With a virtual machine, you can dabble in all kinds of alternative operating systems, like installing Windows 10 inside Linux. Here's how.

The Windows Subsystem for Linux allows you to download and install Linux and run command-line tools (and soon full-fledged desktop apps) on a Windows 10 computer.

If you're done with Windows 10 or don't want to (or can't) upgrade to Windows 11, install Linux instead. Here's how to make the switch to an open-source operating system and install apps.

Technically (and maybe even psychologically), the easiest step is the hard one: get rid of Windows 10 and install an attractive, sustainable Linux desktop system in its place! 1.

Anyone who's ever read the comments here knows that the answer to every tech problem is "Switch to Linux." If you're curious about what Linux is and how it works, Microsoft can help.

Everything you need to switch successfully from Windows to Linux—including hardware, software, and Windows license management.

If you want install Oracle Linux on Oracle VirtualBox, you can follow this guide to download the VM tool, ISO file, and create the VM.

If you want to use Kali Linux but don't want to boot from it, install Kali Linux in a VirtualBox VM on Windows 11/10 using the steps mentioned earlier.

The Windows Subsystem for Linux is bridging the divide between Windows and Linux by letting you run Windows 10 programs directly within a Linux shell.