diff --git a/src/main/managed-server/install/orcad-remote-context.ts b/src/main/managed-server/install/orcad-remote-context.ts
index b7d3a7dfbd1..ab1f332622f 100644
--- a/src/main/managed-server/install/orcad-remote-context.ts
+++ b/src/main/managed-server/install/orcad-remote-context.ts
@@ -56,7 +56,11 @@ export async function resolveOrcadRemoteContext<Target extends OrcadHostTarget =
 ): Promise<OrcadRemoteContext<Target>> {
   const host = detectedHost ?? (await detectRemoteHostPlatform(connection, { signal }))
   if (!host) {
-    throw new OrcadHostUnsupportedError('Orca’s server doesn’t support this SSH host’s platform.')
+    throw new OrcadHostUnsupportedError(
+      isWslOrcadHostTarget(target)
+        ? 'Orca’s server doesn’t support this WSL distro’s platform. Use an x64 or arm64 Linux distro.'
+        : 'Orca’s server doesn’t support this SSH host’s platform.'
+    )
   }
   const remote = { conn: connection, host, signal }
   const { orcadHome: remoteHome, userDataDir } = await resolveOrcadMachineHome(
diff --git a/src/main/managed-server/lifecycle/orcad-runtime-target.ts b/src/main/managed-server/lifecycle/orcad-runtime-target.ts
index e58ab279076..347cbf9ac83 100644
--- a/src/main/managed-server/lifecycle/orcad-runtime-target.ts
+++ b/src/main/managed-server/lifecycle/orcad-runtime-target.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,13 @@ import type { OrcadHostTransport } from '../../ssh/orcad-host-transport'
 import { pinnedRuntimeTargetForHost } from '../../ssh/pinned-runtime-host-target'
 import type { RemoteHostPlatform } from '../../ssh/ssh-remote-platform'
 
+/** Lets a caller that knows the host kind add its own fix; the message is the one SSH shows. */
+export class OrcadHostGlibcUnsupportedError extends OrcadHostUnsupportedError {
+  constructor(target: string, glibc: string) {
+    super(`No Orca runtime supports ${target} with glibc ${glibc}.`)
+  }
+}
+
 export async function resolveOrcadRuntimeTarget(options: {
   conn: OrcadHostTransport
   host: RemoteHostPlatform
@@ -15,9 +22,7 @@ export async function resolveOrcadRuntimeTarget(options: {
   const target = pinnedRuntimeTargetForHost(facts)
   if (!target) {
     const glibc = facts.glibc ? `${facts.glibc.major}.${facts.glibc.minor}` : 'unknown'
-    throw new OrcadHostUnsupportedError(
-      `No Orca runtime supports ${facts.target} with glibc ${glibc}.`
-    )
+    throw new OrcadHostGlibcUnsupportedError(facts.target, glibc)
   }
   return target
 }
diff --git a/src/main/wsl/wsl-distro-unsupported.test.ts b/src/main/wsl/wsl-distro-unsupported.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f33b63e3cbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/wsl/wsl-distro-unsupported.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { classifyOrcadHostUnavailable } from '../orcad/orcad-host-unavailable'
+import { OrcadHostGlibcUnsupportedError } from '../managed-server/lifecycle/orcad-runtime-target'
+import { RemoteNodeRuntimeSelfTestError } from '../ssh/orcad-remote-node-runtime-report'
+import {
+  isWslDistroNotFoundFailure,
+  WslDistroNotRegisteredError,
+  WslDistroVersion1Error,
+  wslUnsupportedDistroFixMessage
+} from './wsl-distro-unsupported'
+
+const NIXOS_STUB_OUTPUT =
+  'Could not start dynamically linked executable: node\n' +
+  'NixOS cannot run dynamically linked executables intended for generic\n' +
+  'linux environments out of the box.'
