I switched my primary development environment from Linux back to Windows — and the result was far less compromise and far more productivity than I expected, thanks to modern Windows tools like WSL2, Windows Terminal, PowerToys, and winget that finally blur the lines between the two ecosystems.
What began as a personal experiment — moving a daily-driver dev setup off Linux and onto Windows — has become a useful case study in how far Windows has evolved as a developer platform. The original personal account argues that Windows now supports the workflows Linux traditionally dominated while retaining access to Windows-only apps and games; that trade-off is the core argument.
This feature unpacks the claim, verifies the technical building blocks the author relied on, weighs benefits and real-world risks, and offers a pragmatic checklist for developers who are considering the same move. It draws on primary documentation and independent reporting to verify statements about WSL2, Windows Terminal, PowerToys, winget, anti‑cheat and gaming compatibility, and Windows Update reliability. Key claims are cross-checked with official Microsoft docs and reputable industry coverage where possible.
The MakeUseOf piece describes the daily friction of switching OSes, the productivity drain from dual-booting, and the decision to standardize on Windows because it now offers the Linux command-line and tooling experience — without giving up access to Windows-exclusive apps.
To judge whether that conclusion holds for a broader audience, we must verify three pillars:
What matters to developers:
In short: WSL2 provides a very high-fidelity Linux environment for most developer workflows — verified by Microsoft documentation and corroborated in long-form testing in the field.
PowerToys also delivers utilities (FancyZones, Awake, File Locksmith, etc.) that replicate many features Linux power users get from ecosystem tweaks. PowerToys is actively maintained and has received major UI and feature updates in 2024–2025.
That said, the decision is not universal: anti‑cheat and publisher choices, occasional update regressions, and specific kernel-level needs remain real constraints. Those trade-offs should be weighed against the convenience of a single OS that now truly supports modern, cross-platform development workflows.
If your priority is a single-machine, mixed-stack productivity environment — and you value Windows-only applications and gaming compatibility — trying Windows as your full-time development OS is now a reasonable, low-friction experiment. Follow the checklist above, harden your update and recovery plan, and keep a fallback (VM or spare SSD) ready for any environment-specific surprises. The era of “must dual‑boot to have both productivity and play” is no longer as ironclad as it once was — but it still deserves caution and testing before you retire your Linux setup entirely.
Source: MakeUseOf I ditched Linux for Windows (yes, really) — and you might want to as well
Overview
What began as a personal experiment — moving a daily-driver dev setup off Linux and onto Windows — has become a useful case study in how far Windows has evolved as a developer platform. The original personal account argues that Windows now supports the workflows Linux traditionally dominated while retaining access to Windows-only apps and games; that trade-off is the core argument.This feature unpacks the claim, verifies the technical building blocks the author relied on, weighs benefits and real-world risks, and offers a pragmatic checklist for developers who are considering the same move. It draws on primary documentation and independent reporting to verify statements about WSL2, Windows Terminal, PowerToys, winget, anti‑cheat and gaming compatibility, and Windows Update reliability. Key claims are cross-checked with official Microsoft docs and reputable industry coverage where possible.
Background: why this feels surprising — and believable
Developers have treated Linux as the "natural" environment for code for decades: package managers, shell-first workflows, and closeness to server environments are compelling reasons. At the same time, Windows has been the arrival point for most commercial desktop software, creatives, and many gamers. Running both (dual-boot or VMs) was the pragmatic answer — until Windows improved its developer tooling in ways that matter for daily work.The MakeUseOf piece describes the daily friction of switching OSes, the productivity drain from dual-booting, and the decision to standardize on Windows because it now offers the Linux command-line and tooling experience — without giving up access to Windows-exclusive apps.
To judge whether that conclusion holds for a broader audience, we must verify three pillars:
- Does Windows actually deliver a near-native Linux dev experience?
- Are the productivity utilities (Terminal, PowerToys, winget) mature enough for serious work?
- What trade-offs remain — especially regarding performance, stability, and gaming/anti-cheat compatibility?
WSL2: the linchpin that changed everything
What WSL2 gives you now
Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2) is the single most consequential change that makes Windows viable as a daily development operating system for many developers. WSL2 runs a real Linux kernel in a lightweight virtualized environment, and modern WSL includes support for Linux GUI apps, systemd, GPU access for compute workloads, and improved I/O performance compared to earlier versions. Microsoft documents launching Linux GUI applications, integrating them into the Start menu and Taskbar, and running Linux command-line tooling seamlessly alongside Windows apps.What matters to developers:
- You can run Bash, zsh, apt / dnf / pacman, and other distro-native package managers inside WSL2.
