this post was submitted on 09 Oct 2023
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While I see an extensive amount of "Embrace, Extend, Extinguish" and do agree that this is the typical logic of Microsoft.
It's obvious this is to try and avoid getting hit with similar monopoly accusations that their competitors are receiving.
"Look, Look!! We support other Operating Systems! We have a guide! We're not a monopoly! See, See!!"
This has way more to do with Azure is their main product and they know what people want to run on the cloud runs on Linux workloads. They've seen their Kuberbetes numbers, they know where the money is
and their OS is becoming an AD + 365 sub selling machine
There's definitely an element of that, but imo their recent embrace of WSL and linux tooling for development is just to try and expand their market share in the software development space. Very few devs develop on windows unless they're game devs, C# devs or working on something else that requires windows/Microsoft tooling, everyone else is on Linux and macOS because windows is bad for developing software.
It's basically an admission that their tooling is bad, but it's fine because you can just run linux development tools on windows now, so please don't switch to Linux fully
Your assertions are not supported by industry analysis.
While this years survey is closed, the results haven’t been published. In last year’s survey, MacOS slightly edged out Linux, moving to second place.
Why is windows bad for development? Outside of specific languages or IDEs which suck for Windows, why would windows be bad for development?
Start your pc, start the IDE and type away. Docker runs in windows so running databases, redis, rabbitmq, elastic or whatever is not an issue.
In my experience, it's damn near impossible (or at least used to be. I don't use windows anymore) to get cli programs to work the way they should. I'd edit the environment variables, logout, login, restart the computer, check the variables again, set the variables again, and after about 20 times windows would go "oh yeah, there's that compiler you were talking about". With Linux I just get whatever language/libraries/compiler/interpreter I want and its there. At most I might have to 'source .bashrc' or something.
Well, I don't think it's anti-monopoly evidence, but instead a way to intercept a popular search phrase and control the narrative.
You search for "how to download and install linux" in google, and the very top link is the Microsoft page. And the narrative is:
-I just want to get started: Oh, use WSL, that way you are using Windows really, and just a touch of Linux
-I need to use it for real: Oh, then use Azure, you can have us set up those scary Linux instances for you and Microsoft Terminal will hook you right up to those instances
-I really really want to use it: Ok, but remember, you'll lose access to Windows applications, so there are downsides, and also, we are going to make this hands down the scariest looking procedure of the three...
I don't think this is the reason. Windows is in no danger of being a monopoly
They just got through the US, EU, and UK courts regarding the Activision/Blizz acquisition. In which they gave up some streaming rights to Ubisoft to appease concerns ragarding game pass monopoly. It's probably on their mind.