[TriLUG] If you had to choose: Windows vs Mac for Linux graphical VM

[Ed Blackman via TriLUG]

On Sat, Jan 03, 2026 at 10:33:28PM -0500, Alan Hinchliff wrote:
> I've used Linux, Mac, and Windows: and when I've been in the same situation
> as you, I prefer Windows over Mac.
> 
> But my preference is for WSL (v2), so I'm not sure why you don't explicitly
> state not that.

I explicitly don't want to be in the Windows environment most of the time, with just a terminal running Linux but otherwise the standard Windows 11 experience.  Or the same on a Mac.

If WSL2 can run a full XFCE desktop, where I can spend most of my day fully immersed, and only have to think about Windows when I need to do the small number of things that I need Windows for, that would definitely fit the bill.

Hmm... looks like I can maybe do that, connecting to the Linux desktop via RDP: https://bwgjoseph.com/enhance-your-wsl-2-experience-with-xfce4

> But to me WSL is a better choice anyway. It's more lightweight, while
> providing a real Linux terminal (lightweight VM). Your Firefox and other UI
> programs would still run as native windows programs.
> 
> Windows 10 + WSL is my daily driver for work, while my personal machine is
> Linux.

It looks like you don't use WSL graphically, but what's the reboot experience with WSL like?  I know Windows is much more reboot-happy.  If you have a program running in WSL and Windows reboots, does it come back to where you were, or a fresh shell?

-- 
Ed Blackman