+
+describe('distros that cannot host Orca', () => {
+  it('says how to convert a WSL 1 distro', () => {
+    expect(new WslDistroVersion1Error('Legacy').message).toContain('wsl --set-version Legacy 2')
+  })
+
+  it('classifies both refusals as an unsupported host, as the SSH path records them', () => {
+    expect(classifyOrcadHostUnavailable(new WslDistroVersion1Error('Legacy'))).toBe(
+      'unsupported_host'
+    )
+    expect(classifyOrcadHostUnavailable(new WslDistroNotRegisteredError('Gone'))).toBe(
+      'unsupported_host'
+    )
+  })
+
+  it.each([
+    ['the English sentence', 'There is no distribution with the supplied name.', true],
+    [
+      'the error code under a localized sentence',
+      'Fehler: Wsl/Service/WSL_E_DISTRO_NOT_FOUND',
+      true
+    ],
+    ['an unrelated failure', 'Command "uname -r" failed (exit 1): timeout', false]
+  ])('recognizes a missing distro from %s', (_case, message, expected) => {
+    expect(isWslDistroNotFoundFailure(new Error(message))).toBe(expected)
+  })
+
+  it('adds the glibc fix for a distro, leaving the shared refusal SSH shows as it was', () => {
+    const error = new OrcadHostGlibcUnsupportedError('linux-arm64-glibc', '2.27')
+    expect(error.name).toBe('OrcadHostUnsupportedError')
+    expect(error.message).toBe('No Orca runtime supports linux-arm64-glibc with glibc 2.27.')
+    expect(wslUnsupportedDistroFixMessage(error)).toBe(
+      'No Orca runtime supports linux-arm64-glibc with glibc 2.27. Use a Linux release with ' +
+        'glibc 2.28 or newer (for example Ubuntu 20.04 or Debian 10 and later).'
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('tells a NixOS distro to turn on nix-ld, leaving the shared self-test wording as it was', () => {
+    const error = new RemoteNodeRuntimeSelfTestError(127, NIXOS_STUB_OUTPUT)
+    expect(error.message).toMatch(/^The pinned Node runtime did not run on the host \(exit 127\)/)
+    const fix = wslUnsupportedDistroFixMessage(error)
+    expect(fix).toMatch(/^NixOS can’t run Orca’s Node runtime/)
+    expect(fix).toContain('programs.nix-ld.enable = true;')
+    expect(fix).toContain(`(exit 127: ${NIXOS_STUB_OUTPUT})`)
+  })
+
+  it('has no fix for other failures', () => {
+    expect(
+      wslUnsupportedDistroFixMessage(new RemoteNodeRuntimeSelfTestError(139, 'Segmentation fault'))
+    ).toBeNull()
+    expect(wslUnsupportedDistroFixMessage(new Error('bridge refused'))).toBeNull()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/main/wsl/wsl-distro-unsupported.ts b/src/main/wsl/wsl-distro-unsupported.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b11d819d169
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/wsl/wsl-distro-unsupported.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+/**
+ * Distros that can't host Orca's server, each refused with the step that fixes it. There is no
+ * fallback once the WSL bridge is gone, so a refusal must say what to run, not only what failed.
+ */
+import { OrcadHostUnsupportedError } from '../orcad/orcad-host-unavailable'
+import { OrcadHostGlibcUnsupportedError } from '../managed-server/lifecycle/orcad-runtime-target'
+import { RemoteNodeRuntimeSelfTestError } from '../ssh/orcad-remote-node-runtime-report'
+
+export function wsl1DistroMessage(distro: string): string {
+  return (
+    `${distro} runs WSL 1, which Orca no longer supports. ` +
+    `Convert it to WSL 2 in a Windows terminal with: wsl --set-version ${distro} 2`
+  )
+}
+
+export function wslDistroNotRegisteredMessage(distro: string): string {
+  return (
+    `${distro} is not an installed WSL distro. ` +
+    'Run wsl --list --verbose in a Windows terminal to see the installed ones, ' +
+    'or reinstall it and try again.'
+  )
+}
+
+/** Keeps OrcadHostUnsupportedError's name, so callers that classify by name still see it. */
+export class WslDistroVersion1Error extends OrcadHostUnsupportedError {
+  constructor(distro: string) {
+    super(wsl1DistroMessage(distro))
+  }
+}
+
+export class WslDistroNotRegisteredError extends OrcadHostUnsupportedError {
+  constructor(distro: string) {
+    super(wslDistroNotRegisteredMessage(distro))
+  }
+}
+
+// wsl.exe localizes its sentence but not the error code that newer builds print after it.
