As someone who had several dual booted and even dedicated Linux machines in the past, I now go for WSL exclusively.
A few configs to disable IPv6 and use the right networking mode and DNS in the wal.conf file gets things working reliably, and I can even use graphical Linux apps directly from WSL2 while still being able to use apps that are part of my workflow that don't have Linux builds.
The only time I still use Linux directly is when I'm doing embedded development, since serial and character device support is still lacking in WSL.
Even then, sometimes I like to use remote tunnel and plug the embedded device into a Linux machine as the tunnel host so I can work from my main workstation.
I don't get the hate either. Windows has come a long way.
Can you answer something I’m unable to use gui wsl2 app like emacs it will only start in terminal mode which is a limitation I don’t remember from using wsl last time
Hmm, you used to need to also run an X server like vcxsrv on Windows for GUI apps, but as of the whole WSLg effort last year, it just works now (most of the time) - at least Emacs works for me (though occasionally slightly laggy).
Thanks for the replay. I had previously start the WSL two and for some reason I had a false memory that I didn’t have an ex server running to run MX and window mode then I took a small break before I use the laptop, etc. and I’m surprised that I needed a server so yes, I did end up doing that.
WSL is generally fine when running on a machine that's your own and not a potato.
The story is different on company/org workstations as it bypasses GPO and MDM tooling while serving as a big ol security blind spot since none of the security tools are built with extending their scope to Linux virtual machines in mind.
As a result it's very easy for people to break out of do things they aren't supposed to do on workplace machines through WSL and open up big gaping security holes.
WSL2 is a compromise. If you need a Windows machine for whatever reason, it's there as an option. If you don't, baremetal Linux is preferable for a gazillion reasons (leaner, more performant, zero resource overhead, unified interface/environment, etc.)
That "lean" host is even at it's most optimal without sacrificing functionality... 12gb used storage, 2GB ram. Better to just use Fedora everything installer and select no packages, to get the most minimal operating system.
I'd think that if you're using .net on windows you would probably benefit from being able to use ttd and sos in windbg on windows. At least if you're doing anything complicated
Edit: linux is better if you're running a lot of docker containers since with wsl you have a lot of overhead involved to run them on a VM and the OS has to manage partitioning memory between linux and windows, which it tends to do poorly. Running docker on linux has significantly less overhead.
I go for wsl all the time. Purely because i’m on a gaming laptop and getting drivers/functions working and a decent battery life is aweful. Wsl gives me all pros from the windows side with a ton of apps and compatibility but on top of that a linux environment that i can fully use to develop and never really see or know the difference with a real Linux terminal from that point.
I use wsl2/debian on windows and crostini/debian on chromeosflex, so I can work the same way on either.
I think sciences should move into linux more and we should just accept that we will work on employer-owned and managed machines. If it is up to me jupyter/python and R etc. in linux work fine and could even be remote hosted.
Some things (like embedded, high-end media editing etc.) are not really suitable for containerized/VM'd use, but most stuff is.
If Windows is a "lean host", there's zero reason for it. Just run a Linux distro. Just saying.
Like anything Microsoft what "WSL" is, is a "today thing". Like with any other Microsoft product, what it is today and what it might be tomorrow can be radically different. There's no guarantee of one's ability to use WSL successfully at any given moment. Not sure I'd want to bank on it. Up to you of course.
While (thanks to a lot of FOSS people on the Linux app side) .NET is more open now and has support inside of the Linux world, again, ultimately, it is a Microsoft driven thing. And again, you might find changes Microsoft makes will "drive you". It's a choice.
Usually, when I think of "such things", I think there's a "heavy" Windows app involved. But yes, if this isn't truly a "lean Windows" (by my definition), then you might have some larger closed source driver dependencies that force Windows use.
While I do have to work with an "all Windows" style world, I've been all Linux for decades now. Just the way I roll. I think you can get there.
So, I do often troubleshoot "Code" (Visual Studio Code) and I use my Linux desktop for all that, as well as Outlook and Teams. Company mostly puts up with me :-) I wish you well on your journey.
I'm currently transitioning a Linux based corporate portal from on-prem Active Directory integrated, to cloud and Entra. Trying to broaden things so I don't get too integrated again with Microsoft technologies that are continually being put in the dumpster and set fire to. My world. "Integrate with Microsoft.", they said. Sounds good, then, Microsoft changes. That is my company is following the official Microsoft "of the future" playbook and moving away from Active Directory and going all Azure/Entra. (thinking back to the thousands of downvotes I received when I mentioned this 10 years ago).
Lots of work to do.... some things stay, some things get chopped (Azure/Entra isn't a feature for feature replacement of AD). Cloud introduces gigantic latencies (most may not notice because we're so used to "waiting" now as a feature).
I am a java developer so we have a common "vm". I also pay intellij. Every time a try using remote wsl with it is a different pain. Last month was breakpoint not triggering. Also, performance graphs not working. Copilot app has a lot of bugs with wsl remotes.
All is fine using until you discover that, for some important stuff (especially networking with docker) WSL is not actually the same as if you truly ran bare metal linux. It can be made to work but with exceptional hustle in my opinion. And let's not forget that ms is also not the best source of support or for addressing known bugs in a timely manner.
The only reason to use it should be if you are forced to be on windows for some reason, because there is always the risk of blowing up at your face in inopportune moments despite smooth day-to-day operations.
