Table of Contents
Install OpenSSH server on Linux distro
1️⃣ Update the system then install OpenSSH server on the Linux instance on WSL.
sudo apt update -y
sudo apt install openssh-server -y2️⃣ Once done, open the configuration file then change some settings.
sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config# edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config with the following changes
Port 22
ListenAddress 0.0.0.0
PasswordAuthentication yesOr you can run the below commands in bash to make the changes into the config file automatically.
sudo sed -i 's/#ListenAddress 0.0.0.0/ListenAddress 0.0.0.0/g' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
sudo sed -i 's/#PasswordAuthentication yes/PasswordAuthentication yes/g' /etc/ssh/sshd_config3️⃣ Restart sshd service and make the service starts on boot automatically.
sudo systemctl restart ssh && sudo systemctl enable ssh && sudo systemctl status ssh● ssh.service - OpenBSD Secure Shell server
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/ssh.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Mon 2023-06-12 08:33:19 +07; 7s ago
Docs: man:sshd(8)
man:sshd_config(5)
Process: 967 ExecStartPre=/usr/sbin/sshd -t (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Main PID: 968 (sshd)
Tasks: 1 (limit: 9526)
Memory: 1.7M
CGroup: /system.slice/ssh.service
└─968 "sshd: /usr/sbin/sshd -D [listener] 0 of 10-100 startups"
Jun 12 08:33:19 DESKTOP-EBL2UQ1 systemd[1]: Starting OpenBSD Secure Shell server...
Jun 12 08:33:19 DESKTOP-EBL2UQ1 sshd[968]: Server listening on 0.0.0.0 port 22.
Jun 12 08:33:19 DESKTOP-EBL2UQ1 systemd[1]: Started OpenBSD Secure Shell server.Forward port from Windows into Linux WSL distro
The portproxy server listens for messages sent to a specific port and IPv4 address and maps a port and IPv4 address to send the messages received after establishing a separate TCP connection.
1️⃣ Run the following command in a PowerShell window ( do not run inside the bash in Linux)
netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 `
listenport=22 `
listenaddress=0.0.0.0 `
connectport=22 `
connectaddress=172.31.138.23- listenaddress: The IPv4 address for which to listen (“0.0.0.0” any IPv4 address).
- listenport: The IPv4 port on which to listen (“22”, you can choose any port you want).
- connectaddress: The IPv4 address to which to connect (“172.31.138.23”, this should be the address of your Linux WSL distro).
- connectport: The IPv4 port to which to connect (“22”, must match the port your set for your sshd on your Linux WSL distro).
2️⃣ Check the Port Forwarding:
netsh interface portproxy show all3️⃣ Add a new firewall rule to enable the port on the host machine:
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule `
name="Open Port 22 - WSL 2" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=22Now, you can test the connection to the WSL instance using SSH.
ssh bonben@{ip_of_the_host_machine}Not a reader? Watch this related video tutorial:
