X11 Forwarding with Docker on WSL¶

X11 forwarding allows graphical applications running inside a [[Docker]] container—typically on [[WSL]]—to display their GUI on the Windows host machine.^[600-developer__docker-run-command.md] This setup enables a seamless workflow for using Linux-based desktop tools within a Windows environment.

Prerequisites¶

To facilitate this connection, an X Server must be installed on the Windows host to listen for display requests.^[600-developer__docker-run-command.md] A common solution is VcXsrv (e.g., vcxsrv-64.1.20.14.0.installer.exe), available from sources like SourceForge.^[600-developer__docker-run-command.md]

WSL Configuration¶

The WSL environment requires the DISPLAY environment variable to be configured to point to the host's X Server.^[600-developer__docker-run-command.md] This can be automated by adding the export command to a shell configuration file such as ~/.bash_login:

export DISPLAY=$(cat /etc/resolv.conf | grep nameserver | awk '{print $2}'):0

After saving the configuration, restart the WSL terminal to apply the changes.^[600-developer__docker-run-command.md]

Docker Execution¶

When launching the container, specific flags must be passed to the docker run command to enable graphical communication.^[600-developer__docker-run-command.md]

Key Flags¶

-e DISPLAY=$DISPLAY: Passes the display environment variable from the host (WSL) into the container, allowing the app to find the X Server.^[600-developer__docker-run-command.md]
-v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix: Mounts the X11 socket directory from the host into the container, enabling the communication channel.^[600-developer__docker-run-command.md]

Example¶

The following command demonstrates running a Tor Browser container with X11 forwarding enabled:

docker run -it \
    -v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix \
    -e DISPLAY=$DISPLAY \
    --name tor-browser \
    jess/tor-browser

^[600-developer__docker-run-command.md]

[[Docker]]
[[WSL]]
[[X11]]

Sources¶