It seems like in the field, everyone uses Linux when doing anything that involves programming and pretty much no one uses Windows?
Is this true?
I have not been a Linux user, but I just installed Ubuntu as a dual boot along windows and will just move everything(all of my code stuff) into Linux and start coding in a Linux environment instead.
If youāre a front end developer then no need to worry about Unix / Linux ( but it is always good to know the basics )
All FE developers use Mac laptop including MS employees as well 
( was a ex-MS employee )
So donāt get anxiety about Linux if you wish to be in front end itself, but if you wish to 1.5X - 2X salary by becoming full stack developer then Unix / Linux is must as it is most stable OS and being there since many decade.
Thank you. I will just play in Linux.
I donāt own a mac. I have a Lenovo, so I am using Windows as well. 
This is definitely not true for everyone. I have never used a mac in my entire life. I used Windows for 20 years and switched to Linux 4 years ago.
Why did you switch to Linux?
I am also interested in this, as I think I should make the switch from Windows to Linux, but Iām not sure exactly which distribution is best. Mint is recommended for the uninitiated but Iād be happy to hear any thoughts?
These are strictly my own personal reasons:
No, not all programmers use Linux. When programmers talk about using Linux, itās likely that their not talking about the OS on their work computer, but that their code ultimately runs on a Linux server. Most employers are going to purchase their developers computers with either Windows or MacOS installed - although most places Iāve worked have had at least one developer who installs a Linux OS on their work computer. Most of my work has been done on a Windows computer, but the code was actually compiled and run on Linux.
If you want to get familiar with Linux, you donāt have to change your computerās OS. If youāre on Windows, you can run a Windows Subsystem for Linux. You can also try out different types of Linux in the form of virtual machines.
The vast majority of my jobs have issued me a Windows computer. My current computer is a Mac and I would have preferred a different device.
As others have pointed out, this is just not true. But I do think that the usage of macOS for developers is higher than the general population. Not necessarily because macs provide a better experience, but because Apple has traditionally made it very hard to run their OS in a virtual environment. Thus, if you want to be able to test on both Windows and macOS from the same computer, it has been much easier to use a macOS and run Windows in a VM than it has been to use Windows and run macOS in a VM (and I think for a lot of the past it has been basically impossible to run macOS in a VM).
Iām a linux guy and will readily admit that Iām not a huge fan of either Microsoft or Apple. But at least Microsoft has allowed their OS to run in a VM. They used to give out free VM images you could download and install. Now they just give away Win11 for free. But Apple has traditionally made it near impossible to run their OS in a VM, trying to force you to pay the Apple tax on their expensive hardware. Thatās the main reason why I, like @RandellDawson, have never used an Apple product.
Edit: But I am currently researching ways to run macOS in VirtualBox. Not because I suddenly have a craving to use a mac but rather because being an accessibility specialist I really need access to Appleās VoiceOver screen reader. So perhaps my anti-Apple streak will come to an end soon?
I just installed Ubuntu because I think it was recommend for use when I was going through the curriculum on The Odin Project.
I also use Debian when playing with the Raspberry Pi small computer because it comes as the default OS system for that computer. There seems to be a lot of different versions of Linux
ok ok 
I agree with all the objections for above statement.
I will edit this to āMost of the developers across globe; use Mac Laptop by choice or asked by IT dept as Mac laptop has got longer life with lesser downtime / maintenance cost compared to Windows laptopsā
This sounds more like a plug for Apple unless you have some hard data to support it. Do you have any links to recent studies that conclude this to be true? I would love to see the research on this.
You only need to look at a few reputable sites that collect statistics on such things to know that this just isnāt the case.
Maybe is from India or another country and they like to use Macs more.
All the developers I know in both China and the US use some version of Linux
Iāve worked with Cisco, Disney, Microsoft, Yahoo and my friends who work across multinational companies in EU and US ( both in IT dept and software ) have shared this information.
Obviously I donāt have data from each of the companies.
Which company / companies have you worked which supports info otherwise ? @bbsmooth @RandellDawson ?
Iāve worked in EU, US and India as well, have seen most of the companies and developers prefer to use Mac laptops.
Just to clarify further Iām into IT since 2 decades, worked as SDET across continents ( programming ) and currently working as a web ( react ), mobile ( react native ) developer.
@RandellDawson @bbsmooth some time back I had pinged to check stats with few of Indian friends who are in top position of IT department ( department who takes care of employee hardware, software needs ) of Meta and Google US head offices and they have confirmed the fact that āMost of the developers across their global offices do use Mac Laptopā because of reason I had already mentioned āā¦by choice or asked by IT dept as Mac laptop has got longer life with lesser downtime / maintenance cost compared to Windows laptopsā
The āmacs are betterā myth just isnāt well supported. Any OS works fine for development.
Recent surveys in fact show that developers do not overwhelmingly use Macs.
Itās fine if you prefer Macs or any other OS. Itās just not accurate or helpful to claim that one OS is magically better or overwhelmingly used. Thatās just not what the data shows. Use what you like or whatever your company gives you. At the end of the day, anything works.
Great minds think alike apparently.
Donāt worry too much about the version (Distro) of Linux you install, it is all Linux. The main differences are:
The Package Manager - a tool you will use to install, remove programs etc
The release schedule - Some Distros have a fixed upgrade schedule where they have major upgrades at a fixed point in time eg every 6 months (Fedora, Ubuntu, Linux Mint) and others have a rolling release so you donāt have a scheduled large upgrade but update as new packages are available (Arch Linux is an example of this).
Rolling releases are not normally recommended for new users as cutting edge software could potentially create issues at some point - I use Arcolinux (Arch based) and any problems have been created by me tinkering and not broken packages.
Linux Mint is a good choice for Window users who would like a similar look and feel and would provide an easy and comfortable transition to Linux. You could also use Linux in a Virtual Machine until you feel comfortable or try many different Distros in a āLiveā Environment using Ventoy.