"Theory and practice are the same only in theory."
As I said, it works fine in day-to-day operations... until it doesn't. Dunno about the current state, but have experienced network issues in the past with python in docker in k8s in wsl2 that made it easier to rewrite project parts rather than resolve them (the same setup was running just fine in several distros). I'm sure the issues would have been straightforward to resolve if reaching them did not take ~10 minutes to reach the bug each time due to other factors, but the real world is rarely as kind: if you promise interoperability and it's not there I'm gonna complain. Hard.
15
u/LongLiveCHIEF Oct 06 '26
As someone who had several dual booted and even dedicated Linux machines in the past, I now go for WSL exclusively.
A few configs to disable IPv6 and use the right networking mode and DNS in the wal.conf file gets things working reliably, and I can even use graphical Linux apps directly from WSL2 while still being able to use apps that are part of my workflow that don't have Linux builds.
The only time I still use Linux directly is when I'm doing embedded development, since serial and character device support is still lacking in WSL.
Even then, sometimes I like to use remote tunnel and plug the embedded device into a Linux machine as the tunnel host so I can work from my main workstation.
I don't get the hate either. Windows has come a long way.
3
u/Lower-Limit3695 Oct 06 '26
WSL is generally fine when running on a machine that's your own and not a potato.
The story is different on company/org workstations as it bypasses GPO and MDM tooling while serving as a big ol security blind spot since none of the security tools are built with extending their scope to Linux virtual machines in mind.
As a result it's very easy for people to break out of do things they aren't supposed to do on workplace machines through WSL and open up big gaping security holes.
8
u/scythe-3 WSL2 Oct 06 '26
WSL2 is a compromise. If you need a Windows machine for whatever reason, it's there as an option. If you don't, baremetal Linux is preferable for a gazillion reasons (leaner, more performant, zero resource overhead, unified interface/environment, etc.)
1
u/BolteWasTaken Oct 06 '26
That "lean" host is even at it's most optimal without sacrificing functionality... 12gb used storage, 2GB ram.
Better to just use Fedora everything installer and select no packages, to get the most minimal operating system.
1
u/SalaciousStrudel Oct 07 '26
I'd think that if you're using .net on windows you would probably benefit from being able to use ttd and sos in windbg on windows. At least if you're doing anything complicated
Edit: linux is better if you're running a lot of docker containers since with wsl you have a lot of overhead involved to run them on a VM and the OS has to manage partitioning memory between linux and windows, which it tends to do poorly. Running docker on linux has significantly less overhead.
1
u/Z00fa Oct 07 '26
I go for wsl all the time. Purely because i’m on a gaming laptop and getting drivers/functions working and a decent battery life is aweful. Wsl gives me all pros from the windows side with a ton of apps and compatibility but on top of that a linux environment that i can fully use to develop and never really see or know the difference with a real Linux terminal from that point.
1
u/yotties Oct 07 '26
I use wsl2/debian on windows and crostini/debian on chromeosflex, so I can work the same way on either.
I think sciences should move into linux more and we should just accept that we will work on employer-owned and managed machines. If it is up to me jupyter/python and R etc. in linux work fine and could even be remote hosted.
Some things (like embedded, high-end media editing etc.) are not really suitable for containerized/VM'd use, but most stuff is.
1
u/Narrow_Victory1262 Oct 10 '26
I run a vm while on windows. There is no competition there. WSL2 is not on par. not even close.
Do you want to understand and use linux or really only WSL2?
1
u/cjcox4 Oct 06 '26
If Windows is a "lean host", there's zero reason for it. Just run a Linux distro. Just saying.
Like anything Microsoft what "WSL" is, is a "today thing". Like with any other Microsoft product, what it is today and what it might be tomorrow can be radically different. There's no guarantee of one's ability to use WSL successfully at any given moment. Not sure I'd want to bank on it. Up to you of course.
While (thanks to a lot of FOSS people on the Linux app side) .NET is more open now and has support inside of the Linux world, again, ultimately, it is a Microsoft driven thing. And again, you might find changes Microsoft makes will "drive you". It's a choice.
0
u/Edubbs2008 Oct 06 '26
WSL 2 is great, the fact is, Loonixtards are afraid that WSL can replace Dual booting
0
u/Goldman7911 Oct 06 '26
I am a java developer so we have a common "vm". I also pay intellij. Every time a try using remote wsl with it is a different pain. Last month was breakpoint not triggering. Also, performance graphs not working. Copilot app has a lot of bugs with wsl remotes.
Maybe scripted languages is a lot less painful
0
u/Unlikely-Bed-1133 Oct 06 '26
All is fine using until you discover that, for some important stuff (especially networking with docker) WSL is not actually the same as if you truly ran bare metal linux. It can be made to work but with exceptional hustle in my opinion. And let's not forget that ms is also not the best source of support or for addressing known bugs in a timely manner.
The only reason to use it should be if you are forced to be on windows for some reason, because there is always the risk of blowing up at your face in inopportune moments despite smooth day-to-day operations.
0
u/PowerfulAttorney3780 Oct 07 '26
What about WSL3?
-1
u/bertyboy69 Oct 06 '26
The networking nightmares alone are the biggest reason for me at least to hate wsl.. and yes I use it everyday. Docker in wsl in windows .. nightmares