7 Reasons Windows Subsystem for Linux Works For Me: Practical Fusion

Windows and Linux no longer have to be stove‑piped ecosystems, and that practical fusion is the through‑line of the How‑To Geek piece “7 Reasons Windows Subsystem for Linux Works For Me.” The author’s list—being able to jump on coding ideas instantly, running a Linux toolchain beside mainstream Windows apps and games, avoiding reboots, running GUI apps or even a full desktop, and ultimately keeping the best of both worlds—isn’t just personal preference; it maps onto concrete technical advances in WSL’s design and ecosystem. This feature unpacks those seven reasons, verifies the technical claims, weighs the trade‑offs, and gives actionable guidance for anyone treating WSL as part of a long‑term workflow.

Background / Overview​

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) began as an engineering experiment to run Linux userland on Windows with minimal friction. It evolved through two major architectures: the original syscall translation model (WSL 1) and the later WSL 2 model that runs a real Linux kernel inside a lightweight utility virtual machine. Over time Microsoft added GUI support (WSLg), GPU passthrough and CUDA support for AI/ML workloads, and turned WSL into an independent, open development project—making a large portion of its code available publicly. The platform is now a maintained, shipped product used by developers and power users who need Linux tooling without leaving Windows. The How‑To Geek essay isn’t a technical spec; it’s a practical, user‑oriented case study. Below I repeat each of the seven user reasons, verify what's broadly true about them, and analyze where WSL excels and where caution is warranted.

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1) “I can jump on coding ideas” — Instant access to a Linux shell​

What the author means​

The claim is simple and true in spirit: when an idea hits, you can open a WSL terminal in Windows and immediately prototype with shell tools, Python, IPython, Jupyter, or native Linux CLI utilities without rebooting or firing up a separate VM.

Why that works technically​

WSL runs distributions that appear as lightweight Linux systems on top of Windows (WSL 2 uses a minimized VM image). The Windows Terminal and the WSL commandline integrate tightly, so launching a distro or a bash/zsh shell is a second‑class operation rather than a full OS boot. That immediacy is the core productivity benefit for developers. VS Code’s Remote‑WSL extension amplifies this by running your editor UI on Windows while executing the language servers and debuggers inside WSL.

What to watch for​

• For best performance, keep your project files inside WSL’s Linux filesystem (your distro’s root) rather than on mounted Windows drives (/mnt/c). Accessing Windows files from Linux introduces measurable I/O penalties and surprises in permission semantics. Benchmarks repeatedly show that I/O‑heavy workloads (large builds, database operations) run noticeably faster on native Linux filesystems or inside the WSL VM than on mounted volumes.
• Make sure you’re using WSL 2 for most development work; WSL 1 still exists but lacks full kernel compatibility and modern features.

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2) “I can run mainstream apps” — Working Windows apps and Linux tooling on the same desktop​

The claim and verification​

The author appreciates running Linux tools alongside Windows apps and games. That’s exactly the design intent: WSL provides a Linux environment for development while leaving Windows apps and games untouched on the host. Visual Studio Code, Docker Desktop, and many editor/debugger workflows explicitly support executing the toolchain in WSL while keeping the GUI layer on Windows. Microsoft’s guides and product integrations (e.g., Remote‑WSL and Docker’s WSL backend) formalize this hybrid workflow.

Strengths​

• Seamless workflow: edit in Windows tools, run tests and installations in Linux.
• Toolchain isolation: you can install Linux packages without affecting Windows system libraries.
• Broad distro choice: canonical distros (Ubuntu, Debian), enterprise images (RHEL), and community distros can be run as WSL instances. Microsoft has even begun treating certain distros as official WSL images for easier install.

Caveats​

• When your workflow crosses host boundaries (e.g., editors or services expecting Windows file semantics), you’ll need to choose the canonical location for source code to avoid permission, newline, or symlink issues.
• Some Windows apps (notably many games and DRM‑protected apps) interact with hardware and drivers in ways that cannot be proxied into WSL; those must remain on Windows.

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3) “I can still play my favorite retro games” — Why Windows keeps you anchored​

Context​

The author notes nostalgia and the availability of some retro re‑releases only on Windows. While many retro platforms and emulators (DOSBox, ScummVM) are available on Linux, commercial re‑releases and publishers’ storefronts sometimes ship Windows‑only installers or DRM wrappers.

Technical reality​

WSL doesn’t replace Windows for gaming. WSL is a dev tool and is not a substitute for hardware‑dependent or DRM‑bound Windows software. If gaming continuity is a priority—especially titles tied to Windows APIs, proprietary launchers, or anti‑cheat systems—keeping Windows as your main desktop makes sense.

Practical note​

You won’t need WINE inside WSL to run old DOS/Scumm games; those emulators run natively on Windows and Linux. In practice, the convenience of staying in Windows for certain game titles is pragmatic rather than technical. No recent WSL update changes this model.