+const DISTRO_NOT_FOUND = /WSL_E_DISTRO_NOT_FOUND|There is no distribution with the supplied name/i
+
+export function isWslDistroNotFoundFailure(error: unknown): boolean {
+  return error instanceof Error && DISTRO_NOT_FOUND.test(error.message)
+}
+
+/** Rethrows wsl.exe's missing-distro failure as the refusal that says how to fix it. */
+export function refuseMissingWslDistro(distro: string): (error: unknown) => never {
+  return (error) => {
+    throw isWslDistroNotFoundFailure(error) ? new WslDistroNotRegisteredError(distro) : error
+  }
+}
+
+// NixOS's stub loader refuses generic Linux binaries with this sentence.
+const NIXOS_STUB_LOADER = /NixOS cannot run dynamically linked executables/
+
+/** The shared server refusal plus the step that fixes it in a distro; null when there is none. */
+export function wslUnsupportedDistroFixMessage(error: unknown): string | null {
+  if (error instanceof OrcadHostGlibcUnsupportedError) {
+    return (
+      `${error.message} Use a Linux release with glibc 2.28 or newer ` +
+      '(for example Ubuntu 20.04 or Debian 10 and later).'
+    )
+  }
+  if (error instanceof RemoteNodeRuntimeSelfTestError && NIXOS_STUB_LOADER.test(error.output)) {
+    return (
+      'NixOS can’t run Orca’s Node runtime as it is. Turn on nix-ld ' +
+      '(programs.nix-ld.enable = true; in configuration.nix), run nixos-rebuild switch, ' +
+      `then reconnect. (exit ${error.exitStatus ?? 'unknown'}: ${error.output})`
+    )
+  }
+  return null
+}
diff --git a/src/main/wsl/wsl-host-add-admission.ts b/src/main/wsl/wsl-host-add-admission.ts
index 81420eb5379..aa0f17a636e 100644
--- a/src/main/wsl/wsl-host-add-admission.ts
+++ b/src/main/wsl/wsl-host-add-admission.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import type { WslHostAddResult } from '../../shared/wsl-host-types'
 import type { WslHostDistroCandidate } from './wsl-host-distro-list'
 import { wslDistroHolderKey } from './wsl-distro-holder-record'
+import { wsl1DistroMessage, wslDistroNotRegisteredMessage } from './wsl-distro-unsupported'
 
 export const WSL_HOSTS_DISABLED_MESSAGE = 'WSL hosts are turned off in Settings → Experimental.'
 export const WSL_HOST_SERVER_FILES_MISSING_MESSAGE =
@@ -53,14 +54,14 @@ export function admitWslHostDistro(args: {
     return {
       ok: false,
       kind: 'failed',
-      message: `${args.requested} is not a registered WSL distro.`
+      message: wslDistroNotRegisteredMessage(args.requested)
     }
   }
   if (distro.version === 1) {
     return {
       ok: false,
       kind: 'unsupported-wsl1',
-      message: `${distro.name} runs WSL 1, which isn’t supported as a host. Convert it with: wsl --set-version ${distro.name} 2`
+      message: wsl1DistroMessage(distro.name)
     }
   }
   if (args.alreadyAdded(distro.name)) {
diff --git a/src/main/wsl/wsl-host-first-connect.ts b/src/main/wsl/wsl-host-first-connect.ts
index 62e30e2efb8..b3b2afe6d3c 100644
--- a/src/main/wsl/wsl-host-first-connect.ts
+++ b/src/main/wsl/wsl-host-first-connect.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import type { WslHostAddResult } from '../../shared/wsl-host-types'
 import { OrcadHostUnsupportedError } from '../orcad/orcad-host-unavailable'
 import type { WslHostConnector } from './wsl-host-service'
 import { WslOrcadLaunchDeferredError } from './wsl-orcad-connection-errors'
+import { WslDistroVersion1Error, wslUnsupportedDistroFixMessage } from './wsl-distro-unsupported'
+import { RemoteNodeRuntimeSelfTestError } from '../ssh/orcad-remote-node-runtime-report'
 import type { WslOrcadConnection } from './wsl-orcad-connection'
 
 type WslHostAddRefusal = Extract<WslHostAddResult, { ok: false }>
@@ -30,8 +32,8 @@ export async function connectForWslHostAdd(
     }
     return {
       ok: false,