- WSL2 supports GUI Linux applications (via WSLg), so tools that only shipped for Linux can run and appear like native Windows windows.
- Docker Desktop and container workflows work well with WSL2 backends, making it trivial to run Linux containers locally without a separate machine.
Cross-checks and caveats
The Microsoft docs are the authoritative source for WSL capabilities; independent testing and reporting confirm that WSL2 is mature enough for day-to-day development in 2024–2025. That said, there are still edge cases: kernel modules, certain low-level hardware access, and some GUI toolkits can behave differently inside WSL than on a native Linux desktop. For server-side parity (exact distribution, kernel version, or kernel modules), a dedicated Linux VM or remote Linux host is still the safest route.In short: WSL2 provides a very high-fidelity Linux environment for most developer workflows — verified by Microsoft documentation and corroborated in long-form testing in the field.
Windows Terminal: a modern terminal experience
Features that matter for developers
The modern Windows Terminal is no longer the clunky console of old. It supports tabs, split panes, custom profiles for PowerShell / Command Prompt / WSL distros, and advanced key bindings. It also includes a quake mode (a drop-down terminal that slides down from the top of the screen) and global summon actions for productivity workflows. The official Windows Terminal documentation explains panes, key bindings, and the quake-mode/globalSummon actions you can bind to hotkeys.- Tabs and splits let you keep server logs, REPLs, and edit shells visible simultaneously.
- You can configure named windows and summon a specific window for project-focused workflows.
- Quake mode provides a low-friction, distraction-free terminal that feels like a dedicated dev tool rather than a tacked-on utility.
Why it matters
For developers who rely on fast keyboard workflows and terminal multiplexing, Windows Terminal plus WSL2 closes the usability gap with Linux terminal emulators (tmux, iTerm2, etc.). The combination reduces friction of switching contexts and makes command-line workflows just as productive on Windows as on Linux.PowerToys and winget: the Windows tooling ecosystem
PowerToys — small utilities, big productivity gains
PowerToys remains one of the most important power-user toolsets Microsoft has produced. Its recent evolution — notably the Command Palette (the successor to PowerToys Run) — gives Windows a Spotlight-like launcher that supports commands, app launching, and extensibility geared toward developers. Microsoft documents Command Palette features and Microsoft reporting shows active development and frequent updates to PowerToys.PowerToys also delivers utilities (FancyZones, Awake, File Locksmith, etc.) that replicate many features Linux power users get from ecosystem tweaks. PowerToys is actively maintained and has received major UI and feature updates in 2024–2025.
winget — a package manager for Windows
winget is Microsoft's command-line package manager that enables scriptable, reproducible installs of Windows software with single-line commands. Microsoft documents winget as the official Windows Package Manager, supporting multiple installer formats and scripting for provisioning machines. That makes rebuilding a dev workstation fast and reproducible.- Example benefit: you can automate provisioning of 20+ apps with a single script and keep a manifest for onboarding or system replication.
- winget's presence largely removes one of the long-standing friction points for Windows-based developers: tediously reinstalling developer tools.
Gaming and anti‑cheat: the compatibility problem that pushed many users to dual‑boot
The MakeUseOf author cited gaming and anti-cheat compatibility as a significant reason to keep Windows around before the move. That remains an important caveat for many developers who are also gamers.What’s changed — and what hasn’t
- The Linux compatibility stack (Proton, Wine, Steam Play) has improved dramatically; many Windows games now run on Linux with little or no tinkering. Independent trackers and coverage report increasing numbers of games working via Proton and community efforts.
- Critical friction remains: anti-cheat middleware (Easy Anti‑Cheat, BattlEye, and vendor-specific kernel-level protections) is the decisive blocker for many titles. Both BattlEye and Easy Anti‑Cheat have made strides to support Linux/Proton in an opt‑in manner, but developers must explicitly enable those runtimes — and many opt not to for competitive shooter titles. That opt‑in model and publisher decisions mean anti-cheat compatibility is still a mixed bag.
Practical takeaway
- If your workflow requires running the same AAA multiplayer titles or publisher-managed competitive software under the same conditions as Windows users, Windows remains the safer choice.
- If your gaming needs are primarily single-player or titles with Proton-friendly anti-cheat support, Linux (or WSL+Windows) can be viable. The landscape is improving, but anti-cheat remains the single biggest interoperability risk.
Performance and resource usage: is Windows really heavier?
A frequent claim is that Windows requires more system resources than a lean Linux distro like Linux Mint. The reality is nuanced.- Independent benchmark suites (Phoronix and others) continue to show situations where Linux distros outperform Windows on CPU-bound workloads and certain I/O tasks, particularly on specific kernel versions that optimize recent CPU architectures. In some synthetic and real-world tests, Linux distributions outperform Windows by measurable margins.
