Linux Apps under Windows

[Bernd Machenschalk]

Hi!

I'm currently trying to familiarize myself with the docker_wrapper
approach. I do see the benefit for encapsulating arbitrary Linux Apps
which use multiple system libraries (e.g. Python). But to me who is just
interested in running an application built for Linux (with statically
linked libraries) on a Windows machine this looks like a huge overhead,
especially when multiple instances of the app should run in parallel.

My first approach would be to just run a BOINC Client for Linux in WSL.
Did anyone ever try this and to what end? I tend to think that a GPU
would even be more accessible that way than via docker, wouldn't it?

Bernd Machenschalk
Einstein@Home

[James Wanless]

From about 2017, a cpu Linux app (static like you) ran very nicely under UserLAnd or Termux on Android…
J

Sent from my iPad

> On 29 May 2026, at 11:09, 'Bernd Machenschalk' via boinc_projects <boinc_p...@ssl.berkeley.edu> wrote:
>
> Hi!

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[Vitalii Koshura]

Hello Bernd,

Sorry I somehow missed your email.

Docker applications have several benefits both for developers and users.

For developers:

1. You don't need to care about the system libraries (and/or Python packages) installed on the user device.

2. What is more important, you don't need to take care about the glibc version, and can use the most modern compiler to create an application that will run inside a Docker container running on any OS that has Docker installed.

3. You can also create 1 single Linux application packed inside a Docker container, and it will run on Linux, MacOs and Windows: you don't need to build your application for different platforms anymore (especially those that require some Linux specific libraries that are quite hard to build on Windows).

Of course, you can install a BOINC client inside WSL, but it has some disadvantages:

1. You can't run with BOINC on Windows applications anymore (don't forget, users are usually attached to multiple projects)

2. BOINC client under WSL has limited ability to identify how much device is used by the user (e.g. you can't determine if device is idling or being heavily used by some Windows-specific user applications).

3. Also, Windows users should then have some knowledge about Linux (how to work with it, how to install applications, etc).

So for the users Docker applications have some big advantages:

1. They can continue using BOINC as before, and they don't need to worry about WSL (we have a very easy-to-use installer).

2. The Docker container is completely isolated, and thus means more secure to run.

Also please don't forget that not all users are very familiar with Linux, and how to work with it, so asking them to install WSL, then install BOINC on it will be too much for them.

So, in general, we try to make the process easy for everyone.

And on BOINC Central we had two developers who were very successful and happy using this technology.

We have also made this new type of applications quite separated, so you can work with it just the same way you work with other BOINC applications.

On BOINC Central we have created a convenient mechanism to create and modify jobs running as Docker containers.

Of course, you don't need to use it if you don't, and you can continue using what you already have: the only change you need is a new plan class (and a Docker container with your application inside, of course).

I would be happy to give you more information and guidance if you would like.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

As you might know, we are currently working on providing access to the GPU hardware from the WSL images.

SInce we need to target 3 GPUs (AMD, Intel and nVidia), it adds some additional work to be done on top.

This is a little bit trickier than we thought before, but we do have some progress here.

That is why your assistance here would be very useful if you can create a Docker image with your GPU application that we can use for our testing purposes.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Have a great rest of the week.

Best regards,

Vitalii Koshura

пт, 29 мая 2026 г. в 12:09, 'Bernd Machenschalk' via boinc_projects <boinc_p...@ssl.berkeley.edu>: