Ubuntu could soon have more users on Windows than on Linux

Ubuntu's user base on Windows is growing faster than its native desktop user base. The number of people running the Linux distribution through Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) could soon surpass the number using Ubuntu as their primary operating system.

The surprising prediction comes from Jon Seager, vice president of Engineering at Canonical, Ubuntu's developer. In an interview with The Pragmatic Engineer, Seager said that the number of Ubuntu installations through WSL is growing significantly faster than Ubuntu's desktop usage.

I expect to see more Ubuntu WSL users than ‘native’ Ubuntu users over the coming months, - Jon Seager.

WSL allows users to run a Linux environment directly inside Windows without replacing the operating system or setting up a dual-boot configuration. Users can access Ubuntu through a terminal while continuing to use Windows as their primary desktop environment.

According to Seager, this setup has become particularly attractive to developers who are required to use Windows by their employers but still need Linux tools for development, machine learning, and artificial intelligence work. WSL allows them to get a Linux environment without giving up their Windows-based workflow.

In a year, the growth in our WSL numbers is significantly higher than the growth in Desktop usage numbers, - Jon Seager.

He added that Canonical is already hearing from developers who have no choice but to use Windows PCs at work but need Linux for AI and machine-learning tasks.

It could create a strange situation for Ubuntu: instead of replacing Windows on the desktop, Ubuntu may end up reaching more users through Windows. Because the interview was published several months ago, it is possible that Ubuntu WSL installations have already caught up with or surpassed native Ubuntu installations. However, Canonical has not provided current figures confirming that this has happened.

The development also illustrates how WSL has changed the relationship between Windows and Linux. Rather than forcing users to choose between the two operating systems, Microsoft's Linux compatibility layer allows developers to use both, with Windows remaining the primary operating system and Ubuntu providing the Linux environment when needed.