- Conversely, some workloads (media encode, specific Windows-optimized drivers) can still favor Windows depending on the driver stack and userland tooling used. Benchmarks vary by hardware, driver maturity (especially Nvidia), and workload.
Stability and Windows Update: the hidden risk
One of the strongest criticisms of Windows in the article — and among the developer community — remains unpredictable updates. Windows cumulative updates and feature updates can occasionally cause regressions that affect workflows and recovery scenarios.- There are well-documented incidents where updates broke the Windows Recovery Environment or caused wide-reaching regressions that required emergency patches. Industry reporting documented at least one emergency patch for WinRE regressions in 2025 that rendered recovery USB keyboard input nonfunctional in affected cases. Those incidents are real and relevant when you depend on a stable workstation.
Strengths, risks, and a balanced verdict
Notable strengths of developing on Windows today
- High interoperability: WSL2 + Windows Terminal delivers a near-native Linux experience while maintaining access to all Windows applications and drivers.
- Fast provisioning and utilities: winget and PowerToys dramatically reduce friction for setting up and using a polished developer environment.
- Unified workflow: no context-switching between dual‑boot systems, no shared-drive complications, and one desktop for productivity, gaming, and creativity.
Real risks and limitations
- Anti‑cheat / gaming: some multiplayer titles remain Windows‑only due to anti‑cheat and publisher decisions. If gaming parity is critical, Windows is safer.
- Update stability: Windows updates have occasionally introduced serious regressions; desktop recovery workflows should be hardened.
- Edge cases for server parity: when production environments depend on a specific Linux kernel module or exact distro behavior, a native Linux VM or dedicated Linux host is still the reliable choice.
- Resource footprint on low‑end hardware: if you need minimal RAM and CPU usage, a lightweight Linux distro will outperform Windows on very low-spec devices.
Practical checklist: how to try development on Windows without burning bridges
- Prepare a backup:
- Create an image of your existing Linux installation and a recovery USB for Windows.
- Install WSL2 and your favorite Linux distribution:
- Follow Microsoft’s WSL GUI app documentation and enable WSLg if you need Linux GUI apps.
- Install Windows Terminal, configure tabs, and enable quake-mode:
- Set up profiles for PowerShell, CMD, and your WSL distro; bind a global summon for fast access.
- Install PowerToys (or Command Palette) for fast launcher functionality:
- Test PowerToys Run or the newer Command Palette and keep an eye on updates.
- Create a winget manifest for essential apps:
- Automate your app installs to make reprovisioning trivial.
- Test your workloads:
- Build and run your usual projects in WSL, run container workflows, and test any Windows‑only tools you rely on.
- Harden update and recovery procedures:
- Configure Windows update deferrals for feature updates, keep a second admin account, and maintain recovery media.
Final analysis — who should consider switching (and who shouldn’t)
- Switch to Windows as your main dev OS if:
- You need Windows-only applications (Adobe suite, specific drivers, games).
- You want one machine for all tasks and value convenience over absolute minimal resource usage.
- Your server parity needs are covered by containers, WSL, or remote build/test environments.
- Stay on Linux or maintain a Linux secondary if:
- You need absolute production parity for kernel-level features or low-level system behavior.
- You run on resource-constrained hardware where every megabyte of RAM matters.
- You rely on competitive online games that block Linux due to anti-cheat decisions (or you need vendor-certified Linux support).
Closing verdict
The MakeUseOf author’s conclusion — that moving development back to Windows can be surprisingly productive — is verifiable in a majority of everyday developer scenarios. WSL2 and Windows Terminal provide the Linux-like toolchain and ergonomics that once made Linux indispensable for developers, while PowerToys and winget address long-lived Windows shortcomings in discoverability and package provisioning. Those claims are supported by official Microsoft documentation and independent reporting on the maturation of Windows developer tooling.That said, the decision is not universal: anti‑cheat and publisher choices, occasional update regressions, and specific kernel-level needs remain real constraints. Those trade-offs should be weighed against the convenience of a single OS that now truly supports modern, cross-platform development workflows.
If your priority is a single-machine, mixed-stack productivity environment — and you value Windows-only applications and gaming compatibility — trying Windows as your full-time development OS is now a reasonable, low-friction experiment. Follow the checklist above, harden your update and recovery plan, and keep a fallback (VM or spare SSD) ready for any environment-specific surprises. The era of “must dual‑boot to have both productivity and play” is no longer as ironclad as it once was — but it still deserves caution and testing before you retire your Linux setup entirely.
Source: MakeUseOf I ditched Linux for Windows (yes, really) — and you might want to as well
