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[WSL 2] Multi WSL2 distributions use the same network namespace #4304
Description
Issue
Multi WSL2 distributions use the same network namespace, no network isolation
Issue Details
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Your Windows build number: Microsoft Windows [版本 10.0.18936.1000]
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What you're doing and what's happening:
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wsl --list -v
NAME STATE VERSION
Ubuntu-16.04 Running 2
Ubuntu-16.04-b Running 2
centos Running 2 -
In Ubuntu-16.04 / Ubuntu-16.04-b / centos, the eth0 has the same IP
root@DESKTOP-ASI6ES4:~$ ifconfig eth0 | grep "inet addr"
inet addr: 172.30.114.66 Bcast:172.30.255.255 Mask:255.255.0.0It seems that all the distributions share the same network namespace
Start a webserver on two distributions:
python3 -m http.server 8000,
the second distribution will get failed:
root@DESKTOP-ASI6ES4:/chesstop/log# python3 -m http.server 8000 Traceback (most recent call last): File "/usr/lib/python3.5/runpy.py", line 184, in _run_module_as_main "__main__", mod_spec) File "/usr/lib/python3.5/runpy.py", line 85, in _run_code exec(code, run_globals) File "/usr/lib/python3.5/http/server.py", line 1221, in <module> test(HandlerClass=handler_class, port=args.port, bind=args.bind) File "/usr/lib/python3.5/http/server.py", line 1194, in test httpd = ServerClass(server_address, HandlerClass) File "/usr/lib/python3.5/socketserver.py", line 440, in __init__ self.server_bind() File "/usr/lib/python3.5/http/server.py", line 138, in server_bind socketserver.TCPServer.server_bind(self) File "/usr/lib/python3.5/socketserver.py", line 454, in server_bind self.socket.bind(self.server_address) OSError: [Errno 98] Address already in use
- What's wrong / what should be happening instead:
Each distribution should have its own network namespace
Activity
craigloewen-msft commentedon Jul 15, 2019
This is done by design, and so I'll mark this issue as closed, but am more than happy to follow up on a discussion about it.
What scenario are you trying to enable by having the distributions have different networking namespaces?
prabhah commentedon Jul 16, 2019
Thanks for your response. I think WSL/WSL2 is a great feature for microsoft product. I'd like to try it in our work environment.
We develop cluster softwares which works on more that one node, we use virtualbox / vmware ... to setup our development environment before, but these virtual technologies are too heavy for development machine. if WLS2 support network isolation, we can use this lightweight virtual techonlogy to achieve our purpose.
craigloewen-msft commentedon Jul 16, 2019
You can create new processes with new network namespaces, so yes you can achieve network isolation.
prabhah commentedon Jul 16, 2019
thanks for reminding me,
`
ip netns add net1
ip netns exec net1 ip addr add 192.168.99.10/24 dev sit0
ip netns exec net1 exec bash
...
`
you mean this?
Great Idea :) but it's indirectly way
craigloewen-msft commentedon Jul 16, 2019
Yes that's exactly correct!
And to check my understanding, you're asking that you'd prefer each distro was in its own networking namespace rather than creating your own network namespaces, because it would be a more direct way? Or easier to setup? I'm sorry as I'm still confused on the feature request, or what you're asking.
prabhah commentedon Jul 16, 2019
English is not my native language, sorry for my imprecision description to make you confuse.
At the beginning of the problem，after I created multi WSL2 instances/distros, I found they used the same IP, I guess that they share the same network namespace.
I just want to create a multi-nodes development environment, eath instance/distro have their own IP.
Thanks for your help again.
craigloewen-msft commentedon Jul 16, 2019
No problem at all! Thank you for clarifying.
