Hook into existing WSL distribution

[markfaine]

Is your enhancement related to a problem? Please describe

I already have a WSL distribution that I use every day and it has all of my tools and git projects, etc. It is my primary working environment. I can't imagine that I would want to use podman/podman desktop if I have to launch a separate WSL distribution every time I want to issue a podman command or do anything related to container work.

Describe the solution you'd like

I would like for it to work the way that Docker Desktop works. I'd rather not have to run both Podman Desktop and Docker Desktop, and from what I've seen that doesn't work anyway, though it should. WSL supports systemd natively so there is no need to launch a subprocess for systemd. Just hook into an existing WSL distribution (Ubuntu) the same way that Docker Desktop does it now.

Describe alternatives you've considered

Just using Docker Desktop

Additional context

No response

[therevoman]

Please do not make this the default. I do not want podman desktop touching my existing WSL distro.

[benoitf]

hello @markfaine the 'podman machine' CLI is not only starting a VM but it also responsible to bind on the host a npipe that redirects to the socket in the WSL2 podman. (and also provide the docker npipe for compatibility for tools using the docker default npipe)

If you don't use the 'podman machine', then it would be your responsability to provide that npipe so Podman Desktop could connect to it

[markfaine]

Thanks for the reply, I admit I don't understand the technical implementation details. I do know that other tools are able to do something similar using a distribution. For example, wslvpnkit and the docker desktop implementation are able to accomplish a similar integration without the need for this. Anyway, if it's possible, it's a request, if you can't do it, I understand. On a related note, the npipe starts up in a separate terminal window in the foreground and I don't think that was intended?

[benoitf]

@markfaine could you please describe or provide a link on how wslvpnkit or Docker Desktop are exposing this setting to the users ?

[markfaine]

Sorry, I don't actually know how they do it, I only use the tools.

Here are some links that may be useful:

• https://docs.docker.com/desktop/wsl/
• https://github.com/sakai135/wsl-vpnkit

More technical information for the Docker desktop WSL2 integration is here:

• https://docs.docker.com/desktop/windows/permission-requirements/#privileged-helper

Again, I'm just a user of this application and while It appears to me that wsl-vpnkit is a more specialized use case it does demonstrate that communication between a WSL distribution (Ubuntu), the wsl-vpnkit distribution, and Windows can be achieved transparently to the user.

If it wasn't for this tool, connecting to my VPN with the cisco vpn client will break network communication inside WSL. From the documentation linked above, it also appears that vpnkit (the project that wsl-vpnkit is based on) is also used by Docker Desktop for a similar purpose.

[Zeratoxx]

@markfaine could you please describe or provide a link on how wslvpnkit or Docker Desktop are exposing this setting to the users ?

@benoitf Docker Desktop offers settings in its GUI

[gbraad]

https://github.com/sakai135/wsl-vpnkit

This is not necessary anymore. We have worked with him and upstreamed a lot of the code back to our gvisor usermode networking stack, and it is now possible to enable Usermode networking from Podman machine on Windows (WSL). For this, see: podman-desktop/podman-desktop#3052

[benoitf]

transferring the issue to podman repository as the handle of machines is handled by this repository

[rhatdan]

@markfaine you would be responsible to make sure the podman version inside of the WSL2 is matching the podman and podman desktop version on Windows.

If you are using a distribution that is not staying up to date with versions of Podman (Ubuntu?) then this could become a problem.

[rhatdan]

@n1hility @baude WDYT?

This would also require you to setup a podman connection.

[n1hility]

@markfaine Docker Desktop does actually work this way as well. It sets up its own WSL distro (two of them - see wsl -l), but does additionally install packages for clients on the ubuntu distro. We have a feature request to publish the podman.sock to a shared mount so that other distros can easily communicate with it. #15190

Closing this one as a duplicate since it sounds like that issue would address the use case

[markfaine]

This sounds like a good solution. I just don't want to have to maintain a completely separate environment just for working with podman, however that is resolved doesn't mater much to me.