Install Landscape server in a WSL instance

Motivation

While a Landscape server typically runs on external computers, it can also be set up on a WSL instance on a Windows machine.

This is especially useful if you want to test UP4W on a single Windows device. For example, the deployment tutorial can be completed with a Landscape server running in an Ubuntu WSL instance. The Landscape server can then be used to manage other WSL instances running UP4W and the Landscape client.

Guide

In PowerShell, shutdown WSL then install the Ubuntu 24.04 LTS instance with the --root option.

PS C:\Users\me\tutorial> wsl --shutdown

PS C:\Users\me\tutorial> ubuntu2404.exe install --root

After successful installation log in to the new instance and add the landscape apt repository:

PS C:\Users\me\tutorial> ubuntu2204.exe

root@mib:~$ add-apt-repository ppa:landscape/self-hosted-beta -y

Update packages and then install the landscape-server-quickstart package.

root@mib:~$ apt update

root@mib:~$ apt install landscape-server-quickstart -y

A dialog will appear for ‘Postfix configuration’. For ‘General mail configuration type’ select No configuration. Hit Tab to highlight the Ok button, press Enter and you will be returned to the shell prompt.

If Landscape has installed successfully, the log will indicate that Landscape systemd units are active. An example log is shown below for the first three units:

root@mib:~$ systemctl --state=running --no-legend --no-pager | grep -m 3 landscape
  landscape-api.service                 loaded active running LSB: Enable Landscape API
  landscape-appserver.service           loaded active running LSB: Enable Landscape frontend UI
  landscape-async-frontend.service      loaded active running LSB: Enable Landscape async frontend

Once installed Landscape will be served on localhost port 8080. Open your favourite browser on Windows and navigate to http://127.0.0.1:8080 to create the Landscape global admin account. Enter the following credentials and click the Sign Up button:

Field	Value
Name	Admin
E-mail address	admin@mib.com
Passphrase	123
Verify passphrase	123

The Landscape client inside of any WSL instance will need the Landscape server certificate to connect to the server.

To achieve this copy the Landscape server certificate into your Windows user profile directory:

root@mib:~$ cp /etc/ssl/certs/landscape_server.pem /mnt/c/users/me/

Done – your self-hosted Landscape server is now up and running!

Now if you configure the Landscape client on any Ubuntu WSL instances to detect this server, they will also be registered with the Landscape service included in your Ubuntu Pro subscription.

The server will stay running until you close the terminal. If you do close the terminal running ubuntu2404.exe in a new terminal window will start the Landscape server automatically.

Using this server setup when following the deployment tutorial would result in the following architecture: