A dictionary server is a service that looks up terms. It can do this online or locally. This happens on port 2628 which means that in a corporate environment, you are probably limited to local installations.

First, [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install install WSL2] with your preferred distribution. Start the PowerShell as administrator in order to install it.

List your options:

{{{
wsl --list --online
}}}

Install Debian or Ubuntu:

{{{
wsl --install Debian
}}}

Verify what you have installed:

{{{
wsl --list --verbose
}}}

You should now be able to start ##wsl##, a terminal window that gives you access to a GNU/Linux subsystem.

There, install the dictionary server ##dictd## and some dictionaries like ##dict-de-en## (for translations) or ##dict-gcide##, which includes the 1913 Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.

{{{
sudo apt install dictd dict-gcide
}}}

You can test it within wsl:

{{{
sudo service dictd start
dict awesome
}}}

Now comes the tricky part: starting the dictionary server whenever you log in.

First, install Emacs inside WSL and create a file called ##/etc/init-wsl## or similar.

{{{
sudo apt install emacs
sudo emacs /etc/init-wsl
}}}

The content is just the service startup:

{{{
#!/bin/sh
# service docker start
service dictd start
}}}

(Oops! Now you know that you can also run Docker this way.)

Give execute permissions to everybody:

{{{
sudo chmod +x /etc/init-wsl
}}}

So now we have a single command that starts the service. The Windows application Task Scheduler (##taskschd##) will run this command for you when you logon. Start it up and create a new task.

* Name: WSL Startup
* Trigger: When you log on
* Action: Start a program
* Command: C:\Windows\System32\wsl.exe
* Add arguments (optional): -d Debian -u root /etc/init-wsl

This is how the file you created previously gets started whenever you login, starting the dictionary server for you.

To test it, return to the ##wsl## terminal where you started the dictionary server manually and stop it:

{{{
sudo service dictd stop
}}}

Return to the Task Scheduler window and execute the task.

Return to the ##wsl## terminal and verify that the service runs:

{{{
dict awesome
}}}

Open Emacs (outside the WSL terminal) and run ##M-x dictionary##.

CategoryDictionary CategoryWThirtyTwo