Canonical said Ubuntu running through Windows Subsystem for Linux is growing faster than native Ubuntu desktop installs, but will not surpass them in absolute users.
Jon Seager said earlier remarks were taken out of context: he was comparing growth rates for Ubuntu Desktop on WSL versus native Ubuntu Desktop, not total installed bases.
WSL's momentum appears tied mainly to enterprise developers, with AI tooling possibly adding demand, because it lets Windows users access Linux shells, packages and containers without dual-booting or a VM.
The clarification narrows the claim to desktop usage only; it does not apply to Ubuntu's broader footprint across servers, cloud, containers, appliances and embedded systems.