WSL is designed to keep Linux users happy on Windows, but it helped me switch to Linux instead

I've been a Windows user since I first laid hands on a keyboard, but since my childhood, I've branched out and dabbled with every operating system one could think of. Even still, most of my work and play occurs on Mac and Windows PCs, respectively. Linux was the odd one left out, and it's unfortunate because I love the idea of Linux. Open-source, ultimate customizability, and absolutely zero bloat just sounds like total bliss, but I've always delayed any kind of swap for two main reasons: comfort and compatibility.

WSL solved one of those issues

It allowed me to sharpen my CLI abilities

I have a decent understanding of the Linux command line from my post-secondary education, but most of that was server-related workflows, not personal use. While there is quite a bit of overlap in the basic skills, I was still quite rusty when I picked it back up recently. WSL helped tremendously in bridging that gap.

WSL stands for Windows Subsystem for Linux, and it does what it says on the tin. It's a compatibility layer that allows users to run a fully-fledged, integrated Linux system on top of their existing Windows install, without the need for any kind of virtual machine or dual-boot setup. It's developed and maintained by Microsoft, and can be installed through an admin Powershell terminal with the command wsl --install.

This is intended to help make natural Linux users more comfortable in a Windows environment, allowing them to natively run their Linux tools, but it actually helped in the opposite fashion in my case. It allowed me to refamiliarize myself with Linux without the need to start from zero on a fresh installation. I could grep, rsync, and sed my own files to my heart's content.

WSL helped me realize I was ready to switch

Well, mostly ready anyway

Windows is a powerful operating system with its GUI, and you can get a surprising amount done with keyboard shortcuts and some Explorer know-how, but it's still a far cry from Linux. Any user that's somewhat experienced in both will tell you that the Linux command-line is just a cut above in terms of efficiency, and getting acclimated to operating within the CLI is a huge unlock if you do a lot of work within the OS itself.

Even something as simple as moving a group of screenshots for an article. Using a couple of quick commands, I could move the screenshots, rename them using my own convention, and convert them to the correct file type, all without moving my hands from my keyboard. Being able to successfully do this task in the WSL, simple as it might be, is what made me realize I was ready to make the switch. There are also some quirks with WSL that made me want full-fat Linux sooner than later. You're quite limited in what you can do with the kernel, for obvious reasons. Hardware access is also neutered, which made some things off limits.

I'll still have to settle for dual-boot for now

Pending a couple of very small compatibility issues

Unfortunately, there are still a couple of minuscule reservations I have about making the complete switch. I'm confident I'd be able to run a dual-boot setup, and use the Linux OS more often than Windows, but I still need the latter for some work and play. Having Windows for work is mostly a backup measure; if I'm writing about an application that won't run natively on Linux, for example, I'll need a Windows install for that. I also play quite a bit of Escape From Tarkov, an extraction FPS game that doesn't support Linux whatsoever. For these reasons, I simply can't make the total switch that I so badly want to.

WSL is the perfect gateway to (and from) Linux

The Windows Subsystem for Linux is a great way to familiarize yourself with Linux, especially if you're someone like me, who had returned after a hiatus. It's also great for its intended use: allowing Linux users to use their powerful native tools in a Windows environment. Whichever situation you more closely identify with, WSL is worth taking for a whirl.