[Bug 2065349] Re: [SRU] Default user created by cloud-init confuses WSLg

[Timo Aaltonen]

Hello Carlos, or anyone else affected,

Accepted wsl-setup into noble-proposed. The package will build now and
be available at https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/wsl-
setup/0.5.3~24.04 in a few hours, and then in the -proposed repository.

Please help us by testing this new package.  See
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation on how
to enable and use -proposed.  Your feedback will aid us getting this
update out to other Ubuntu users.

If this package fixes the bug for you, please add a comment to this bug,
mentioning the version of the package you tested, what testing has been
performed on the package and change the tag from verification-needed-
noble to verification-done-noble. If it does not fix the bug for you,
please add a comment stating that, and change the tag to verification-
failed-noble. In either case, without details of your testing we will
not be able to proceed.

Further information regarding the verification process can be found at
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/PerformingSRUVerification .  Thank you in
advance for helping!

N.B. The updated package will be released to -updates after the bug(s)
fixed by this package have been verified and the package has been in
-proposed for a minimum of 7 days.

** Changed in: wsl-setup (Ubuntu Noble)
       Status: New => Fix Committed

** Tags added: verification-needed verification-needed-noble

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2065349

Title:
  [SRU] Default user created by cloud-init confuses WSLg

Status in wsl-setup package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in wsl-setup source package in Noble:
  Fix Committed

Bug description:
  [Context]
  wsl-setup is a package to carry pieces of configuration specifically implemented for a better experience with Ubuntu WSL.

  A bug reported originally by Microsoft engineers, made public via https://github.com/ubuntu/WSL/issues/468, **prevents any GUI application relying on Wayland to start**.
  The issue happens when cloud-init creates a default user ahead of the user's request, which can happen whenever users don't supply any user-data.
  WSL graphical subsystem (WSLg) expects the default user to be UID 1000, which, being taken by cloud-init, causes the subsystem to mess with runtime dir permissions.
  The fix was implemented in https://github.com/ubuntu/wsl-setup/pull/12 and made available in wsl-setup v0.5.3, by adding a configuration override to prevent cloud-init from creating the default "ubuntu" user.

  [Impact]
  * Only WSL users creating new instances of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS are subject to cloud-init effects.
  * Currently users affected by this bug are considered early-adopters. A much wider audience is expected with the release of 24.04.1.
  * wsl-setup is exclusive to Ubuntu WSL, so no other Ubuntu product or experience is affected.

  [Test plan]
  * Install the most recent version of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS application from MS Store with the latest wsl-setup already seeded.
  * Start the application on a Windows console: `ubuntu2404.exe`.
  * When prompted create the default user and password via the regular WSL launcher workflow.
  * When the setup is complete and bash is shown install the `gtk-4-examples` package with: `sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y gtk-4-examples`.
  * When installation is complete, run the gtk4-demo application with the default backend and ensure it opens correctly: `gtk4-demo`.
  * Close it and relaunch it with the GDK backend set to "wayland": `GDK_BACKEND=wayland gtk4-demo`. Assert that the application opens as before.

  [Where problems could occur]
  * Users familiar with cloud-init on Ubuntu might expect the creation of the `ubuntu` user, as it happens with clouds and LXD containers.

  [Other Info]
  * Cloud-init support on WSL is recent enough so users should not have had enough time to create expectations about such behavior by the time this SRU is finished.
  * A similar test workflow was proposed to ISO Tracker test case for Ubuntu WSL to check that behavior.  Merge proposal: https://code.launchpad.net/~cnihelton/ubuntu-manual-tests/+git/ubuntu-manual-tests/+merge/465894

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