Ubuntu for Windows: Mounting C: Drive to WSL's Root

persistent_c_mount_wsl.sh

# allow `mount` cmd without password
echo "$USER ALL=NOPASSWD: /bin/mount" | (sudo su -c 'EDITOR="tee -a" visudo')
# add the mount directive to `fstab`
sudo mkdir -p /c
sudo sh -c "echo '/mnt/c /c none bind' >> /etc/fstab"
# update to `.bashrc` to auto mount at login
echo "sudo mount -a" >> ~/.bashrc
# now reload it
source ~/.bashrc

FYI this is now possible to do it with wsl.conf https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/wsl-config
root = /

diego@diego-thinkpad:~$ cat /etc/wsl.conf
# Enable extra metadata options by default
[automount]
enabled = true
root = /
options = "metadata,umask=22,fmask=11"
mountFsTab = false

# Enable DNS – even though these are turned on by default, we’ll specify here just to be explicit.
[network]
generateHosts = true
generateResolvConf = true

diego@diego-thinkpad:~$ mount -l | grep drvfs
C: on /c type drvfs (rw,noatime,uid=1000,gid=1000,umask=22,fmask=11,metadata)
diego@diego-thinkpad:~$

This is awesome. Thank you.

Changing the settings in wsl.conf would need a system-reboot to take effect. (On Windows 10, this means you need to restart the laptop as a whole.)

Actually you don't need a full restart, you can just restart the WSL management service with (for example) this PowerShell:

Restart-Service -Name "LxssManager"

Hi. In my case it creates the folders but the mount points remain the same. My wsl.conf is exactly the same but when i do mount -l | grep drvfs I get.

C: on /mnt/c type drvfs (rw,noatime,uid=1000,gid=998,case=off)
D: on /mnt/d type drvfs (rw,noatime,uid=1000,gid=998,case=off)
E: on /mnt/e type drvfs (rw,noatime,uid=1000,gid=998,case=off)
F: on /mnt/f type drvfs (rw,noatime,uid=1000,gid=998,case=off)
G: on /mnt/g type drvfs (rw,noatime,uid=1000,gid=998,case=off)
H: on /mnt/h type drvfs (rw,noatime,uid=1000,gid=998,case=off)

I've restarted the service and the PC but remain the same.

Same here, duplicated the wsl.conf, restarted no-joy. running 18.03

@deserthacker

Check the line endings of wsl.conf? I am now using the new method without issue.

works fine on 18.04.2 WSL windows 10 pro. but I see /mnt/c as empty directories

works fine on 18.04.2 WSL windows 10 pro. but I see /mnt/c as empty directories

Had the same problem. It gone when changed root property in automount section to /mnt/ (from just /).

FYI this is now possible to do it with wsl.conf https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/wsl-config
root = /

diego@diego-thinkpad:~$ cat /etc/wsl.conf
# Enable extra metadata options by default
[automount]
enabled = true
root = /
options = "metadata,umask=22,fmask=11"
mountFsTab = false

# Enable DNS – even though these are turned on by default, we’ll specify here just to be explicit.
[network]
generateHosts = true
generateResolvConf = true

diego@diego-thinkpad:~$ mount -l | grep drvfs
C: on /c type drvfs (rw,noatime,uid=1000,gid=1000,umask=22,fmask=11,metadata)
diego@diego-thinkpad:~$

Works for me (wsl 1, Win 10 pro, Version 10.0.18363.1500, Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS)