Ask HN: Is Bash for Windows good enough to replace a Linux/Mac terminal?

3 points by msaharia 9y ago ↗ HN

Planning to buy a Surface Pro after using a Macbook Pro for a few years. I did own a SP2. The only reason I shifted was for unix tools in a solid brick.

Is BFW good enough? Or VM/Dual-boot the way to go still? Or should I wait for Surface Book refresh?

What problems have you faced in dual-booting Linux in Surface Pro.

8 comments

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savethefuture 9y ago ↗

Linux is good enough to replace windows. I think that is what you were attempting to get at.

msaharia 9y ago ↗

Nope. I am referring to Bash for Windows subsystem, not a full Linux distribution. [https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/commandline/wsl/about]

savethefuture 9y ago ↗

Yeah but Linux replaces windows ;)

gozur88 9y ago ↗

Unless you intend to use your machine for gaming.

msaharia 9y ago ↗

I don't game. So I am looking for answers from a programmer's perspective. :-)

gozur88 9y ago ↗

If you don't game why would you run Windows?

smt88 9y ago ↗

For what purpose? What do you current do with Linux that you want to use the bash subsystem for?

msaharia 9y ago ↗

I do work that can be termed as data science. Mostly R/Python etc. I also like tinkering with things like RPi. Also bash scripts to do mundane work.