Search code examples
bashwindows-10file-permissionswindows-explorerwindows-subsystem-for-linux

Windows 10 and WSL - Directories not appearing in Bash when created in File Explorer

Using Windows 10 Enterprise Insider Preview Buil 14372.rs1_release.160620-2342

When I create a directory in Bash (e.g. mkdir test_from_bash) it appears in the File Explorer but the opposite doesn't work. File Explorer -> New Folder (call it 'test_from_gui') then running ls -al in Bash does not show the new directory.

I don't think this is a permissions problem since I went into the Properties -> Security section for each directory using the File Explorer and both of the aforementioned directories both have every box checked except for 'Special permissions' at the bottom of the list.

Result from ls -al:

enter image description here

File explorer:

enter image description here

Is this a bug?

Solution

  • Workaround -

    Create and work out of directories that are outside of the Ubuntu 'container', you can find them in the /mnt directory. For example, you can happily read/write/modify/delete files from C:\Users in Windows Explorer (or cmd or anywhere else in Windows land) and also do the same from Bash but those files will be located in /mnt/c/Users. Not perfect, though, and I'd love to see a better answer.