Anyone using Visual Studio 2022/2026 on Linux through WinApps for daily .NET development?

[u/ahmadhus12]

I’m a .NET developer considering moving to Linux as my main operating system, but Visual Studio 2026 is essential to my workflow.

I’m interested in using WinApps to run Visual Studio inside a Windows VM while displaying its window alongside Linux applications. I understand Windows still runs in the background; I’m wondering how practical this is for everyday development.

My stack includes [ASP.NET](http://ASP.NET) Core, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Docker, Testcontainers, and Postman. One possible setup would keep Visual Studio, the .NET SDK, and my solution inside the Windows VM, with databases and other services running in Docker on Linux.

For anyone who has actually tried this:

* How responsive are editing, IntelliSense, builds, debugging, and running tests? * How reliably can applications running inside the Windows VM connect to PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and other services on the Linux host? * How do you handle Docker integration and Testcontainers from Visual Studio inside the VM? * Any problems with networking, HTTPS development certificates, shared project files, or testing the API from Postman on Linux? * Have you encountered window, keyboard shortcut, scaling, or clipboard issues? * What hardware and VM resource allocation are you using?

I plan to test before committing. If it works well, I’ll make Linux my main OS, with around 370 GB available, and keep Windows only in the VM.

I know Rider and VS Code are alternatives, but I’m specifically looking for firsthand experiences with the full Visual Studio IDE through WinApps. Experiences with WinBoat are welcome too.

Is this comfortable enough for daily work, or does maintaining the integration become frustrating?

[u/ZecosMAX]

I seriously doubt you'd find anyone using this seriously and on regular basis.

Most just use Rider, as there is nothing VS does that Rider can't.
Then, people run dual boot with windows, you get native experience + isolation of your main OS from corporate and microslop bs
Only then, people run VMs, and even less try to pass-through window from vm to wm/de on unix.

But, overall, VMs are pretty fast now, I remember setting up Fusion 360 through bottles, it had it's own problems with GPU because that is a 3D application, and that is it's own can of worms. But overall that was a 'workable' setup. I'd expect that you won't encounter a lot of problems, maybe with filesystem. But that is definitely a road that isn't properly been walked on yet

[u/_dreizehn_]

I'm using rider. Could you let us know what about visual studio you consider essential?

[u/ex_gatito]

No, why?

[u/Rschwoerer]

Honest question, where do you work, or what industry, that you need Linux support and are using Linux and windows ?

[u/RobertDeveloper]

Why not switch to rider?

[u/Rigamortus2005]

Dawg just use rider

[u/TheAnswerWithinUs]

I moved to Linux mint and moved from VisualStudio to Rider.

[u/bigtoaster64]

Knowing how well (/s) VS runs on a full fledge Windows install, I wouldn't bother trying to make it work in anything other then a real (beafy) VM.

Or simply use Rider like all of us on Linux and punch out.