Canonical’s VP of Engineering, Jon Seager, recently revealed that Ubuntu’s usage on the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is experiencing a significant growth surge, outpacing that of its native Linux desktop installations. In a discussion with Gergely Orosz from The Pragmatic Engineer, Seager highlighted that as developers increasingly rely on Windows laptops for their work, many are turning to WSL to run Ubuntu for tasks like AI and machine learning, which traditionally required a Linux environment.
The development of WSL was designed to allow users to run a Linux environment directly within Windows without needing to set up dual-boot systems or virtual machines. This makes it especially appealing for developers who have been issued Windows machines by their employers but need access to Linux tools.
Seager noted, "In a year, the growth in our WSL numbers is significantly higher than the growth in Desktop usage numbers," predicting that WSL-based Ubuntu users could soon surpass those using Ubuntu on native installations.
With WSL, users can seamlessly integrate Linux into their Windows workflow. They can run Ubuntu directly in the terminal, with full access to Linux binaries and a native Linux kernel. This integration eliminates the necessity for developers to switch between operating systems, allowing them to use Windows for general tasks while leveraging Linux for development purposes.
Microsoft has been enhancing WSL with improved file access, networking capabilities, and simplified setup processes throughout 2026, making it an attractive platform for developers. Features like WSL Containers allow running Linux applications in a containerized environment, which is further facilitating development processes.
The collaboration between Ubuntu and WSL is transforming Windows into a viable platform for developers traditionally aligned with Linux. The growing adoption of Ubuntu via WSL reflects this change, enabling Windows to serve as an efficient development environment.
As the lines between operating systems blur, Seager acknowledged the shift in how developers view their tools: "One PC can run Windows 11 as the desktop, Ubuntu as the Linux environment, containers through WSL, GPU workloads in that environment, and still deploy code directly to Linux servers." This evolution suggests that Windows may soon become Linux’s largest development platform, benefiting both Canonical and Microsoft as they cater to the growing needs of developers.
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