Ubuntu's VP of Engineering says WSL usage on Windows 11 is growing faster than native Ubuntu installs, and could overtake them within months.

After the clickbait-y headline that’s just Canonical sinking into mediocrity once again, there’s this:

Ubuntu is preparing for the AI PC, not just Linux desktops

Seager also described a push toward proper GPU, NPU, and DPU support, hardware partnerships with NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel, and CPU architecture optimization that makes Ubuntu run faster on newer chips without dropping support for older ones.

Ubuntu is also betting on local-first AI, building “inference snaps” that pick the right model and quantization automatically, along with early exploration into agentic workflows at the OS level. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS already ships with native support for both NVIDIA CUDA and AMD ROCm.

  • vi21@lemmy.mlEnglish
    2·
    2 hours ago

    wsl --install installs Ubuntu by default. If I had to use WSL, I’d try this first too.

  • Buffalox@lemmy.world
    11·
    4 hours ago

    Originally Ubuntu was marketing itself on freedom, and the open source culture that had made the Linux desktop possible.

    Growing on Windows 11 is not helping promote freedom from proprietary software, so I don’t see that as a positive.
    Ubuntu has lost perspective, and abandoned the ideals and purpose of Open Source IMO.

  • BCsven@lemmy.ca
    3·
    3 hours ago

    I assume it’s because people realized what Canonical is turning into and have stopped installing it. While at work you may still need some Linux tools on a Windows machine.

  • eremophila@lemmy.zip
    8·
    5 hours ago

    When getting into linux it was easy to remove ubuntu from the list due to them being like this.

    Fedora considering ai earlier this year, and now debian talking about maybe slopping it too, is starting to creep me out even more about the future.

    • FreeBooteR69@lemmy.caEnglish
      6·
      5 hours ago

      Great thing about linux is we have an embarrassment of riches to choose from. They will never conquer us, we are legion!

    • SocialistVibes01@lemmy.mlOP
      1·
      25 minutes ago

      “In a year, the growth in our WSL numbers is significantly higher than the growth in Desktop usage numbers.”

      “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.