When launching from WSL (cursor .), the connection hangs or triggers an “Install WSL Extension” loop. If you try cursor --classic ., you
get the error: Directory not found: --classic.
Root Cause:
The April 2026 update (v3.0.9+) introduced the “Glass” (Agent) interface. The standard WSL shim at bin/cursor is currently broken—it
doesn’t pass multiple flags correctly and misinterprets --classic as a folder name.
The “Smart Wrapper” Fix:
Update your WSL cursor script to bypass the broken shim and talk directly to the main Windows engine. Run this in your WSL terminal:
1 # 1. Create the smart wrapper
2 cat << 'EOF' > ~/.local/bin/cursor
3 #!/bin/bash
4 # Bypass broken April 2026 shim; use main engine with classic mode
5 # Note: Adjust path if you have a System-wide install instead of User install
6 WIN_PATH="/mnt/c/Users/$USER/AppData/Local/Programs/cursor/Cursor.exe"
7 "$WIN_PATH" --classic "$@" > /dev/null 2>&1 &
8 EOF
9
10 # 2. Make it executable
11 chmod +x ~/.local/bin/cursor
Why this works:
- Bypasses the 1MB bin/cursor shim and uses the main Cursor.exe which handles the --classic flag correctly.
- Uses “$@” to ensure all your flags (like --classic and the directory .) are passed to Windows.
- The & lets you keep using your terminal while the GUI opens.
- > /dev/null hides the Node.js deprecation warnings and native module errors common in the v3.0.x builds.