windows-side symlinks to \\wsl$\... paths should start up wsl upon access

[razamatan]

Environment

Windows build number: [run `cmd.exe /c ver`] 
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19041.746]
Your Distribution version: [On Debian or Ubuntu run `lsb_release -r` in WSL]
Release:        20.04
Whether the issue is on WSL 2 and/or WSL 1: [run `cat /proc/version` in WSL]
Linux version 5.4.72-microsoft-standard-WSL2 (oe-user@oe-host) (gcc version 8.2.0 (GCC)) #1 SMP Wed Oct 28 23:40:43 UTC 2020

Steps to reproduce

1. copy settings.json from windows into your linux home dir
2. from windows, mklink %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.WindowsTerminal_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\settings.json \\wsl$\Ubuntu\home\%USERNAME%\settings.json
3. wsl --shutdown
4. try firing up windows terminal

WSL logs:
n/a

Expected behavior

i would expect windows terminal to fire up with my settings now located in wsl

Actual behavior

windows terminal error dialog stating "Encountered errors while loading user settings".

Background

i currently have my windows terminal settings.json file (%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.WindowsTerminal_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\settings.json) linked to my dotfiles in wsl (dir output: settings.json [\wsl$\Ubuntu\home\razamatan.dotfiles\settings.json]).

since wsl2 switched to vhd's, if i try to open terminal w/o starting wsl to load the vhd, i get the "Encountered errors while loading user settings" error dialog. i have to remember to always start wsl to allow wt to be able to read from this (and any other) symlink to \wsl$ files.

it would be great to automatically load wsl if trying to access any symlink that points to wsl paths.

[razamatan]

odd... having tried to repro cleanly, i moved the previous mklink created link in linux via the mv command, and then reverted things back in linux by moving the old link to the settings.json filename. after having done this, it seems that wsl does get startup trying to access this file.

can anyone repro? i'm trying to figure out how it was originally broken.