As I’d been rethinking my digital life, one thing has become clear: the tools I use matter. And more than that, how I use them matters too.

Stepping away from the mainstream has naturally drawn me toward open source — tools and ideas rooted in transparency, simplicity, and shared values.

But there was a gap. I solely relyiing and working from inside Windows.

The Dilemma

I wanted to get closer to the tools and ideas that open source offers — but I was still on Windows, relying on GUIs and rarely touching the terminal. It felt like I was trying to learn to swim without getting into the water.

The Fork in the Road

So what then?

Here’s what I considered:

  • Dual Boot
    Install Linux alongside Windows, pick your OS at boot.
    ✅ Full Linux experience ❌ Not sure which one to choose (Debian, Mint, Fedora..Ubuntu)
    ❌ Constant reboots, risk of partitioning mishaps, context-switching fatigue

  • Full Switch
    Go all-in. Format the drive. Install Linux as your daily driver.
    ✅ Deep immersion
    ❌ Risky — especially when I still depend on Windows-only tools or workflows

  • Virtual Machine
    Install Linux inside VirtualBox or VMware.
    ✅ Safe to experiment
    ❌ Resource-heavy, slower, not great for daily development

And then I discovered the one that actually worked for me — right now, in this moment:

WSL to the Rescue

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) turned out to be the easiest, most practical bridge between where I was and where I wanted to go.

And to my surprise, installing it was shockingly simple.

Just pop open PowerShell (as Administrator), and run:

wsl --install

Thats it.

The default install sets you up with Ubuntu, and after a quick reboot, you’re dropped into a real Linux shell — right inside your Windows environment. And you can pin the Ubuntu app to your Start menu.

From a Ubuntu terminal I could:

  • Use real bash, apt, nano, curl, and all the good Unix-y stuff
  • SSH into servers
  • Use tools like git, python, docker, node, etc. in native Linux form
  • Start exploring and testing the things — without leaving Windows

…just yet 😉