November 28, 2025
The OS wars just got messy
Poll HN: What operating system do you primarily develop on?
Linux surges, Mac flexes, Windows gets roasted — devs pick their battlestations
TLDR: HN devs are voting with keyboards: Linux is leading, macOS trails, Windows is taking heat. Commenters argue over hybrid setups, WSL counting as Windows, and cloud IDEs, while memes like “btw I use Arch” fly.
Hacker News lit up over a simple poll: which operating system do developers actually use to write code? The live tally shows Linux on top (212 points), MacOS holding strong (156), and Windows lagging (68) on Hacker News. Cue the drama. The loudest chorus: disillusioned Windows veterans jumping ship, with one calling Windows 11 “impossibly bad” and celebrating their rebirth on Arch Linux — complete with the meme-y flex, “Now I use Arch, btw.” Others bragged they’re on NixOS or Arch, sparking a hipster OS arms race.
Then the rule lawyers arrived. A hot thread argued whether WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) means you’re “really” on Windows. One commenter slammed it shut: “If you use WSL, your OS is Windows,” which set off the hybrid crew who mix VS Code, AI tools like ChatGPT, and Linux terminals. Another angle: should cloud IDEs count if you do everything in the browser? The vibe: developers live in mixed setups, but the poll wants a clear label.
A throwback stat drop reminded everyone that in 2022 it was Linux 46%, Mac 32%, Windows 22% — and today’s thread feels like that gap is widening. Also, yes, someone roasted CMake and confessed they’re grudgingly using VS Code, because even in OS wars the tool wars never end.
Key Points
- •Hacker News is running a poll on the primary operating system used for development.
- •The poll clarifies it refers to the OS where the IDE runs, not the deployment target.
- •Poll options are Linux, macOS, and Windows.
- •Current vote counts shown: Linux 212, macOS 156, Windows 68 (snapshot at time captured).
- •The post links to results from a similar 2022 poll for comparison.