Bojan970
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- Jan 12, 2021
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I think I'm going to need more coffee to process this. Did I wake up in opposite land? Microsoft actually genuinely have a tutorial up on how to install Linux.
This isn't actually all that odd, considering Microsoft have the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) but the actual tutorial isn't just about that although it does come first in their list (because of course it does). However, it also has instructions on using it inside a traditional Virtual Machine and how to install it bare metal on a machine directly and even talks about dual boots. The tutorial isn't even half-bad, pretty reasonable actually.
Really the Microsoft of today is in many ways nothing like the Microsoft of old, although they do still do many questionable things getting into a list of that is not the point of this article.
Just kind of amazing to see how much of a turn-around Microsoft has had overall. There's the famous line from previous CEO Steve Ballmer saying that "Linux is a cancer that attaches itself in an intellectual property sense to everything it touches" back in 2001 to the "Microsoft Loves Linux" developer post in 2015. We've seen Microsoft call out upgrades to their Xbox Cloud Gaming for Linux and macOS, they regularly give out money to FOSS projects like GNOME, supporting their Edge browser directly on Linux, Microsoft also joined the Open Invention Network and lots more making Microsoft seem a lot more open.
With Windows 10 coming to end of support in October 14, 2025 and the free upgrade path from older Windows is now actually finally closed too maybe more people might actually need a free operating system.
This isn't actually all that odd, considering Microsoft have the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) but the actual tutorial isn't just about that although it does come first in their list (because of course it does). However, it also has instructions on using it inside a traditional Virtual Machine and how to install it bare metal on a machine directly and even talks about dual boots. The tutorial isn't even half-bad, pretty reasonable actually.
Really the Microsoft of today is in many ways nothing like the Microsoft of old, although they do still do many questionable things getting into a list of that is not the point of this article.
Just kind of amazing to see how much of a turn-around Microsoft has had overall. There's the famous line from previous CEO Steve Ballmer saying that "Linux is a cancer that attaches itself in an intellectual property sense to everything it touches" back in 2001 to the "Microsoft Loves Linux" developer post in 2015. We've seen Microsoft call out upgrades to their Xbox Cloud Gaming for Linux and macOS, they regularly give out money to FOSS projects like GNOME, supporting their Edge browser directly on Linux, Microsoft also joined the Open Invention Network and lots more making Microsoft seem a lot more open.
With Windows 10 coming to end of support in October 14, 2025 and the free upgrade path from older Windows is now actually finally closed too maybe more people might actually need a free operating system.