Working with Linux distributions and applications is another aspect of my adoration for my home server. However, you don’t need a separate machine just to access Linux packages. Between WSL2, virtual machines, and binary booting, you have several ways to tap into this FOSS ecosystem, even if you have a single system in your growing tech arsenal.
Having tested all three in my home lab journey, I have to admit that each method has its pros and cons. But even if some services are easier to access in VMs and dual boot systems, WSL2 is the best tool for working with anything Linux on a Windows 11 PC.
Dual-boot was the best choice for running Linux on your daily drive
It’s fine if you only want to run games on Linux these days
Before WSL became a thing and Windows-based hypervisors were hard to manage, a dual-boot setup was the most reliable way to run Windows and Linux distros on the same machine. Heck, until recently I was rocking a Windows and Debian dual boot setup on my old PC and that setup didn’t give me too much trouble either. Since I installed Microsoft’s flagship OS first and kept the king of vanilla distributions on a backup drive, switching between the two was pretty straightforward. But with a little patience, you can easily configure both operating systems on the same boot disk and re-enable Secure Boot in the BIOS without affecting the Linux distribution.
Moreover, a dual-boot setup is quite effective when you want to avoid the virtualization overhead of VMs or WSL2 (it’s not too high for the latter), and the same goes for tasks that require direct hardware access (like gaming) on your Linux instance. Similarly, if you are planning to build Kali Linux pentesting workstationhowever, if you want to protect your Windows environment, installing the two operating systems in dual-boot mode might be a decent option (but I’d still recommend using nested virtualization on your Linux instance for added security).
But aside from these niche tasks, binary loading is not worth building in 2026. Since you can safely replicate most DIY projects in virtual machines and WSL2, there isn’t much of a point for the average controller’s dual boot setup these days. In fact, I only kept my installation because I often tested in-game performance when switching from Windows to Debian on the same hardware. For other non-gaming tasks that involve GPU switching, running Docker containers on a Windows 11 machine is more efficient than moving an entire disk (or a separate partition) to Linux.
Virtual machines are the most beginner-friendly option of the bunch
I recommend sticking with Hyper-V or VMware Workstation
Shifting gears to the virtual machine front, deploying a VM with a hypervisor is simpler than dual-booting two operating systems, but it also allows access to your Windows and Linux instances. It’s almost like I’m addicted to distro-hopping because I can just spin up different instances of my favorite Linux flavors, arm them with a fraction of the system resources of a Windows PC, and go wild with my DIY projects. And if things went wrong, I could just go back to the old picture and continue my runs.
As long as your computer doesn’t have a dinosaur CPU and you’re not starved for RAM, you can even host GUI-loaded virtual machines, which are simpler than terminal-loaded WSL2. While it may sound controversial to veteran DIYers, I’d go so far as to say that setting up a dev Linux VM on Windows 11 is the most accessible way to enter the home lab rabbit hole.
On the hypervisor front, Hyper-V It is the best option on Windows 11, although it is a bit difficult to install on the Home version of the OS. Otherwise, VMware Workstation Pro is a solid choice when you want decent virtualization features and a simple UI. However, the biggest caveat of VMs is that they consume too many system resources, especially if you choose full desktop environments. Plus, you’ll have to do extra work to manage virtual machines from the hypervisor, which becomes quite tedious when you want to run Linux applications or develop yourself.
WSL2 is perfect for running Linux applications on Windows
It can even handle GUI tools
If I had written this article around the creation of the original WSL, I would not have read his praises. However, the second iteration of WSL manages to run Linux packages with near-native-level performance. So much so that it’s the primary way to run Docker environments on Windows. Technically, it’s based on VMs deployed via Hyper-V, but I prefer it over regular VMs due to its lightweight nature, great GPU acceleration support, and seamless integration with the underlying Windows system.
It also doesn’t use traditional ISO files and instead requires you to download distributions as typical packages. So there is a lot of variety WSL2 distributionsbecause you can choose everything from Debian, Ubuntu and Fedora to Arch, Kali and NixOS.
Although you must use a terminal interface to manage your Linux instance, WSL2 is compatible with GUI applications. I’ve had minor scaling issues with the mouse cursor and menu buttons when running productivity tools via WSL2 on a 4K screen, but it works fine for the most part. Using a dedicated GPU with WSL2 (or even Docker containers) doesn’t require much work, although port forwarding and USB switching may require some effort.
I’m used to the Linux CLI, so I have no problem using it for WSL2 coding tasks and DevOps projects. But there’s no denying that it can be a little intimidating for complete beginners. If you can look past the terminal-heavy nature of WSL2, it’s the best choice for accessing Linux tools on a Windows 11 machine.