All of the WSL 2 distros run on the same virtual machine, which has a singular virtualized networking interface controller. You can create different IP addresses and different networking namespaces just like you would on a Linux machine to create network isolation for multi-node development.
cpbotha commentedon May 22, 2020
When using multiple WSL2 distros in parallel, it would have been useful to be able to SSH into any one of them by using different IP numbers. (Personally I use this to manage git repos from Emacs magit running on WSL1 or on Windows native, via TRAMP over ssh.)
As it stands, one either has to run the ssh daemons on different ports, or, IIUC, setup namespaces within each WSL2 distro and have the relevant daemon processes (e.g. ssh) attaching to those.
See e.g. https://blogs.igalia.com/dpino/2016/04/10/network-namespaces/ -- setup looks like it could cost some time.
Bottom-line: A more straight-forward, out-of-the-box mechanism whereby different WSL2 distros could be approached via network would be valuable.
smeierhofer commentedon Nov 11, 2022
If you want to run an SSH server on each WSL distro, could you follow the steps in the link posted by Craig Loewen (@craigloewen-msft) to assign additional IP addresses to the network interface card? Then configure the SSH server to bind to only the one IP address (not sure how to do this but I'm sure this is doable). On your 2nd WSL distro you do the same, but configure the SSH server to bind to a different IP address. Then probably you want to add entries into your host file for the IP addresses and then you can SSH into these distros using the hostname you've given in your hosts file. I haven't tried this myself but if it work, it is better way to go than using CGROUPS (networking namespaces) to run an SSH server on each distro. The network namespaces approach seems a better for problems where you want the same IP address but want to isolate more than just use a new IP address or port number.
fzhan commentedon Nov 22, 2022
I guess by 2022, no one has tried to create three nodes microk8s cluster via WSL2?
Could turn Windows in to a beast.
ismailokta commentedon Nov 23, 2022
yes I agree, At first, I was happy with WSL2, which is lighter than using virtualbox, it has library isolation, but the network doesn't. really bear it
fl0wm0ti0n commentedon Nov 26, 2022
i want to scp files to one of my wsl instances but that isn't possible because they have all the same ip address and the address isn't reachable over network... if wsl cant have its own reachable ip its a bit useless sometimes :(
debian -> 172.27.246.30
debiandev01 -> 172.27.246.30
and "wsl hostname -i" gives for both 127.0.1.1 ...
is it possible to have a reachable ipaddress?
Biswa96 commentedon Nov 26, 2022
Instead of using network, wouldn't it be possible to use shared mount points, for example, /mnt/wsl or /mnt/wslg ?
Also it is possible to mount one distribution to another, both are running. I forgot the exact name of that feature.
jmenashe commentedon Apr 22, 2023
Why in the world is this closed? The whole point of a virtual machine is to facilitate isolation. Sharing a network interface is the opposite of isolation. Or has the problem already been resolved in some way?
mwoodpatrick commentedon May 20, 2023
I think an option for assigning a different IP address to a distro is an interesting area of discussion its a shame that it was closed though I understand why a single network for all distro's is the default it would be good to have this as a configuration option. It would be good if someone has the actual link posted by craigloewen-msft on assigning additional IP addresses to the network interface card.
foxhacker0000 commentedon May 24, 2023
by our friend way i can make new ip for my machine but this ip will work for all distro(s) :///
making new ip for eth0 interface will not isolate the network.
yes it will work but cannot fix my problem
i dont need to add additional ip for my wsl network
i want to full isolate network
jytang0621 commentedon Oct 7, 2023
Agree. Full isolate network is needed.
ioiioo commentedon Oct 8, 2024
Agree. Full isolate network is needed.
Craig Loewen (@craigloewen-msft)
Morrigan-Ship commentedon Oct 9, 2024
Please prove full network isolation for WSL.
it needed for companies and network development
brasswood commentedon Jan 24, 2025
If I have two distros running and I create a new net namespace in one, then when I type
ip netns, the new net namespace only shows up in the distro I created it in. Is this a problem?feat(sandbox/wsl2): AF_VSOCK transport — closes HIGH-1 cross-distro r…