WSL Memory Monitor

A comprehensive visual memory management tool for WSL2 on Windows. Control and monitor memory allocation between Windows and WSL with an intuitive slider interface and persistent system tray indicator.

📋 Table of Contents

Features
Screenshots
Requirements
Installation
Usage
Configuration
Architecture
Troubleshooting
Advanced Usage
Contributing
License

🎯 Features

Core Features

🎚️ Visual Memory Slider: Intuitive horizontal slider interface to balance memory between Windows and WSL
📊 System Tray Monitor: Persistent color-coded icon (1-5) showing current memory profile at a glance
⚡ Real-time Updates: Monitor updates every 30 seconds to reflect configuration changes
🖱️ One-click Access: Left-click tray icon to instantly open Memory Switch
🔄 Hot Restart: Integrated WSL restart functionality without closing applications

Memory Profiles

The tool includes 5 carefully calibrated profiles for different use cases:

Level	Profile	WSL Memory	Windows Free	WSL CPUs	Use Case
🔵 5	GAMING	8GB	56GB	4	AAA Gaming, Streaming, Video Editing
🔷 4	WIN-FOCUS	16GB	48GB	8	Windows-heavy tasks, VMs, Design
⚪ 3	BALANCED	24GB	40GB	12	Mixed usage, light dev + Windows apps
🟢 2	WSL-DEV	32GB	32GB	16	Development, Docker, Build tasks
🟢 1	WSL-FOCUS	48GB	16GB	20	Heavy compilation, Multiple containers

Visual Indicators

Color Gradient System: Icons transition from blue (Windows-focused) through gray (balanced) to green (WSL-focused)
3D Effect: Icons feature gradient shading and shadows for better visibility
Tooltip Information: Hover for instant memory allocation details

CLI Features

Full command-line control from both Windows and WSL
Scriptable interface for automation
Profile management and custom configurations
Status reporting and system health checks

📸 Screenshots

Memory Switch Interface

                    WSL MEMORY SWITCH v2.0
                 Ryzen 9 5900X + 64GB RAM System

     WINDOWS                                                     WSL/LINUX
      16 GB                                                       48 GB
       4 CPUs                                                     20 CPUs

     ===============================================||===============================

     0GB                              32GB                             64GB

                         [WSL-FOCUS] Heavy Dev
                      
                      CONFIGURATION CURRENT

 ============================================================================

 [←] [→]  Move slider     [ENTER] Apply     [R] Restart WSL     [Q] Quit

 Status WSL: ACTIVE (requires restart to apply changes)

System Tray Icon Examples

Level 5 (Gaming): 🔵 Blue circle with white "5"
Level 3 (Balanced): ⚪ Gray circle with white "3"
Level 1 (WSL Focus): 🟢 Green circle with white "1"

📋 Requirements

System Requirements

OS: Windows 10 version 2004+ or Windows 11
WSL: WSL2 (version 2.0.0 or higher recommended)
RAM: Minimum 16GB, designed for 32GB+ systems
PowerShell: Version 5.0 or higher
.NET Framework: 4.5+ (usually pre-installed)

Permissions

Standard user for basic operations
Administrator for:
- WSL service restart
- Auto-start installation
- First-time icon visibility setup

🚀 Installation

Method 1: Quick Install (Recommended)

Download the latest release from Releases
Extract to your preferred location (e.g., C:\Tools\WSL-Memory-Monitor)
Right-click Install-AutoStart.ps1 → Run with PowerShell
Follow the prompts to configure auto-start

Method 2: Git Clone

# From Windows PowerShell or WSL
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/WSL-Memory-Monitor.git
cd WSL-Memory-Monitor

# Windows: Install auto-start
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File Install-AutoStart.ps1

# WSL: Install CLI tool
chmod +x wsl-memory-switch-cli.sh
ln -s $(pwd)/wsl-memory-switch-cli.sh ~/.local/bin/wsl-memory-switch

Method 3: Manual Installation

Download ZIP from GitHub
Extract to desired location

Create shortcut to START-MONITOR.bat in:

%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Post-Installation Setup

Run Make-Icon-Visible.ps1 to pin the tray icon
Or manually drag the icon from hidden tray area to visible area
Configure your preferred default profile

🎮 Usage

GUI Mode (Windows)

