Ubuntu on Windows is about to become more popular than Ubuntu itself

Published Sep 7, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. A little while ago, Jon Seager, the vice president of Engineering at Canonical, made a strange comment. He said that the operating system with the biggest adoption rate was Windows, and that he wouldn't be surprised if Ubuntu on Windows became the most popular way to use the operating system. But why are we talking about Ubuntu running on Windows, of all things? The Windows and Linux fanbases have been locked in debates over their operating system of choice for decades; why are they working together now? Well, it's all thanks to WSL. WSL is what brings Windows and Linux together Specifically Ubuntu, in this case Before we explore what Jon Seager said exactly, we need to explore WSL. It stands for "Windows Subsystem for Linux," and it's a way for Windows machines to run Linux within a terminal. By default, if you install Ubuntu in WSL, you won't see the desktop or any flashy UI in the terminal. Everything is handled via text, and you enter commands to move around the system. It's pretty bare-bones, but the reason why people use WSL in the first place is that it lets them use a Linux tool without booting into a full Linux environment, so you don't really need all that GUI stuff to begin with. Modern-day versions of WSL do give you a bit more to look at, though. For instance, WSL Graphics lets you run Linux apps, complete with a GUI, within Windows. No need to dual boot or install a new OS; you can do everything through the terminal. Ubuntu adoption on Windows is growing rapidly It may become the most popular way of running Ubuntu Alright, so now we know what WSL is, but it begs two questions: first, why do people even want to install Ubuntu on Windows in the first place? Second, why don't people just use Ubuntu as a desktop instead of going through WSL? To answer those, let's explore what Jon Seager said exactly. In an interview with The Pragmatic Engineer, Seager said the following: “In a year, the growth in our WSL numbers is significantly higher than the growth in Desktop usage numbers. [...] I expect to see more Ubuntu WSL users than “native” Ubuntu users over the coming months. This is especially true for anyone doing ML or AI work. We’re already hearing from lots of devs who have no choice but to get a Windows machine from their employer, but then find themselves needing to do AI or ML work. With WSL, this is a lot simpler.” Let's unpack what Seager was saying here. First, he says that people are using Ubuntu for "ML or AI work"; that's "machine learning" and "artificial intelligence," respectively. The reason why people are using Linux for ML and AI work is that major frameworks, such as PyTorch, Hugging Face Transformers, and JAX, are designed for Linux first and foremost. The reason why people pick Ubuntu over other Linux distros is that it's what Nvidia uses for its CUDA ecosystem, which lets people use their GPUs to run LLMs. So, why aren't people booting into Ubuntu proper? Well, there's always the element of people not wanting to move away from something familiar; if someone has a Windows machine all set up as they like, and they want to use these Linux-based apps, they can just fire up WSL. But Seager also touches upon an interesting point: sometimes, people can't just install Ubuntu. They either use tools that rely on Windows or they're given a Windows machine from an employer and can't install Ubuntu on it. So they use WSL instead. Windows may become the most popular Ubuntu operating system in the future How things have changed over the years That leads us to the final area to explore with what Seager said: that he expected more people to use Ubuntu through Windows than he does on a desktop. We've gone down this weird path where two bitter rivals that have clashed heads for years (and which Steve Balmer had some very choice words for) are now working in harmony. And not only that, but the base of one will become the most popular choice for the other. Linux users have what they call the "year of Linux," which is a predicted event where the world 'wakes up' and opts for Linux over Windows. However, it seems less like there will be a moment where Linux steals Windows' crown and more like a time where people begin using the two together. Turns out, you can have your cake and eat it, too Choosing between Windows and Linux used to be difficult, but now it's easier than ever. It may seem weird that Ubuntu might see more installs on Windows than it does as a desktop OS, but given how powerful WSL is, it's not out of the realm of possibility.