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Xamarin VS SSH of Windows' Linux subsystem

Compare Xamarin VS SSH of Windows' Linux subsystem and see what are their differences

Xamarin logo Xamarin

Create iOS, Android and Mac apps in C#

SSH of Windows' Linux subsystem logo SSH of Windows' Linux subsystem

Installation instructions for the Windows Subsystem for Linux on Windows 10.
  • Xamarin Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-17
  • SSH of Windows' Linux subsystem Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-26

Xamarin features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Development
    Xamarin allows developers to write code once and deploy it across multiple platforms (iOS, Android, and Windows), which can significantly reduce development time and effort.
  • Native Performance
    Apps built with Xamarin perform as well as native apps because they leverage platform-specific hardware acceleration and compile directly to native ARM assembly code.
  • Shared Codebase
    With Xamarin, developers can use a single codebase for different platforms, making it easier to maintain and update apps across multiple operating systems.
  • Large Ecosystem
    As part of the broader .NET ecosystem, Xamarin benefits from a large collection of libraries, tools, and developer resources provided by Microsoft.
  • Strong Community Support
    Xamarin has a strong developer community and comprehensive documentation, making it easier for developers to find support and resources.
  • Integration with Visual Studio
    Xamarin integrates seamlessly with Visual Studio, providing a robust development environment complete with debugging, profiling, and unit testing tools.

Possible disadvantages of Xamarin

  • App Size
    Xamarin apps tend to have larger file sizes compared to native apps because of the additional overhead of the Mono runtime.
  • Limited Third-Party Library Support
    While Xamarin supports a wide range of libraries, not all third-party libraries and SDKs are compatible, which might require custom bindings or workarounds.
  • Performance Overhead
    Some performance overhead might still exist compared to fully native applications, especially in complex and resource-intensive apps.
  • Learning Curve
    Developers coming from purely native development backgrounds might face a learning curve when adopting Xamarin, particularly in understanding the shared codebase approach and platform-specific nuances.
  • Platform Limitations
    Certain platform-specific features and UI elements might not be fully supported or might require additional custom code to implement.
  • Licensing Costs
    Although Xamarin itself is open source, enterprise-level features or more advanced tools might require a Visual Studio Enterprise subscription, which can be costly.

SSH of Windows' Linux subsystem features and specs

  • Native Integration
    WSL provides a seamless native integration of Linux environments within Windows, allowing users to run Linux tools directly from the Windows command line without the overhead of a virtual machine.
  • Resource Efficiency
    WSL is more resource-efficient compared to running a full Linux virtual machine, as it does not require dedicated RAM or CPU allocation, making it ideal for development tasks.
  • Access to Linux Tools
    Users can access a vast array of Linux tools and utilities, including SSH, directly from their Windows machines, which can be valuable for development, scripting, and system administration.
  • Improved Workflow
    Developers can streamline their workflows by working within a unified environment, leveraging both Windows and Linux tools without switching contexts or setting up separate environments.
  • Fast Operations
    Operations such as file access and command execution in WSL are faster than using a virtual machine, due to the tighter integration with the Windows kernel.
  • Ease of Use
    WSL is easy to set up and use, with straightforward installation and configuration processes that simplify the adoption of Linux tools on Windows.

Possible disadvantages of SSH of Windows' Linux subsystem

  • Compatibility Issues
    Not all Linux applications are fully compatible with WSL, which can cause certain programs to fail or behave unpredictably compared to a native Linux environment.
  • Performance Overhead
    Despite being more efficient than a virtual machine, WSL can still introduce some performance overhead, especially for I/O-intensive applications.
  • Limited Kernel Support
    WSL does not support every aspect of the Linux kernel, which can limit functionalities, particularly for tasks that require deep kernel integration or specific kernel modules.
  • Network Configuration
    Network configurations can be tricky, especially when setting up complex networking scenarios like port forwarding or using certain networking tools that rely on Linux-based network stacks.
  • Security Considerations
    There are potential security implications of running Linux with root privileges under a Windows environment, which might not be suitable for all use cases, particularly in sensitive or high-security contexts.
  • Lack of Full GUI Support
    WSL is primarily command-line oriented, and while there are ways to run graphical applications, it does not offer full native GUI support, which can be a limitation for users needing a complete graphical Linux desktop experience.