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4) “No rebooting” — The core convenience claim​

Why this matters​

Rebooting to a dual‑boot Linux distribution is a workflow break. WSL’s promise is “Linux in Windows” without switching OS sessions. That’s a profound productivity multiplier for interactive exploration and rapid iteration.

How WSL provides it​

Because WSL runs as a background service and/or lightweight VM, starting a Linux shell is an instantaneous operation compared with rebooting. You can also run long‑lived Linux daemons in the background (web servers, database instances), and WSL exposes networking so you can hit those endpoints from Windows browsers or tools. Microsoft documentation and developer blogs outline commands such as wsl --install, wsl --update, and wsl --shutdown that manage the lifecycle without a reboot.

Edge cases​

• Persistent background services inside WSL can be implicitly affected by Windows sleep or Windows Update cycles; understand the lifecycle if you depend on long‑running processes.
• On some corporate systems, group policy or virtualization platform settings (e.g., disabled Hyper‑V) can interfere with WSL’s ability to run without deeper changes.

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5) “I can get a full Linux desktop experience if I want it” — Truth and nuance​

The headline claim​

The author claims they can fire up a full desktop environment (Xfce) in WSL and even run graphical Linux applications like XGalaga. There’s truth here but also nuance.

What WSLg offers​

WSLg enables running Linux GUI applications (X11 and Wayland apps) in a way that they integrate with Windows: windows show up in the Windows taskbar, alt‑tab works, clipboard is shared, and audio can be routed. Microsoft’s WSLg documentation and the initial WSLg announcements explain how the system supports Wayland, X11 forwarding, and audio.

Full desktop vs. integrated GUI apps​

Microsoft warns that WSLg is designed primarily to host individual GUI applications and does not claim to provide a complete, serverless desktop environment equivalent to a native installation. Community projects (Kali’s Win‑Kex, tutorials that set up XRDP or Xfce inside WSL, and experimenters who run full DEs via RDP or X servers) have created workable “complete desktop” experiences inside WSL—yet these are often a set of hacks and may not produce exactly the same behavior as a native desktop. Microsoft explicitly notes some desktop‑focused tools may not be fully supported.

Practical summary​

• You can run single Linux GUI apps from WSL very well.
• You can cobble a full desktop using XRDP, Win‑Kex, VNC, or other community tools—but expect limitations with multi‑monitor setups, system tray behavior, or compositor features.
• If you need a polished, supported desktop experience, a VM or a native Linux install may still be preferable.

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6) “Windows might be hard to escape in practice” — A practical reality check​

The author’s point​

Despite liking Linux, the author acknowledges that Windows will remain necessary for software that’s Windows‑first (games, some productivity suites, and legacy tools). That reality drives the decision to use WSL rather than commit to full Linux.

Facts that back this up​

• Many commercial titles and niche Windows apps still ship only for Windows, and certain low‑level hardware features or DRM systems have no Linux equivalents.
• Enterprises and distributed teams often standardize on Windows desktops and provide Windows‑specific management and tooling.

What this means for power users​

WSL is a pragmatic compromise: it lets you use Linux developer tools without having to surrender Windows compatibility. That hybrid model is the platform’s greatest practical selling point.

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7) “WSL shows off one of Linux’s greatest strengths” — Interoperability and choice​

The deeper thesis​

The author concludes that Linux’s real strength is its flexibility and the culture of interoperability—WSL exemplifies this by allowing users to adopt Linux where it fits while leaving Windows intact elsewhere.

How WSL embodies choice​

WSL offers multiple ways to use Linux:

• Running a full Linux environment as a WSL distro.
• Dual‑booting to a native Linux install when necessary.
• SSH’ing into remote Linux servers.
• Running GUI apps via WSLg for testing or occasional use.
  That flexibility is a philosophical and practical strength: you can pick the right tool for the right job.

The community and open source turn​

Microsoft open‑sourced large parts of WSL in 2025 and made the WSLg and kernel components visible to contributors. That step increases transparency and invites community fixes and features—exactly the kind of interoperability the author praises. Microsoft’s documentation now outlines which components are open‑source and which (legacy WSL 1 kernel drivers and some Windows‑side filesystem redirection pieces) remain closed.

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Strengths: When WSL is objectively excellent​

• Instant developer productivity: Start a shell and prototype in seconds. VS Code + Remote‑WSL is a genuinely frictionless workflow for Python, Node, Rust, Go, and compiled toolchains.
• Tooling synergy: Docker Desktop integrates with WSL 2; many containers and CI workflows work identically as on Linux, reducing the “works on my machine” problem.
• GPU and ML workflows: WSL 2 supports GPU acceleration and CUDA through vendor drivers that expose the Windows GPU into the WSL VM. That capability enables on‑device GPU development and smaller scale ML experimentation without a separate Linux workstation. (Important caveats about drivers and installation exist; see below.
• Distro choice and official images: Microsoft’s partnership with distro vendors means RHEL, Fedora, Ubuntu, and others provide WSL images suitable for development and testing. The WSL ecosystem is maturing into a first‑class dev box.
• Open source stewardship: Making core components public invites community audits and contributions, helping long‑term reliability and security.