-      kind: error instanceof OrcadHostUnsupportedError ? 'unsupported-wsl1' : 'failed',
-      message: errorMessage(error)
+      kind: connectFailureKind(error),
+      message: wslUnsupportedDistroFixMessage(error) ?? errorMessage(error)
     }
   }
   const refusal = lateRefusal()
@@ -41,3 +43,14 @@ export async function connectForWslHostAdd(
   }
   return { connection }
 }
+
+/** A distro Orca can't run in reads apart from a connect that may work on retry. */
+function connectFailureKind(error: unknown): WslHostAddRefusal['kind'] {
+  if (error instanceof WslDistroVersion1Error) {
+    return 'unsupported-wsl1'
+  }
+  return error instanceof OrcadHostUnsupportedError ||
+    error instanceof RemoteNodeRuntimeSelfTestError
+    ? 'unsupported-distro'
+    : 'failed'
+}
diff --git a/src/main/wsl/wsl-host-service.test.ts b/src/main/wsl/wsl-host-service.test.ts
index 5589c4fe90e..be8a33e587d 100644
--- a/src/main/wsl/wsl-host-service.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/wsl/wsl-host-service.test.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ import { getWslHostDeploymentStorePath } from '../../shared/wsl-host-deployment-
 import { getPreferredPairingOffer } from '../../shared/runtime-environments'
 import type { WslHostStatus } from '../../shared/wsl-host-types'
 import { OrcadHostUnsupportedError } from '../orcad/orcad-host-unavailable'
+import { RemoteNodeRuntimeSelfTestError } from '../ssh/orcad-remote-node-runtime-report'
+import { wsl1DistroMessage, WslDistroVersion1Error } from './wsl-distro-unsupported'
 import { WslHostService, type WslHostConnector } from './wsl-host-service'
 import { wakeRememberedWslHosts } from './wsl-host-early-wake'
 import { WslOrcadLaunchDeferredError } from './wsl-orcad-connection-errors'
@@ -773,10 +775,17 @@ describe('WslHostService', () => {
   })
 
   it.each([
+    ['unsupported-wsl1', () => new WslDistroVersion1Error('Ubuntu'), wsl1DistroMessage('Ubuntu')],
     [
-      'unsupported-wsl1',
-      () => new OrcadHostUnsupportedError('WSL 1 cannot run the Orca server.'),
-      'WSL 1 cannot run the Orca server.'
+      'unsupported-distro',
+      () => new OrcadHostUnsupportedError('No Orca runtime supports linux-arm64-glibc.'),
+      'No Orca runtime supports linux-arm64-glibc.'
+    ],
+    [
+      'unsupported-distro',
+      () =>
+        new RemoteNodeRuntimeSelfTestError(127, 'libstdc++.so.6: cannot open shared object file'),
+      expect.stringContaining('apk add libstdc++')
     ],
     ['failed', () => new Error('bridge refused'), 'bridge refused']
   ])(
diff --git a/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-deploy.test.ts b/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-deploy.test.ts
index c80d3baee31..de77feb8213 100644
--- a/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-deploy.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-deploy.test.ts
@@ -209,7 +209,25 @@ describe('deployAndLaunchWslOrcad', () => {
 
   it('refuses a WSL 1 distro before holding it or touching its files', async () => {
     await expect(launch('4.4.0-19041-Microsoft')).rejects.toMatchObject({
-      name: 'OrcadHostUnsupportedError'
+      name: 'OrcadHostUnsupportedError',
+      message: expect.stringContaining('wsl --set-version Ubuntu-24.04 2')
+    })
+    expect(mocks.steps).toEqual(['uname'])
+  })
+
+  it('tells an unregistered distro how to find the installed ones, before holding anything', async () => {
+    mocks.exec.mockImplementation(async () => {
+      mocks.steps.push('uname')
+      throw new Error(
+        'Command "uname -r" failed (exit 1): There is no distribution with the supplied name.\n' +
+          'Error code: Wsl/Service/WSL_E_DISTRO_NOT_FOUND'
+      )
+    })
+    await expect(
+      deployAndLaunchWslOrcad('Gone', { holder: holder(), createTransport: transport })