Launching the Memory Switch

Method 1: Double-click RUN-MEMORY-SWITCH.bat
Method 2: Left-click the system tray icon
Method 3: PowerShell: .\WSL-Memory-Switch.ps1

Keyboard Controls

← / →: Navigate between memory profiles
Enter: Apply selected profile
R: Restart WSL (applies pending changes)
Q: Quit application

Visual Feedback

Blue bar represents Windows memory
Green bar represents WSL memory
Current profile highlighted in cyan
"CHANGE PENDING" indicator when selection differs from current

System Tray Monitor

Starting the Monitor

# Run once
START-MONITOR.bat

# Or install for auto-start
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File Install-AutoStart.ps1

Tray Icon Interactions

Left-click: Open Memory Switch
Right-click: Context menu
- View current status
- Select profiles directly
- Refresh status
- Exit monitor

Icon States

The icon displays a number (1-5) with color coding:

Higher numbers = More memory for Windows
Lower numbers = More memory for WSL
Color transitions from blue to green

CLI Mode (WSL/Terminal)

Basic Commands

# Check current configuration
wsl-memory-switch current

# List available profiles
wsl-memory-switch list

# Show detailed status
wsl-memory-switch status

Applying Profiles

# Apply preset profiles
wsl-memory-switch apply gaming      # 8GB for WSL
wsl-memory-switch apply balanced    # 24GB for WSL
wsl-memory-switch apply wsl-focus   # 48GB for WSL

# Custom configuration
wsl-memory-switch custom 32 16      # 32GB RAM, 16 CPUs

System Management

# Restart WSL to apply changes
wsl-memory-switch restart

# Show help
wsl-memory-switch help

⚙️ Configuration

WSL Configuration File

The tool manages ~/.wslconfig (Windows user directory) with optimized settings:

[wsl2]
# Memory allocation (adjusted per profile)
memory=48GB              

# CPU allocation (adjusted per profile)
processors=20            

# Swap disabled for better performance
swap=0                   

# GUI disabled for stability (prevents Xorg crashes)
guiApplications=false    

# Network configuration
networkingMode=mirrored  # Better Windows integration
dnsTunneling=true       # Improved DNS resolution
firewall=true           # Security

[experimental]
# Memory optimizations
autoMemoryReclaim=gradual  # Gradual memory reclaim
sparseVhd=true            # Disk space optimization

Profile Configuration

Edit wsl-memory-profiles.conf to customize profiles:

# Format: PROFILE_NAME|MEMORY|PROCESSORS|DESCRIPTION
GAMING|8GB|4|Windows Gaming - Minimal WSL
BALANCED|24GB|12|Balanced - Both systems
WSL_FOCUS|48GB|20|WSL Priority - Heavy development
CUSTOM|32GB|16|Custom configuration

Monitor Settings

Update Interval: 30 seconds (hardcoded)
Icon Size: 32x32 pixels with anti-aliasing
Tooltip Format: "L[Level]: W[Windows]GB|WSL[WSL]GB"

🏗️ Architecture

Component Overview

WSL-Memory-Monitor/
├── Core Components
│   ├── WSL-Memory-Switch.ps1      # Main GUI application
│   ├── WSL-Memory-Monitor.ps1     # System tray monitor
│   └── wsl-memory-switch-cli.sh   # Linux CLI interface
├── Launchers
│   ├── RUN-MEMORY-SWITCH.bat      # GUI launcher
│   └── START-MONITOR.bat          # Monitor launcher
├── Utilities
│   ├── Install-AutoStart.ps1      # Startup installer
│   └── Make-Icon-Visible.ps1      # Tray icon helper
└── Configuration
    └── wsl-memory-profiles.conf   # Profile definitions

Technical Details

Memory Switch GUI

Technology: PowerShell + Windows Forms
Rendering: GDI+ for custom graphics
Input: Raw keyboard input handling
State Management: File-based configuration

System Tray Monitor

Framework: .NET Windows Forms NotifyIcon
Icon Generation: Dynamic GDI+ bitmap rendering
Update Mechanism: Timer-based polling
Memory Management: Proper disposal of graphics resources

CLI Tool

Language: Bash script
Compatibility: POSIX-compliant
Integration: Direct .wslconfig manipulation
Windows Interop: PowerShell command execution

Data Flow

User interacts with GUI/CLI/Tray
Tool modifies ~/.wslconfig
User triggers WSL restart
Windows applies new configuration
Monitor reflects changes

