Being able to tinker with Linux distributions and apps is yet another reason why I adore my home server. However, you don’t really need a separate machine just to access Linux packages. Between WSL2, virtual machines, and dual-boot, you’ve got several ways to access this FOSS ecosystem even when you have a single system in your burgeoning tech arsenal.

Having tested all three over the course of my home lab journey, I have to admit that each method has its pros and cons. But even if some services are far easier to access on VMs and dual-boot systems, WSL2 is hands-down the best tool for tinkering with anything Linux-related on a Windows 11 PC.

Dual-boot used to be the best option for tinkering with Linux on your daily driver

These days, it’s only good if you want to run games on Linux

Before WSL had become a thing and Windows-based hypervisors were clunky to handle, a dual-boot setup was the most reliable way to work with Windows and Linux distros on the same machine. Heck, I’d been rocking a Windows and Debian dual-boot setup on my old PC until recently, and this configuration didn’t give me a lot of trouble, either. Since I’d installed Microsoft’s flagship OS first and kept the king of Vanilla distributions on a spare drive, swapping between the two was pretty simple. But with a little bit of patience, you can easily configure both operating systems on the same boot drive and re-enable Secure Boot in the BIOS without affecting the Linux distribution.

Plus, a dual-boot setup is fairly effective when you want to avoid the virtualization overhead of VMs or WSL2 (which, granted, isn’t very high on the latter), and the same applies for tasks that require direct hardware access (like gaming) on your Linux instance. Likewise, if you’re planning to build a Kali Linux pentesting workstation, but want to retain your Windows environment, installing the two operating systems in a dual-boot mode can be a decent option (but I’d still recommend using nested virtualization on your Linux instance for the added security).

But aside from these niche tasks, dual-boot isn’t really worth setting up in 2026. Since you could replicate most DIY projects safely on virtual machines and WSL2, there’s not much of a point for the average tinkerer to set up dual-boot these days. In fact, I’d only kept my setup because I’d often test in-game performance when switching from Windows to Debian on the same hardware. For other non-gaming tasks involving GPU passthrough, Docker containers running on a Windows 11 machine are more effective than relegating an entire drive (or a separate partition) to Linux.

Virtual machines are the most beginner-friendly option of the bunch

I recommend sticking to Hyper-V or VMware Workstation

Switching gears to the virtual machine front, deploying a VM with a hypervisor is far simpler than dual-booting two operating systems, but it also lets you access your Windows and Linux instances simultaneously. That’s pretty much how I got addicted to distro-hopping, as I could just spin up different instances of my favorite Linux flavors, arm them with a fraction of my Windows PC’s system resources, and go wild with my DIY projects. And if things went wrong, I could just revert to an old snapshot and continue my tinkering escapades.

As long as your PC doesn’t have a dinosaur CPU and isn’t starving for RAM, you can even deploy GUI-laden virtual machines, which are far simpler than the terminal-heavy WSL2. While it may sound controversial to veteran DIY enthusiasts, I’d go so far as to say that building a dev Linux VM on your Windows 11 is by far the most accessible way to enter the home lab rabbit hole.

On the hypervisor front, Hyper-V is by far the best option on Windows 11, even though it’s a bit harder to set up on the Home variant of the OS. Otherwise, VMware Workstation Pro is a solid option 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 opt for full-on desktop environments. Plus, you’d have to put in extra work managing the virtual machines from the hypervisor, which is rather tedious when you’re looking to run Linux apps or develop your own.

WSL2 is perfect for running Linux apps on Windows

It can even handle GUI tools

Had I written this article around the original WSL’s inception, I wouldn’t be singing its praises. However, the second iteration of WSL manages to run Linux packages with nearly native-level performance. So much so that it's the primary method for running Docker environments on Windows. Technically, it relies on VMs deployed via Hyper-V, but thanks to its lightweight nature, terrific GPU acceleration support, and seamless integration with the underlying Windows system, I prefer it over conventional VMs.

It also doesn't use traditional ISO files, and instead the distributions need to be downloaded like typical packages. That said, there's a lot of variety in WSL2 distros, as you can opt for anything from Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora to Arch, Kali, and NixOS.

Although you have to use the terminal interface to control 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 really well for the most part. Using a dedicated GPU with WSL2 (or even Docker containers, for that matter) doesn’t require a lot of tinkering, though port-forwarding and USB passthrough can take some effort.

I’ve grown accustomed to the Linux CLI, so I have no issues with using WSL2 coding assignments 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 by far the best option for accessing Linux tools on a Windows 11 machine.