeraj Tiwari/Pictures/ubuntu.png"

> 🔁 Tip: Use forward slashes `/` or double backslashes `\` in Windows paths inside JSON.

6. Save the file and **restart Windows Terminal**.

—

### ✅ Optional: Use a Free Ubuntu Icon

If you want a nice Ubuntu icon:
– Download this PNG:
[Ubuntu logo PNG (Transparent)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/UbuntuCoF.svg)

– Convert it to `.ico` (if needed):
[https://icoconvert.com](https://icoconvert.com)

Save it somewhere like:

C:/Users/Neeraj Tiwari/Pictures/ubuntu.ico

And update `settings.json` with:

"icon": "C:/Users/Neeraj Tiwari/Pictures/ubuntu.ico"

—

Let me know if you'd like a custom icon created (e.g. DDEV + Laravel-themed icon), and I can generate one for you!

—

## ✅ 1. Use PowerShell to List WSL Install Locations (Manual Method)

Since `wsl –import` stores distros outside the default `%LOCALAPPDATA%`, you **won’t see this in the registry**, but you can find it manually:

### ✔ Check with `wsl -l -v` to get the distro name:

wsl -l -v

Example output:

NAME      STATE           VERSION
* Ubuntu    Running         2

Now check manually on disk:
– Open **File Explorer**
– Navigate to:

D:wslubuntu

This folder contains:
– `ext4.vhdx` ← your entire Linux file system
– `rootfs`, if extracted (optional)

—

## ✅ 2. Use `wsl.exe` with `–export` (Fake Export to See Location)

Run this in PowerShell to simulate export and see where it reads from:

wsl --export Ubuntu test.tar

If the distro is stored in `D:wslubuntu`, it will read from there. You can cancel the export after verifying.

—

## ✅ 3. Check with WSL Metadata Command (WSL 2.0+)

Run this command to get internal info:

wsl --list --verbose --all

Then check:

Get-ChildItem "HKCU:SoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionLxss"

> Note: Only shows **default installations** (not custom `–import` locations)

—

## ✅ 4. Open WSL and run:

cd /
df -h

It will show output like:

Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sdc        100G   10G   90G  10% /

That `sdc` is mounted from your `D:wslubuntuext4.vhdx`.

—

## ✅ 5. Use File Explorer (Most Visual)

Just open:

D:wslubuntu

If you see a file named:

ext4.vhdx

That confirms your WSL is installed there.

—

### 🧠 Summary

| Task | Command or Path |
|—————————–|—————–|
| Check distro name | `wsl -l -v` |
| Confirm install path | Look for `ext4.vhdx` in `D:wslubuntu` |
| Open Linux home folder | `\wsl$Ubuntuhomeyourname` |
| Mount info from WSL | `df -h` |

Let me know if you want to back up the WSL now that it's running from `D:` or set up automation scripts!

—

## ✅ Step-by-Step: Unlink Old DDEV Project

### 🧼 Step 1: Check registered DDEV projects
Run this in your terminal (PowerShell, CMD, or WSL):

ddev list

This will show all currently **registered** DDEV projects and their paths.

Example output:

NAME            TYPE     LOCATION
shareyourthoughts  laravel  /mnt/d/ddevapps/shareyourthoughts

—

### 🚫 Step 2: Unlist the old one

If you see the old location still listed, run:

ddev stop --unlist shareyourthoughts

✅ This will:
– Stop the project (if running)
– Unregister it from DDEV’s global project list
– Leave all files safe and untouched

—

### ✅ Step 3: Start fresh from the new WSL location

Navigate to your new project location (in WSL):

cd ~/projects/shareyourthoughts
ddev start

> DDEV will now register the project from this native WSL path — much faster and cleaner.

—

### ✅ Verify It's Cleaned Up

Run:

ddev list

Make sure only the new project path under `/home/yourname/projects/…` is listed.

—

Let me know if you also want to:
– Rename the project (change in `.ddev/config.yaml`)
– Add automatic SSL or mailhog support
– Set aliases for quick access (`proj`, etc.)

You're almost 100% optimized Neeraj 🙌

Here’s how to **update DDEV inside WSL** or on Windows, depending on how you installed it:

—

## ✅ If You Installed DDEV in WSL (Ubuntu/Linux)

### Step 1: Download and run the official install script

Open your WSL terminal (`wsl -d Ubuntu`) and run:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ddev/ddev/master/scripts/install_ddev.sh | bash

This will:
– Download the latest DDEV binary
– Install it into `/usr/local/bin`
– Replace the existing version if present

### Step 2: Confirm the update

After installation, verify the version:

ddev version

You’ll see something like:

ddev version v1.23.0

—

## ✅ If You Installed DDEV on Windows (for use in CMD/PowerShell)

You have two easy options:

### Option A: Via Chocolatey (if used earlier)

choco upgrade ddev -y

### Option B: Manual update

1. Go to the official GitHub releases:
👉 [https://github.com/ddev/ddev/releases](https://github.com/ddev/ddev/releases)

2. Download the latest Windows `.exe` version (64-bit)

3. Replace the old `ddev.exe` in your `PATH` (e.g., `C:Program Filesddev`)

—

## 🔁 Final Check

In either case, after updating, run:

ddev version

Make sure it shows the **latest stable version**.

—

Let me know:
– Which OS you originally installed DDEV on (Windows vs WSL)?
– If you want to **auto-update DDEV** in the future using a script or alias?

I can set that up too!