Xamarin videos

Pros and Cons of Xamarin Development

More videos:

  • Review - Is Xamarin Forms Any Good?
  • Review - Why Xamarin Is Awesome

SSH of Windows' Linux subsystem videos

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Xamarin and SSH of Windows' Linux subsystem)
Developer Tools
82 82%
18% 18
Text Editors
0 0%
100% 100
Development Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Cryptocurrencies
0 0%
100% 100

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Xamarin and SSH of Windows' Linux subsystem

Xamarin Reviews

Explore 9 Top Eclipse Alternatives for 2024
Xamarin.Forms An open-source UI framework that enables developers to conjure up applications for Xamarin.iOS, Xamarin.Android, and Windows from a singular shared codebase. Offers rich features like XAML user-interface language, databinding, gestures, effects, styling.
Source: aircada.com
Top 10 Flutter Alternatives for Cross-Platform App Development
Developed and launched by Microsoft, Xamarin facilitates developers to build apps for iOS and Android by using C# and .NET. It ensures a seamless integration with Visual Studio and lets developers experience a fully familiar environment. The framework provides a single codebase and allows developers to perform app development rapidly.
Exploring 15 Powerful Flutter Alternatives
Xamarin is a Microsoft-created framework for building native iOS, Android, and Windows apps in C#/.NET. On the complexity front, Xamarin apps generally require more focus on memory management and garbage collection tuning relative to alternatives like Flutter. The additional diligence pays dividends in runtime performance when done properly. However, developers with...
THE BEST 34 APP DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE IN 2022 LIST
Xamarin is a Microsoft-owned tool to write native code for apps. Free. Cross-platform. Open-source. An app platform for building Android and iOS apps with .NET and C#.
9 Of The Best Android Studio Alternatives To Try Out
You can also access the required resources at the Xamarin Universal project. You can stay up to date with the latest updates by subscribing to their YouTube channel or blogs. The Xamarin community is most active, and you can get answers to your questions swiftly.

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, SSH of Windows' Linux subsystem should be more popular than Xamarin. It has been mentiond 205 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Xamarin mentions (28)

  • Wine Releases Framework Mono 6.14 in Taking over the Mono Project
    I haven't been following .NET lately, but AFAIK .NET works on Linux now and "Mono" is basically .NET for Linux... What even are the differences? Sounds like Microsoft just doesn't want to maintain 2 different versions so they're dumping it. Also, > Microsoft became the steward of the Mono Project when it acquired Xamarin in 2016 They probably never even wanted Mono, they just inherited it because they wanted... - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • C# Fundamentals
    Mobile Applications: With Xamarin, a cross-platform mobile development framework, developers can write C# code to build native Android, iOS, and Windows mobile applications. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • Making an android app with c#
    Xamarin - Basically an older version of MAUI. I would advise against creating new projects on Xamarin since MAUI is supposed to render it obsolete. Source: over 2 years ago
  • App developer
    Microsoft Xamarin: For this you'll need to know C# and .net. Source: over 2 years ago
  • I own a web development company in San Antonio and I'm looking for ideas to support the UTSA students with some sort of free courses or classes
    At my internship, we moved to Microsoft's Visual Studio for C# development from Java, and for application development we use Xamarin which can be used on Windows and Mac. Source: over 2 years ago
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SSH of Windows' Linux subsystem mentions (205)

  • Setting up WSL Ubuntu on your Windows Machine (Laptops| PCs)
    Upgrade to WSL2: Checkout the official documentation https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install .... I observed from several installation that install WSL1 then upgrading to WSL2 saves one the stress of unnecessary troubleshooting but if install WSL2 works out for you at first trail....fine. - Source: dev.to / 26 days ago
  • Configuring LazyVim and Python on Windows with WSL
    Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Bash vs. Zsh: Key differences and when to use each
    Bash is the default on most Linux distros and can also be used on MacOS and Windows via the Windows Subsystem for Linux(WSL). - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • A Practical Guide to Translating & Localizing Your Web App: Using i18n and Lingo.dev
    To fix this issue, you should try running the command inside the Git Bash terminal or Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). Ensure that you run it from your project directory. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Master Shell Scripting – Zero to Interview Ready!🔥
    Any Prerequisites? If you are a window user, you need to setup WSL for using Linux on your system. You can explore more about it here. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Xamarin and SSH of Windows' Linux subsystem, you can also consider the following products

Android Studio - Android development environment based on IntelliJ IDEA

VS Code - Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

OutSystems - Build Enterprise-Grade Apps Fast.

Oh My Posh - A prompt theme engine for any shell.

Xcode - Xcode is Apple’s powerful integrated development environment for creating great apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Xcode 4 includes the Xcode IDE, instruments, iOS Simulator, and the latest Mac OS X and iOS SDKs.

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) - Learn more about how the Windows Subsystem for Linux works.