Ubuntu is growing faster on Windows 11 than on native Linux PCs, says Canonical
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Developers handed Windows laptops by employers are increasingly running Ubuntu through WSL for AI and machine learning work
Canonical’s VP of Engineering says Ubuntu’s user base inside Windows Subsystem for Linux is growing significantly faster than its native desktop user base, and he expects WSL to overtake native Ubuntu installations within months. Jon Seager made the comment in a deep dive with The Pragmatic Engineer ‘s Gergely Orosz, published April 28, 2026.
Funnily enough, Microsoft built WSL so developers could use Linux without leaving Windows. Instead, it turned a growing number of Windows PCs into functional Linux development machines, with Windows serving as little more than the launcher.
Ubuntu running via Windows Subsystem for Linux. Source: Ubuntu<br>Ubuntu is growing faster on Windows 11 through WSL
Jon Seager is VP of Engineering at Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu. Speaking to Orosz, he mentioned something that would surprise users still thinking of Windows and Linux as rivals.
"In a year, the growth in our WSL numbers is significantly higher than the growth in Desktop usage numbers."
Seager followed that with an almost hard-to-believe statement:
"I expect to see more Ubuntu WSL users than ‘native’ Ubuntu users over the coming months."
Of course, Canonical isn’t saying Windows now has more Linux users than Linux itself. Seager is comparing Ubuntu through WSL against Ubuntu installed natively on a Linux PC, and the WSL side is on track to win.
Seager says Canonical hears constantly from developers who have been given a Windows machine by their employer, and then discover that their AI or machine learning work needs Linux.
With WSL, they don’t have to fight their employer’s hardware policy to get it. Microsoft has also been upgrading WSL with faster file access, better networking, and easier setup throughout 2026.
Jon Seager, VP of Engineering at Canonical, explained how Ubuntu is booming on Windows, and it’s mostly due to WSL:
"WSL enables Windows users to "install" Ubuntu for use within their Windows
environment. Once installed, users interact with Ubuntu through the Terminal app,
and what you’re running literally is Ubuntu. Your home directory is mounted with
Ubuntu and you can pull windows out of this terminal to your desktop; as in actual
windows as on-screen windows.
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 Al 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 Al or ML
work. With WSL, this is a lot simpler."
Why developers are turning Windows PCs into Linux machines
WSL lets you run a Linux distribution like Ubuntu directly inside Windows, with Bash, native Linux binaries, and a Linux kernel, without dual-booting or using a virtual machine.
The appeal for developers is that even if their employer issues a Windows laptop, and even when their development stack expects Linux, WSL removes the need to dual-boot. Containers work the way they’re supposed to, and AI or ML tooling gets the Linux environment it was built for, all while Windows takes care of the desktop apps and management tools their company requires them to use. Windows dev machines are basically becoming Linux workstations!
Satya Nadella introducing WSL going Open Source at the 2025 Build conference<br>We tested WSL Containers...