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Ubuntu will soon have more users on Windows than on its own system
Canonical's popular Linux distribution Ubuntu is experiencing an unusual turnaround. The number of people running the environment inside Microsoft Windows using Microsoft's Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is growing noticeably faster than the number of people using Ubuntu as their default desktop.
The annual growth of WSL installations is significantly outpacing the growth of traditional desktop usage. According to estimates by Canonical’s VP of Engineering, Jon Seager, the number of users running Microsoft Windows could surpass those running Ubuntu as a standalone operating system within a few months. Since these statements were made months ago, it is entirely possible (changed from “quite possible”) that this tipping point has already occurred, although Canonical has not yet released the exact current numbers.
The WSL subsystem allows you to run a full Linux environment directly inside a Microsoft Windows window, without the need to replace the base system or complicated dual-boot setup. Users can access the Ubuntu command line while maintaining all of their established Microsoft Windows work habits.
This option has become extremely attractive, especially for software, machine learning, and artificial intelligence developers. Many of them have to use Microsoft Windows computers in their work environment, but they absolutely need a Linux environment for their daily work and advanced tools. WSL gives them the flexibility they want without having to adapt their entire computing infrastructure.
This development path creates a rather unusual situation for Canonical. Instead of Ubuntu displacing Microsoft's system from the desktop, most of its new users are coming from a competitor. Microsoft's WSL subsystem has fundamentally changed the relationship between the two worlds. Instead of being forced to choose between one system or the other, professionals can now use both at the same time, with Microsoft Windows remaining the base, and Ubuntu providing a specific environment when needed.