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Risks, caveats and potential pitfalls​

No technology is without trade‑offs. WSL’s convenience introduces new operational considerations.

1) Performance: not always native parity​

Benchmarks consistently show WSL 2 is fast for CPU‑bound workloads but can lag for I/O‑heavy workloads or database workloads—especially when code or data live on Windows mounts instead of the WSL filesystem. Phoronix and other reviewers report measurable overheads in certain scenarios; the delta is workload‑dependent but real. If you run production databases, high‑throughput I/O, or very large builds, native Linux remains preferable.

2) Filesystem semantics and where to place source​

• Put active development projects inside the distro’s Linux filesystem (e.g., /home) for performance and POSIX semantics.
• Use /mnt/c only for occasional cross‑OS access.
  If you ignore this, builds can mysteriously slow and tools that rely on symlinks or strict permissions may fail.

3) Security surface area​

WSL introduces new code paths between Windows and a Linux runtime. Historically, bugs and CVEs have been found and patched in the subsystem. Treat WSL like another system component: patch promptly and follow vendor guidance. Recent disclosures and patches emphasize that WSL must be kept up to date, particularly on multi‑user or less‑trusted machines.

4) GUI / Desktop expectations​

WSLg is excellent for bringing single Linux GUI apps to Windows, but it is not a supported replacement for a full desktop environment in all cases. Some desktop features, system tray semantics, multi‑monitor compositing, and specialized DE components may not behave identically under WSLg or require extra configuration.

5) Driver and GPU caveats​

GPU support is enabled via Windows GPU drivers that expose functionality into WSL; you must install vendor drivers on Windows and follow vendor guidance inside WSL to avoid driver conflicts. Do not install a Linux GPU driver inside WSL 2; doing so will likely break GPU passthrough. The WSL docs and GPU vendor pages (e.g., NVIDIA) make this explicit.

6) Not a production server platform​

WSL is intended for development and testing. Running production server workloads inside WSL on a developer desktop is unsupported and risky; host OS updates, sleep, or admin policies could interrupt services in unanticipated ways.

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Practical recommendations and a short checklist​

If you want to adopt the “WSL for everyday development” approach like the How‑To Geek author, follow these pragmatic steps:

• Install and use WSL 2 (not WSL 1) unless you have a specific WSL 1 requirement.
• Put active project code inside the WSL distro (your distro’s home) for best performance.
• Use Visual Studio Code + Remote‑WSL for editor ergonomics and extensions that run in the Linux context.
• If you need GPU compute:
• Install the official Windows GPU driver that supports WSL.
• Follow the vendor’s WSL/CUDA install guide—do not install the Linux GPU driver inside WSL.
• Keep Windows and WSL packages updated; subscribe to WSL preview updates if you want bleeding‑edge fixes but use caution on production machines.
• Treat WSL as part of your security posture: harden accounts, disable unused services, and patch promptly.
• If you rely on heavy I/O or production database workloads, plan to use native Linux or a dedicated VM/host for those services.

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The long view: is WSL a trap, a bridge, or a destination?​

WSL is a pragmatic bridge. It’s not a betrayal of Linux principles—rather, it’s an engineering acknowledgement that developers and creators use a diverse set of tools and platforms. For many developers, WSL is “good enough” and better than dual‑booting because it preserves the fastest path to ideas: open a terminal, try a command, iterate. It’s also increasingly feature rich: GUI app integration, GPU support, and an open source codebase make it future‑resilient.
But WSL is not a universal panacea. For maximum raw throughput, server stability, or a fully supported desktop experience, the native Linux install still wins. WSL’s real power lies in eliminating artificial friction—allowing users to pick Linux tools when they help, and leave Windows when it’s the right surface for other work.

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Conclusion​

The author’s seven reasons are grounded in real, verifiable features: instant shell access, integrated GUI app support via WSLg, co‑existence with Windows apps and games, and the flexibility to pull a full Linux environment into a Windows PC when needed. Those conveniences are backed by substantial engineering: a maintained WSL2 kernel, WSLg for GUI apps, vendor GPU support, first‑class editor integrations, and an open source trajectory that increases transparency and contribution.
At the same time, practical trade‑offs remain: I/O‑heavy workloads can suffer compared with bare metal Linux, full desktop emulation is imperfect, and security/driver details demand attention. For the pragmatic user the How‑To Geek piece represents—someone who wants rapid iteration, occasional GUI Linux apps, and the ability to play some Windows games—WSL is an excellent, realistic compromise. Use it as a tool in your toolbox: maximize its strengths (developer productivity, interoperability, and fast prototyping), and be mindful of its limits (I/O, production workloads, low‑level hardware interactions). That approach preserves the author’s core benefit: the ability to “jump on coding ideas” without breaking flow—and that, more than anything, is why WSL works for so many people.

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Source: How-To Geek 7 Reasons Windows Subsystem for Linux Works For Me