LXer: The Pros and Cons of Using Windows Subsystem for Linux

LXer · 01-23-2022, 05:05 PM

Published at LXer:

The announcement that Windows users would be able to run native Linux apps on their machines with Windows Subsystem for Linux seemed like a real "when pigs fly" moment. It's certainly easy to run Linux and Windows under WSL without dual-booting or using a virtual machine, but are there any drawbacks to this setup? This article weighs the pros and cons of using WSL to run Linux on Windows.

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SlowCoder · 01-23-2022, 05:25 PM

Con 1. WSL Could Discourage Desktop Linux Adoption
Seems to me the underlying OS will still be a problem, lacking the security and stability we enjoy with Linux. Besides, most of the most popular Open Source apps available in Linux are already available for Windows, so I'm still not sure where I see the benefit.

Con 2. Remote Possibility of Microsoft Dominating Linux
MS has tried, and failed, time and time again with EEE. MS dominate in the desktop, but have lost much ground in the server and portable markets.

enigma9o7 · 01-23-2022, 06:44 PM

I haven't used it as I don't run windows on anything, but I see it being better than msys2/mingw or cygwin. But I think con #1 is true, which explains why Microsoft offers it, even if they don't try to EEE it, it reduces likelihood of people switching to linux as their actual OS.

Steve R. · 01-24-2022, 08:53 AM

This is a non-starter (con). Using the Windows subsystem for Linux means that you still have to buy-into ($$$) the Windows ecosystem. That would also imply a certain dependency on the Windows operating system working correctly. Another potential negative.

Linux should the "top" layer of any operating system on one's computer. In the event that you do have to use Windows there is Wine. I have never used Wine, so I can't say how good or bad it is. Conceptually that should be the preferred approach.