I've enrolled in Varmints University to learn compute. 
I haven't used Windows as my primary OS in ten years. My professor wants to expose us to Linux. Cool.
The class is to submit assignments to the department's Linux server, and remotely run a few commands on it.
Cool. I use rsync and ssh every day (the instructions involve Windows utilities like PuTTY and FileZilla, but whatever).
A VPN connection is required to connect to the department's Linux server.
Cool. I use OpenVPN every day. Just give me the config details, chief!
Not so fast. A proprietary 2FA utility is required to connect to the uni VPN, and the IT department informed me by email that it runs on Windows and Mac only. 
So now, what would be the simplest part of this class is the most fucking complicated. Instead of just using my terminal, I ~~have to~~ have had to:
- Install VirtualBox
- Create a Windoze 11 VM
- Create a Microsoft account
- Install the 2FA utility on VM
- Install cygwin Linux utilities on VM
- Install rsync and ssh modules on Cygwin
Just to have a Linux terminal that does what this class requires! 
oh yeah that's common as hell. all instructions are for windows because if you're on another OS "you're competent enough to figure it out".
i had to use circuit simulator and PCB design software for some of my courses and they barely run in windows good luck with wine. our OS lab course which was for literally teaching us how to use linux insisted that we use a VM on windows instead.
best part is our university has no available computers for undergraduates to use so everyone must own a laptop (for exams you had to bring your own laptop) and the university was gracious enough to loan a total sum of 76 dollars for a new laptop.
to be fair and balanced an old stolen refurbished ThinkPad (mine had a japanese keyboard I can't image what the poor businessman felt when they stole it) was around 50 dollars otherwise most other electronics have the same price as their retail price in the US + 10-20% for tariffs or smuggling surcharge.
Imagine you're a part of the teaching staff for a course and someone comes up with issues resulting from their specific flavour of GoobleOS. Would you spend time trying to solve their OS related problems for them or do you value your time?
I've been studying cs at masters level for a while and many of my courses actually primarily support for and expect you to use Linux. Can't relate.
i go to a public university and i expect that a public institution does not force you to use a specific commercial software if there are alternatives. i understand the hesitation for providing instructions for GoobleOS (although if someone approached me for a problem i would try to help them as best as i can) but Ubuntu is not GoobleOS and most people use Ubuntu or other debian based distros which instructions for Ubuntu usually generalize to them as well, so it wouldn't kill them to provide instructions for Ubuntu if they are already doing it for windows or macOS. im not using a debian based distro before asking.
if you can't relate and/or don't care then don't leave condescending comments that deal psychic damage to everyone that reads them.