+    ).rejects.toMatchObject({
+      name: 'OrcadHostUnsupportedError',
+      message: expect.stringContaining('wsl --list --verbose')
     })
     expect(mocks.steps).toEqual(['uname'])
   })
diff --git a/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-deploy.ts b/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-deploy.ts
index 52a1c8bc13a..092fe890263 100644
--- a/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-deploy.ts
+++ b/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-deploy.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import { recoverInterruptedOrcadActivation } from '../managed-server/activation/
 import { readOrcadActivationRecord } from '../managed-server/activation/orcad-activation-record-store'
 import { readOrcadActivationTransaction } from '../managed-server/activation/orcad-activation-transaction-store'
 import { materializeOrcadArtifact } from '../orcad/orcad-artifact-materializer'
-import { OrcadHostUnsupportedError } from '../orcad/orcad-host-unavailable'
 import type { OrcadHostTransport } from '../ssh/orcad-host-transport'
 import { ORCAD_ACTIVATION_POLICY_REFUSED_CODE } from '../ssh/orcad-installed-activation'
 import { orcadBoundPort } from '../managed-server/lifecycle/orcad-managed-bound-port'
@@ -38,6 +37,7 @@ import { joinRemotePath } from '../ssh/ssh-remote-platform'
 import { readLocalFullVersion } from '../managed-server/install/remote-versioned-install'
 import { createWslDistroHolder, type WslDistroHolder } from './wsl-distro-holder'
 import { wslDistroHolderKey } from './wsl-distro-holder-record'
+import { refuseMissingWslDistro, WslDistroVersion1Error } from './wsl-distro-unsupported'
 import { readWslDistroRegistryIdShared } from './wsl-distro-registry-id'
 import type { WslOrcadHostTarget } from './wsl-orcad-host-target'
 import { createWslOrcadHostTransport, type WslOrcadHostTransport } from './wsl-orcad-host-transport'
@@ -134,12 +134,9 @@ async function launchOverTransport(
   const { signal } = options
   let ownBuildVersion: string | null = null
   const conn = withOwnBuildLaunchEnv(transport, () => ownBuildVersion)
-  const kernel = await execCommand(conn, 'uname -r', { signal })
+  const kernel = await execCommand(conn, 'uname -r', { signal }).catch(refuseMissingWslDistro(name))
   if (isWsl1KernelRelease(kernel)) {
-    throw new OrcadHostUnsupportedError(
-      `The WSL 1 distro ${name} isn’t supported by Orca’s server. ` +
-        `Convert it with: wsl --set-version ${name} 2`
-    )
+    throw new WslDistroVersion1Error(name)
   }
   // Acquire a holder before launch or WSL can idle-stop orcad's distro.
   const holder = options.holder ?? createWslDistroHolder({ userDataPath: userDataPath() })
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/WslHostsSection.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/WslHostsSection.tsx
index aa72b94561b..2141b388ab4 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/WslHostsSection.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/WslHostsSection.tsx
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import {
 } from '../wsl-move/wsl-move-orchestrator-status'
 import { openWslMoveDialogFor } from '../wsl-move/wsl-move-entry'
 import { WslMoveUnfinishedNotice } from '../wsl-move/WslMoveUnfinishedNotice'
+import { readIpcErrorDetail } from '@/lib/ipc-error'
 
 function getWslHostRowStatus(
   status: WslHostStatus | undefined,
@@ -118,7 +119,8 @@ export function WslHostsSection({
       await api.connect({ environmentId, ...(intent ? { intent } : {}) })
       onChanged()
     } catch (error) {
-      toast.error(error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error))
+      // The main process's message is for the user; Electron's wrapper and the class name aren't.