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Monitor Not Visible in System Tray

Problem: Icon appears in hidden area instead of visible tray

Solutions:

Run Make-Icon-Visible.ps1 as Administrator
Manually drag icon from overflow area (^ arrow)
Windows 11: Settings → Personalization → Taskbar → System tray icons
Windows 10: Settings → Personalization → Taskbar → Select icons

WSL Not Restarting Properly

Problem: WSL doesn't restart or changes don't apply

Solutions:

# Run as Administrator
wsl --shutdown
Stop-Service LxssManager -Force
Start-Service LxssManager
wsl

Icon Shows Wrong Number/Color

Problem: Tray icon doesn't match actual configuration

Solutions:

Right-click tray icon → "Refresh"
Verify ~/.wslconfig contents
Restart monitor: Close and run START-MONITOR.bat

PowerShell Execution Policy Error

Problem: "Scripts disabled on this system"

Solution:

# Run as Administrator
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

Memory Settings Not Applying

Problem: WSL ignores memory settings

Possible Causes:

WSL version too old (update with wsl --update)
Windows version doesn't support setting
Syntax error in .wslconfig
Insufficient system memory

Diagnostic Commands

# Check WSL version
wsl --version

# Verify configuration
Get-Content $env:USERPROFILE\.wslconfig

# Check WSL status
wsl --list --verbose

# View system memory
Get-WmiObject Win32_OperatingSystem | Select TotalVisibleMemorySize

🚀 Advanced Usage

Automation Scripts

Auto-switch based on time

# Morning: Development focus
$hour = (Get-Date).Hour
if ($hour -ge 9 -and $hour -lt 17) {
    & ".\WSL-Memory-Switch.ps1" -Profile "WSL_FOCUS"
} else {
    & ".\WSL-Memory-Switch.ps1" -Profile "BALANCED"
}

Integration with Task Scheduler

Create new task in Task Scheduler
Trigger: At startup or specific time
Action: Start program
Program: powershell.exe
Arguments: -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\Path\To\Script.ps1"

Custom Profiles

Creating a Video Editing Profile

# Edit wsl-memory-profiles.conf
VIDEO_EDIT|12GB|6|Video Editing - Max Windows RAM

# Apply via CLI
wsl-memory-switch apply video_edit

Dynamic Profile Based on Running Apps

# Check if specific apps are running
$gaming = Get-Process "game_executable" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if ($gaming) {
    # Switch to gaming profile
    wsl-memory-switch apply gaming
}

Monitoring and Alerts

Memory Usage Alert

#!/bin/bash
# Add to crontab for periodic checks
used=$(free -g | awk '/^Mem:/{print $3}')
total=$(free -g | awk '/^Mem:/{print $2}')
if [ $used -gt $((total * 90 / 100)) ]; then
    notify-send "WSL Memory Alert" "Using $used/$total GB"
fi

API Usage (Unofficial)

Get Current Profile Programmatically

function Get-WSLMemoryProfile {
    $config = Get-Content "$env:USERPROFILE\.wslconfig" -Raw
    if ($config -match 'memory=(\d+)GB') {
        return @{
            Memory = [int]$matches[1]
            Profile = switch([int]$matches[1]) {
                8 { "GAMING" }
                16 { "WIN_FOCUS" }
                24 { "BALANCED" }
                32 { "WSL_DEV" }
                48 { "WSL_FOCUS" }
                default { "CUSTOM" }
            }
        }
    }
}

🛠️ Development

Building from Source

Prerequisites

Visual Studio Code or PowerShell ISE
Git for Windows
WSL2 with Ubuntu/Debian

Build Steps

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/WSL-Memory-Monitor.git
cd WSL-Memory-Monitor

# No compilation needed - PowerShell scripts
# Test locally
./RUN-MEMORY-SWITCH.bat

Testing

Unit Tests (PowerShell)

# Test profile switching
$profiles = @("gaming", "balanced", "wsl-focus")
foreach ($profile in $profiles) {
    Write-Host "Testing profile: $profile"
    & ".\WSL-Memory-Switch.ps1" -Profile $profile -NoRestart
    Start-Sleep -Seconds 2
}

Integration Tests

# Test CLI commands
./test-cli.sh

# Test cases
- Profile switching
- Custom configurations  
- Restart functionality
- Error handling

Code Structure

WSL-Memory-Switch.ps1

# Main sections:
1. Configuration loading
2. UI rendering engine
3. Input handling
4. Profile management
5. WSL service control

WSL-Memory-Monitor.ps1

# Components:
1. Icon generation system
2. Tray icon management
3. Context menu builder
4. Update timer
5. Event handlers

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our Contributing Guidelines for details.

