What They Do
Welcome
© Image –
Remembering what the view was like when I started this job, I must admit that I was gratified, surprised, and encouraged to see that Microsoft has now posted a tutorial on how to install Linux.
Dear Reader,
Remembering what the view was like when I started this job, I must admit that I was gratified, surprised, and encouraged to see that Microsoft has now posted a tutorial on how to install Linux [1]. It is hard to believe that Ol' Redmond has finally beaten the sword of FUD into the plowshare of documentation. At least, it would have been hard for me to believe back then, but the change has been a slow and gradual march. Microsoft has supported Linux in its Azure cloud for a few years now, and I can't believe this is their first Linux how-to. CEO Satya Nadella is known for famously stating "Microsoft Loves Linux." Is that where we are right now? Well, maybe, but it's worth remembering that there are many different kinds of love.
It is also good to remember that Microsoft wouldn't be Microsoft if they didn't sneaky it up a bit. That's what they always do. In this case, the instructions describe four ways to install Linux, including bare metal and virtual machine options, but the "most simple way to install Linux" according to Microsoft, is to use Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). The WSL method is also the first one they describe – the definitive, best-case scenario. In other words, they make the assertion (without qualification) that the "simplest" way to install Linux is to run it from inside a running Windows system.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Digital Autonomy
• The Answer Was Already on the Shelf
• Changing the Chip Industry: How Public Investment Has Grown Open Silicon
• United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
• EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
• France Says “Au Revoir” to Microsoft
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
AI Fixes Linux Bottlenecks Using “Hideous” Code
A Linux developer used AI to fix bottlenecks that caused problems when building the kernel. The resulting AI-generated code needed a lot of work.
-
Advanced Video Coding Still Under Patent
Brazilian patent BRPI0109962B1 has expired, which means that DivX and Xvid are no longer problematic for Linux, but it doesn’t mean that video is all of a sudden fully unleashed.
-
2,000 Vulnerabilities per Linux Release
Thanks to AI bug hunters, the Linux kernel is seeing record numbers of vulnerabilities, and it's overwhelming developers.
-
Linux Exempt from California’s Age Verification Law
So long as Linux is distributed under the GPL, MIT, BSD, and Apache licenses, the OS is exempt from being required to verify the age of its users in California.
-
Roll Out the Cake: Linux Turns 35
35 years ago, a Finnish student began a humble project that would forever change the course of technology.
-
China Switching from Windows to Linux
China has ordered several government agencies to drop a Chinese-developed version of Windows 10 in favor of either KylinOS or UOS.
-
Pine64 Halts Production of Linux Devices
With continued DRAM and eMMC shortages, Pine64 has decided to discontinue production of Linux devices.
-
The Bullet-Proof KDE Software Initiative Is Coming
KDE, Techpaladin, and Kubuntu Focus have announced a new initiative that will provide at least three years of support for KDE Plasma 6.6 LTS and related software.
-
Linux Mint Shares a Possible Kernel Cleanup Solution
For those on Linux Mint who like to keep multiple kernels around but don't want them to take up too much space, you might be getting a new automated tool.
-
CachyOS Gets an Update
CachyOS August 2026 release is now available with the latest version of KDE, some new features, and plenty of improvements.