Native Linux, Virtual Machine or WSL: Which to Choose?
Linux has long been the standard in software development, especially in web development. Most servers run on Linux, DevOps tools are designed for a Linux environment, and many CLI utilities were originally built for it.
At the same time, many developers keep using Windows as their main system for games or specialized software, and some simply out of habit. This leads to a dilemma: you want the convenience of Linux for development, but you don't want to leave Windows completely.
This leaves three main options:
Install native Linux alongside Windows (dual boot);
Use a virtual machine (VirtualBox or VMware);
Work through WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux).
Each of these options solves the problem in its own way — with different performance, convenience and level of isolation.
Native Linux
Native Linux means installing a full Linux operating system on your computer. Instead of replacing Windows completely, you can install Linux alongside it (dual boot). You then choose the system at startup, and each of them runs directly on the hardware, without a virtualization layer. As an installation guide, you can use the official Ubuntu tutorial.
Native Linux gives you maximum performance and full GUI support. If Linux is your main working environment and you don't often need to reboot to switch systems, this option may be the best.
Virtual machine
A virtual machine is a way to run one operating system inside another. It uses special software — a hypervisor — that emulates a virtual computer: processor, memory, disk, network card and other devices. The most popular solutions are Oracle VM VirtualBox and VMware Workstation. This tutorial describes how to install VirtualBox and create a virtual machine with Ubuntu in it.
A huge advantage of a virtual machine is that it is completely isolated from the main system. So each machine can be used as a sandbox for experiments. However, performance drops because of virtualization.
WSL
For a long time, virtual machines were the main way to use Linux inside Windows. In recent years, however, another option has appeared — WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), which tries to combine the convenience of a virtual environment with the performance of a native system. WSL lets you run a Linux environment without leaving Windows. Unlike a virtual machine, Linux here is integrated into Windows and can work almost like a regular application. With WSL you can install familiar distributions such as Ubuntu, Debian or Kali and run them right from the Windows terminal, following these instructions.
Although not all features worked correctly in WSL1, WSL2 runs a real Linux kernel, most Linux tools work, and performance is close to native. WSL also integrates well with Windows: you can use a PhpStorm-WSL-Docker setup without any problems.
Comparison
| Criterion | Native Linux | Virtual machine | WSL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | Maximum | Medium | High |
| System isolation | Fully separate OS | Full isolation | Partial |
| Ease of installation | Hard | Medium | Easy |
| GUI apps and Linux tools | Full support | Full support | Partial support |
| Networking | Full control | Sometimes needs setup | Has limitations |
| Windows integration | None | Limited | Excellent |
| Best for | Development, servers, games | Testing, experiments | Development, scripts |
The choice between native Linux, a virtual machine and WSL depends on the tasks you plan to solve. I've tried all the options and chose WSL: it lets me work comfortably in both Linux and Windows at the same time.
🐧 That's how you can make Linux and Windows get along.
Published