+      toast.error(readIpcErrorDetail(error) ?? String(error))
     } finally {
       setConnectingId(null)
     }
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddWslHostDialogBody.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddWslHostDialogBody.tsx
index 623381811f3..fbcea74ada9 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddWslHostDialogBody.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddWslHostDialogBody.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { useAppStore } from '@/store'
 import { AddWslHostFormPanel, canAddWslDistro } from './AddWslHostFormPanel'
 import { useWslDistroList } from './use-wsl-distro-list'
 import { useWslHostServerFilesMissing } from './use-wsl-hosts-enabled'
+import { readIpcErrorDetail } from '@/lib/ipc-error'
 
 export function AddWslHostDialogBody({
   adding,
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ export function AddWslHostDialogBody({
       )
       onAdded()
     } catch (cause) {
-      setError(cause instanceof Error ? cause.message : String(cause))
+      setError(readIpcErrorDetail(cause) ?? String(cause))
     } finally {
       onAddingChange(false)
     }
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddWslHostFormPanel.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddWslHostFormPanel.test.tsx
index f43ed0242d7..63bc6368b50 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddWslHostFormPanel.test.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddWslHostFormPanel.test.tsx
@@ -50,6 +50,11 @@ describe('AddWslHostFormPanel', () => {
     expect(html).toContain('until you move them to this host')
   })
 
+  it('spells out the WSL 2 conversion for a WSL 1 distro the list cannot offer', () => {
+    expect(render()).toContain('wsl --set-version Legacy 2')
+    expect(render({ distros: [ubuntu] })).not.toContain('wsl --set-version')
+  })
+
   it('says this build cannot run WSL hosts and offers nothing to add', () => {
     const html = render({ selectedDistro: 'Ubuntu', serverFilesMissing: true })
     expect(html).toContain('This build of Orca can’t run WSL hosts (server files missing).')
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddWslHostFormPanel.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddWslHostFormPanel.tsx
index fae5c9a9f4d..7908f739bdd 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddWslHostFormPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddWslHostFormPanel.tsx
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ export function AddWslHostFormPanel({
   onCancel: () => void
 }): React.JSX.Element {
   const selected = distros.find((distro) => distro.name === selectedDistro)
+  // A disabled option can't show its refusal, so the conversion command is spelled out here.
+  const wsl1Distro = distros.find((distro) => distro.version === 1)
   const stopped = selected?.state === 'stopped' && canAddWslDistro(selected)
   return (
     <>
@@ -134,6 +136,15 @@ export function AddWslHostFormPanel({
             )}
           </p>
         ) : null}
+        {wsl1Distro ? (
+          <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+            {translate(
+              'auto.components.sidebar.AddWslHostFormPanel.wsl1Hint',
+              'WSL 1 distros can’t be hosts. Convert one in a Windows terminal with: wsl --set-version {{value0}} 2',
+              { value0: wsl1Distro.name }
+            )}
+          </p>
+        ) : null}
         {stopped ? (
           <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
             {translate(
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/en.json b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/en.json
index 02a8c84660e..6a33c2f2aab 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/en.json
+++ b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/en.json
@@ -6573,7 +6573,8 @@
           "adding": "Setting up…",
           "startAndAdd": "Start and add",
           "add": "Add host",
-          "refresh": "Refresh"
+          "refresh": "Refresh",
+          "wsl1Hint": "WSL 1 distros can’t be hosts. Convert one in a Windows terminal with: wsl --set-version {{value0}} 2"
         },
         "wslHostRowStatus": {
           "connecting": "Starting",
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/ipc-error.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/ipc-error.test.ts
index 36751451c00..4d2edd2b52e 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/ipc-error.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/ipc-error.test.ts
@@ -99,6 +99,15 @@ describe('readIpcErrorDetail', () => {
       )
     ).toBe('SSH connection failed: Relay package not found.')
   })
+
+  it("leaves only an unsupported distro's fix for the user", () => {
+    const error = new Error(
+      "Error invoking remote method 'wslHosts:connect': OrcadHostUnsupportedError: Ubuntu-18.04 has glibc 2.27; Orca's WSL host needs 2.28 or newer. Upgrade the distro, or keep this project on Windows."
+    )
+    expect(readIpcErrorDetail(error)).toBe(
+      "Ubuntu-18.04 has glibc 2.27; Orca's WSL host needs 2.28 or newer. Upgrade the distro, or keep this project on Windows."
+    )
+  })
 })
 
 // Typed main-process class names must not obscure actionable worktree-removal refusal copy (#19334).
diff --git a/src/shared/wsl-host-types.ts b/src/shared/wsl-host-types.ts
index 277a8360f62..c90da4c3302 100644
--- a/src/shared/wsl-host-types.ts
+++ b/src/shared/wsl-host-types.ts
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ export type WslHostServerStop =
 
 export type WslHostAddFailureKind =
   | 'unsupported-wsl1'
+  /** Its platform, libc or loader can't run Orca's server (e.g. NixOS, musl without libstdc++). */
+  | 'unsupported-distro'
   | 'distro-stopped'
   | 'already-added'
   | 'ssh-managed'