Ways to Contribute

🐛 Report bugs and issues
💡 Suggest new features
📖 Improve documentation
🌐 Add translations
💻 Submit pull requests

Development Process

Fork the repository
Create feature branch: git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature
Commit changes: git commit -m 'Add AmazingFeature'
Push to branch: git push origin feature/AmazingFeature
Open Pull Request

Code Style

PowerShell: Follow PowerShell Best Practices
Use meaningful variable names
Comment complex logic
Include error handling

📜 License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

Key Points:

✅ Freedom to use, modify, and distribute
✅ Source code must remain open
✅ Derivative works must use GPL v3
❌ No warranty provided

🙏 Acknowledgments

Designed for: High-memory systems (32GB+) where resource allocation matters
Inspired by: The need to balance gaming and development on the same machine
Thanks to: WSL2 team for making Linux on Windows awesome
Icon Design: Using Windows GDI+ for native look and feel

📞 Support

Getting Help

📋 Check Issues for known problems
💬 Join our Discussions
📧 Email: your.email@example.com

Reporting Issues

Please include:

Windows version (winver)
WSL version (wsl --version)
System RAM and CPU
Error messages/screenshots
Steps to reproduce

Feature Requests

Check existing requests first
Describe use case clearly
Explain expected behavior
Consider submitting a PR!

Made with ❤️ for the WSL community

⬆ Back to top

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 4 Commits
CONTRIBUTING.md		CONTRIBUTING.md
Install-AutoStart.ps1		Install-AutoStart.ps1
LICENSE		LICENSE
Make-Icon-Visible.ps1		Make-Icon-Visible.ps1
README.md		README.md
RUN-MEMORY-SWITCH.bat		RUN-MEMORY-SWITCH.bat
START-MONITOR.bat		START-MONITOR.bat
WSL-Memory-Monitor.ps1		WSL-Memory-Monitor.ps1
WSL-Memory-Switch.ps1		WSL-Memory-Switch.ps1
wsl-memory-profiles.conf		wsl-memory-profiles.conf
wsl-memory-switch-cli.sh		wsl-memory-switch-cli.sh

License

oratual/WSL-Memory-Monitor

Folders and files

Latest commit

History

Repository files navigation

WSL Memory Monitor

📋 Table of Contents

🎯 Features

Core Features

Memory Profiles

Visual Indicators

CLI Features

📸 Screenshots

Memory Switch Interface

System Tray Icon Examples

📋 Requirements

System Requirements

Permissions

🚀 Installation

Method 1: Quick Install (Recommended)

Method 2: Git Clone

Method 3: Manual Installation

Post-Installation Setup

🎮 Usage

GUI Mode (Windows)

Launching the Memory Switch

Keyboard Controls

Visual Feedback

System Tray Monitor

Starting the Monitor

Tray Icon Interactions

Icon States

CLI Mode (WSL/Terminal)

Basic Commands

Applying Profiles

System Management

⚙️ Configuration

WSL Configuration File

Profile Configuration

Monitor Settings

🏗️ Architecture

Component Overview

Technical Details

Memory Switch GUI

System Tray Monitor

CLI Tool

Data Flow

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Monitor Not Visible in System Tray

WSL Not Restarting Properly

Icon Shows Wrong Number/Color

PowerShell Execution Policy Error

Memory Settings Not Applying

Diagnostic Commands

🚀 Advanced Usage

Automation Scripts

Auto-switch based on time

Integration with Task Scheduler

Custom Profiles

Creating a Video Editing Profile

Dynamic Profile Based on Running Apps

Monitoring and Alerts

Memory Usage Alert

API Usage (Unofficial)

Get Current Profile Programmatically

🛠️ Development

Building from Source

Prerequisites

Build Steps

Testing

Unit Tests (PowerShell)

Integration Tests

Code Structure

WSL-Memory-Switch.ps1

WSL-Memory-Monitor.ps1

🤝 Contributing

Ways to Contribute

Development Process

Packages