Cant Open Port From Localhost to WSL Port on Windows

Opening Ports from Localhost to WSL in Windows using WSLHostPatcher

When working with Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), you may encounter situations where you need to open a port from your localhost to a port in your WSL instance. This can be useful for various tasks, such as running web servers or accessing services within your WSL environment. One way to achieve this is by using a tool called WSLHostPatcher.

WSLHostPatcher is a helpful utility that simplifies the process of port forwarding between Windows and WSL, making it easier to access services running in your Linux environment from your Windows host. In this article, we’ll guide you through the steps to use WSLHostPatcher to open a port from localhost to your WSL instance.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure that you have the following prerequisites in place:

1. WSL Installed: Make sure you have Windows Subsystem for Linux installed on your Windows machine. You can install it by following the official Microsoft documentation.

2. WSL 2: It is recommended to use WSL 2 for better performance and compatibility.

3. WSL Distribution: Have a Linux distribution installed within your WSL environment. You can choose from various distributions available on the Microsoft Store or from other sources.

Installing WSLHostPatcher

To get started, follow these steps to install WSLHostPatcher:

1. Download WSLHostPatcher: You can download the latest release of WSLHostPatcher from its GitHub repository: WSLHostPatcher.

2. Extract the ZIP File: After downloading, extract the contents of the ZIP file to a directory of your choice.

3. Run as Administrator: Right-click on the WSLHostPatcher.exe file and select “Run as administrator” to ensure it has the necessary permissions.

Using WSLHostPatcher to Open Ports

Now that you have WSLHostPatcher installed, follow these steps to open a port from localhost to your WSL instance:

1. Launch WSL: Open your WSL distribution by running wsl from the command prompt or PowerShell.

2. Find the IP Address: Inside your WSL instance, you need to find the IP address it’s using. You can do this by running the following command within your WSL terminal:

   1	ip addr show eth0 | grep inet | awk '{ print $2; }' | sed 's/\/.*$//'

   This command will display the IP address of your WSL instance. Make note of it.

3. Run WSLHostPatcher: In your Windows environment, run WSLHostPatcher.exe as an administrator. It will open a graphical user interface (GUI).

4. Add a New Port Mapping:

   • Click the “Add New Mapping” button in the WSLHostPatcher GUI.
   • Enter the following information:
     • Name: A descriptive name for your port mapping.
     • Windows Port: The port on your Windows localhost that you want to open.
     • WSL IP Address: The IP address you obtained from step 2.
     • WSL Port: The port you want to forward from Windows to WSL.

5. Apply the Mapping: Click the “Apply” button to save the port mapping.

6. Start the Service: You can start or stop the port forwarding service as needed using the buttons in the WSLHostPatcher GUI.

Testing the Port Forwarding

To test whether the port forwarding is working correctly, you can open a web browser or use a tool like curl from your Windows environment to access the service running within your WSL instance using the localhost address and the Windows port you specified.

For example, if you forwarded port 80, you can access a web server running in your WSL instance by opening a browser and entering http://localhost:80.

With WSLHostPatcher, you can easily manage port forwarding between your Windows host and your WSL instance, making it convenient to access services and applications running in your Linux environment from your Windows machine. Remember to keep the tool up-to-date by checking the official GitHub repository for any updates or improvements.

Please note that port forwarding can pose security risks, so use it responsibly and only for trusted purposes.