Ubuntu is growing faster on Windows than on Linux, and it could soon become its biggest user base

So, excellent news for Linux followers: it appears the ‘yr of Linux’ might lastly be upon us. The dangerous information is, the yr of Linux might not occur on Linux. A previous interview with a member of Canonical reveals that the variety of folks putting in Ubuntu on Home windows in a Linux setting is quickly outpacing native Ubuntu installs, and it could in the future develop into the most important market share.

Ubuntu on Home windows might in the future outgrow native Ubuntu installs

It is a bizarre, however plausible final result

This fascinating declare from Canonical was noticed by Windows Latest, which discovered the quote tucked away inside an interview printed on The Pragmatic Engineer a number of months in the past. Within the full article, the publication interviews Jon Seager, the vice chairman of Engineering at Canonical, about what is going on on with Ubuntu.

One subject Seager touches on is Ubuntu WSL installs, and he has some shocking statistics and predictions to share:

“In a yr, the expansion in our WSL numbers is considerably larger than the expansion in Desktop utilization numbers.

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I anticipate to see extra Ubuntu WSL customers than “native” Ubuntu customers over the approaching months. That is very true for anybody doing ML or AI work. We’re already listening to from a lot of devs who don’t have any selection however to get a Home windows machine from their employer, however then discover themselves needing to do AI or ML work. With WSL, this can be a lot less complicated.”

Should you’re a little bit confused as to why individuals are speaking about Linux on Home windows, don’t fret; you have not gone mad but. When Seager says that individuals are putting in Ubuntu extra on Home windows than on native Linux, he means they’re downloading Ubuntu on their Home windows machines after which operating it by way of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (that is the “WSL” he typically mentions in his quote).

WSL allows you to arrange a Linux setting inside Home windows and work together with it by way of a terminal, whereas nonetheless utilizing Home windows as your primary working system. Beforehand, folks needed to dual-boot Home windows and Linux, but some people find WSL far easier to manage. Seager says that individuals are sticking with Home windows (often resulting from employer wants) and utilizing WSL to make use of Ubuntu each time they want Linux. And this methodology might find yourself outpacing precise Ubuntu installs. Yeah, it is fairly unusual.

Given how the interview is a number of months outdated now and has solely simply come to gentle, there is a good likelihood we have already seen Ubuntu on Home windows overtake native Ubuntu installs. Nonetheless, so long as Linux retains being utilized in any kind, I am comfortable.