Csdrhrt

I want to use Windows' start command in bash on Ubuntu on Windows (i.e., WSL).
However, I couldn't use it by simply typing start:

nek@NEK:/mnt/c/Users/Nek$ start test.txt

Command 'start' is available in '/sbin/start'

The command could not be located because '/sbin' is not included in the PATH environment variable.

This is most likely caused by the lack of administrative privileges associated with your user account.

start: command not found

And I noticed that start.exe might not exist.

C:UsersNek>where start

INFO: Could not find files for the given pattern(s).

Is start a builtin command? Can we use start in bash?

Environment

• Windows 10 build 14393.693 (Update: This version is old for executing .exe files on bash. I should update Windows build >= 14951, and then follow the answer.)


• Bash on Ubuntu on Windows (bash 4.3.11(1)-release x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, Ubuntu 14.04)

Related Links

• 
  "How can I “open” a file from WSL with the default application?" -- superuser


• 
  "Interop between Windows and Bash" -- Windows Command Line Tools For Developers

Is start a builtin command?

Yes.

Internal commands

The Windows CMD shell CMD.exe contains a number of 'internal'
commands, additional 'external' commands are also supplied as separate
executable files. External commands are generally stored in the
C:WINDOWSSystem32 folder, this folder is part of the system PATH .

This arrangement means that both internal and external commands are
always available no matter what your current directory happens to be.

ASSOC, BREAK, CALL ,CD/CHDIR, CLS, COLOR, COPY, DATE, DEL, DIR, DPATH,
ECHO, ENDLOCAL, ERASE, EXIT, FOR, FTYPE, GOTO, IF, KEYS, MD/MKDIR,
MKLINK (vista and above), MOVE, PATH, PAUSE, POPD, PROMPT, PUSHD, REM,
REN/RENAME, RD/RMDIR, SET, SETLOCAL, SHIFT, START, TIME, TITLE, TYPE,
VER, VERIFY, VOL

Source syntax-internal

Can we use start in bash?

Yes. Start a command shell and run the start command.

Example:

cmd.exe /c start "" test.txt

If this doesn't work specify the full path as follows:

/mnt/c/Windows/system32/cmd.exe /c start "" test.txt

Further Reading

• 
  An A-Z Index of the Windows CMD command line - An excellent reference for all things Windows cmd line related.


• 
  cmd - Start a new CMD shell and (optionally) run a command/executable program.


• 
  start - Start a program, command or batch script (opens in a new window).

The above answer didn't work for me - cmd.exe is expecting a windows path (C:thisthat) rather than a linux path. The following shell function got me up and running:

function start {

    wpath="$(/bin/wslpath -w '$@')"

    cmd.exe /c start "" "$wpath"

}