Microsoft offers installation instructions for Linux
Even though it used to be different, Microsoft says it loves Linux. Now there's a new proof of love in the form of an installation guide. A Linux tip from Microsoft, so to speak.
In the early 2000s, Microsoft's then CEO Steve Ballmer described Linux as a cancer - "Linux is a cancer". This perception of the company management changed in 2014 at the latest, when Satya Nadella took the helm and said "Microsoft loves Linux". And the company appears to remain true to this to this day. It is currently demonstrating its love once again.
The company has recently launched its own installation guide for Linux. It is entitled "How to download and install Linux" and guides you to your goal in four detailed steps.
In the guide, you first choose one of three installation methods. Either local virtualisation using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), Linux as a virtual machine in the Azure Cloud or local installation as the primary operating system. In the second step, you will be advised on various Linux distributions (Ubuntu, Kali Linux, OpenSUSE, etc.). The third step explains the installation, including the creation of bootable USB sticks. And in the fourth point, what is important to do after the installation.
The guide should be of particular interest to Linux newcomers. But it is also a skilful move by the software giant. On the one hand, it is good publicity. On the other hand, it comes at a time when some Windows users actually need a new OS. At the end of September, Microsoft cancelled the validity of Windows 7 and Windows 8 keys for activating Windows 10 and 11. Anyone who wants to upgrade to a newer operating system with Windows 7 today must either buy it or rely on open source such as Linux.
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