Microsoft continues its big Linux push at Build 2026: Microsoft is releasing a server Linux, a container Linux, and a Windows 11 built for Linux programmers. Here’s why.
Microsoft is becoming more of a Linux company. Linux now spans Azure, Windows, and AI workstations. AI is pushing Microsoft deeper into Linux. Microsoft Build 2026 was not Steve “Linux is a cancer” Ballmer’s Build. Instead, Microsoft announced the arrival of Azure Linux 4.0, a general-purpose Linux server, Azure Container Linux, Windows 11 customized for developers that incorporates Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), and Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, a high-end AI workstation that comes preconfigured with WSL 2, native GPU passthrough, and full Nvidia CUDA support.
Why? Besides the demand for Linux on the server and cloud – today Linux is the most popular operating system on Azure – AI development runs on Linux. There are no competitors. It’s that simple. If you want to program AI, you’re doing it on Linux. Period.
Read More Here:
Image care of: Corinne Reichert/CNET
