Microsoft releases tutorial to install Linux

Microsoft has published guidance on downloading and installing Linux, with four different installation methods.

The tech giant presents the options of using Windows Subsystem for Linux 2, a local virtual machine (VM), a cloud VM, or installing on bare metal.

In its introduction, Microsoft states that the operating system is similar to Windows, but with many different versions due to the nature of being open source and fully customizable.

Microsoft’s guide details each step of the installation, including:

• Choosing an installation method
• Choosing a Linux distribution
• Installing the distribution using your preferred installation method
• Familiarising yourself with your chosen distribution’s package manager, and updating and upgrading the available packages

This shows a significant change in the company as in the late 90s and throughout the 2000s, Microsoft considered Linux a threat to its business. In 1998 when the company was annually filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Microsoft said it viewed the increasing popularity of the open-source operating system as a competitive threat.

It wrote saying: “Over the past year the Linux operating system has gained increasing acceptance, and leading software developers such as Oracle and Corel have announced that they will develop applications that run on Linux,”

In 2003, then-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer acknowledged the threat presented by Linux in a memo sent to all employees.

“Noncommercial software products in general, and Linux in particular, present a competitive challenge for us and for our entire industry, and they require our concentrated focus and attention,” Cnet quoted the letter as saying.