—

## 📍 Default WSL Installation Path on C Drive

When installed **via Microsoft Store** or using `wsl –install`, WSL distros (like Ubuntu) are stored in:

C:Users<YourUsername>AppDataLocalPackages

For example:

C:UsersNeeraj TiwariAppDataLocalPackagesCanonicalGroupLimited.UbuntuonWindows_79rhkp1fndgsc

Inside that folder, you'll see:

LocalState
  └── ext4.vhdx      ← The virtual disk with your full Linux file system

—

## ✅ How to Access It

1. Open File Explorer
2. Paste:

%LOCALAPPDATA%Packages

3. Look for folders named like:
– `CanonicalGroupLimited.UbuntuonWindows_*`
– `Debian*`
– `openSUSE*`
4. Inside, go to `LocalState`

—

## 🔍 If You Moved WSL to D: Drive

Then your current WSL distro won't be in `C:Users…` anymore. Instead, you’ll see:

D:wslubuntu
  └── ext4.vhdx

This is your **new WSL installation location**.

You can verify which WSL distros are installed and running with:

wsl -l -v

—

### Bonus: Show WSL Paths via PowerShell Script

If you want to list all WSL distros and their file paths (for default installs):

Get-ChildItem HKCU:SoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionLxss | ForEach-Object {
  $distro = Get-ItemProperty $_.PSPath
  [PSCustomObject]@{
    Name = $distro.DistributionName
    Path = $distro.BasePath
  }
}

> This only works for distros installed in the default `%LOCALAPPDATA%` path (not for `–import` ones).

—

Let me know if you want to:
– Move **existing WSL from C: to D:** (you already did that ✅)
– Reclaim space on `C:` after moving
– Set new default install location for **future** WSL distros

I'm happy to help with any of these!

~/projects/

That translates to the **Linux filesystem**, not directly visible like normal Windows folders. But don’t worry — you can **access it from Windows (C: drive)** using the `\wsl$` network share.

—

## ✅ How to Access `~/projects` Folder from Windows (C Drive)

### 🟢 Option 1: Open via File Explorer

1. Open **File Explorer** (`Win + E`)
2. In the address bar, enter:

\wsl$Ubuntuhome<your-username>projects

Example:

\wsl$Ubuntuhomeneeraj_iwariprojects

> Replace `Ubuntu` with your distro name if you renamed it — check with `wsl -l`.

3. You’ll now see all files from WSL’s `~/projects` folder!

—

### 🟢 Option 2: Mount WSL home as a network drive

You can **map your WSL `~/projects` folder as a Windows drive letter** (like `Z:`):

1. Open File Explorer
2. Right-click **This PC** → **Map network drive**
3. Choose a drive letter (e.g., `Z:`)
4. For the folder path, enter:

\wsl$Ubuntuhomeneeraj_iwariprojects

5. Check **Reconnect at sign-in** if desired
6. Click **Finish**

Now your WSL projects are browsable from:

Z: → ~/projects

—

## 🔎 Notes

– This doesn’t use `C:` or `D:` directly, because the files are inside a virtual Linux filesystem (in `ext4.vhdx`)
– The path like `\wsl$Ubuntuhome…` is the **only way to access Linux home folders from Windows**

—

Let me know if you'd like a shortcut on desktop or a script to open this in VS Code automatically!

<script>
window.effect1ElementId = '<?php echo esc_js($effect2_id); ?>';
        window.effectFontSize = '<?php echo esc_js($font_size); ?>';
</script>

<script>
js/effect1.js" >
</script>

<script>

</script>

';
self::$script_loaded = true;
}
if(!is_admin())
{
?>

<script>
window.effectFontSize = '<?php echo esc_js($font_size); ?>';
</script>

<script>
js/effect2.js" >
</script>

—

## ✅ Changes You'll Make:

1. Add a new control: `heading_tag` (options: h1, h2, h3, etc.)
2. Replace hardcoded “ with dynamic tag

—

### ✅ Updated Code with `Heading Tag` Option

Here’s your updated widget with the new feature:

// Inside register_controls() -> style_section or new section:
$this->add_control(
    'heading_tag',
    [
        'label'   => __('HTML Tag', 'wordpress'),
        'type'    => ElementorControls_Manager::SELECT,
        'default' => 'h1',
        'options' => [
            'h1' => 'H1',
            'h2' => 'H2',
            'h3' => 'H3',
            'h4' => 'H4',
            'h5' => 'H5',
            'h6' => 'H6',
            'div' => 'DIV',
            'span' => 'SPAN',
        ],
    ]
);

—

### 🔁 Update `render()` method

Replace your hardcoded “ tag rendering lines with:

$tag = $settings['heading_tag'];

if($settings['font_effect']=='effect-one') {
    // ...
    echo '<' . $tag . ' id="titlefont2" class="variable-font-content">' . esc_html($text) . '</' . $tag . '>';
    // ...
} else {
    // ...
    $output .= "<{$tag} class='{$unique_id} title variable-font-content'>{$text}</{$tag}>";
    // ...
}

> ✅ Using `esc_html()` ensures your text is safe.
> ✅ Using `$tag` ensures the selected HTML tag is used consistently.

—

### ✅ Final Output: Dynamic Tag Control

– Shows up in the Elementor sidebar
– Supports: `h1` to `h6`, `div`, `span`
– Works for both **Effect One** and **Effect Two**

—

Would you like to add **custom CSS per tag** (e.g., different styles for `h2`, `span`, etc.)?
I can help with that too!