why not? it's not like there is any competition.
Microsoft is making more money off Linux with Azure than several red hats combined.

Windows: What is my purpose?

User: You are a bootloader to install Linux.

While I see an extensive amount of "Embrace, Extend, Extinguish" and do agree that this is the typical logic of Microsoft.

It's obvious this is to try and avoid getting hit with similar monopoly accusations that their competitors are receiving.

"Look, Look!! We support other Operating Systems! We have a guide! We're not a monopoly! See, See!!"

I love when people on the Internet say "X did Y quietly" to make it more suspenseful. This doesn't look quiet to me...

Microsoft must make 40% of their revenue off of Azure at this point. I would not be surprised if more than 50% of that is on Linux. Windows is probably down to 10% ( around the same as gaming ).

https://www.kamilfranek.com/microsoft-revenue-breakdown/

Sure there are people in the Windows division who want to kill Linux and some dev dev folks will still prefer Windows. At this point though, a huge chunk of Microsoft could not care less about Windows and may actually prefer Linux. Linux is certainly a better place for K8S and OCI stuff. All the GPT and Cognitive Services stuff is likely more Linux than not.

Do people not know that Microsoft has their own Linux distro? I mean an installation guide is not exactly their biggest move in Linux?

I have one dream for Linux. I'm a huge OSS fan and I want to see it thrive.

I think Microsoft should partner with Oracle to make Oracle Linux 9 support all the Microsoft ecosystem. I want AD in Linux. I want Microsoft Word on Linux. Oracle Linux 9 is the obvious successor to RHEL and Microsoft has an opportunity here to build something great.

Lmao just kidding

So the Embrace-Extend-Extinguish continues....

My perspective is that it's there so it shows up on search results for "installing Linux" and recommends WSL over bare metal. At least that's how I understand the wording.

But who knows.

This is a thing about huge companies. They can only ignore alternatives at their own peril.

The Windows team probably prefers you don't ever install Linux even though they wised up and created WSL (so they don't lose developers to Linux desktop the way they lost creative designers to Mac).

The other teams? VSCode, Office 365, Azure, GitHub, Bing, Skype, etc wisely DGAF what your OS is - just that it's supported so you can use it.

Link: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/linux/install

Great! Then now you're ready to install Microsoft Edge on your fresh new linux installation: https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/edge/pool/main/m/microsoft-edge-stable/ 🤡

You could not live with your own OS. Where did that bring you?

Back to me

If only they stop overwriting boot loader.

The thing is, I don't think a guide is really needed to install Linux. Most of it is pretty straight-forward. (The only tricky bit that comes to mind is making the USB that you've put your distro on bootable. That probably isn't obvious; and it might not be obvious how to get your computer to boot from a USB anyway if you've never done it before.)

Anyway, the way I see it, Microsoft's guide is more about how you can use Linux while still having Windows. If someone is searching for "how do I install Linux?" Microsoft would obviously prefer the answer to involve something that preserves Windows. First preference: WSL, second preference: Virtual Machine, third preference: dual-boot. And after that, you're on your own.

Why wouldn't they? Windows 10+ is a great development machine and Microsoft knows that a lot of developers develop with Linux. WSL is great for all parties - including Linux

Has hell frozen over already?!

Embrace, extend, and extinguish

I mean, why not do that, from their perspective. Linux has been around for a long time and Windows still maintains market share. They don't feel threatened at this point, so might as well have the explanation of how to install Linux be a subtle ad for Windows.

To be fair, WSL2 is actually a pretty decent system if you still need to have Windows installed for one reason or another.

Link to post: https://mastodon.social/@Linux_Is_Best/111202901396633888 Link to Microsoft guide : https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/linux/install

Does this mean that windows updates will no longer bork Linux?

Another thing they have "slipped" in recently is Linux (only Ubuntu for now) support in Microsoft Intune.

This change will make it possible to run Linux in a Microsoft cloud/azure workplace.

Let me just check out the window real quick. There may be flying pigs.

Can't wait for this page to become a Rickroll for Linux community giving technical advice.