MS Edge - Sidebar and copilot not working on Linux Ubuntu v24 LTS

Microsoft, You Just Lost Me as a Fan

I just spent the last 30 minutes wrestling with my Microsoft account—just so I could leave a comment here—after discovering I can’t use the new Copilot feature unless I’m on the much-despised Microsoft Edge.

When I first heard about this new feature, and that it was supposedly available to “every” Copilot user, I was thrilled. But deep down, I knew there had to be a catch. It’s Microsoft, after all—too good to be true. And sure enough, I was right.

Linux users? We’re second-class citizens of the internet now.

I don’t usually have beef with big tech companies, but this one goes too far. I even downloaded two versions of Edge—stable and dev—just to see if I could get in. No luck.

Here’s the thing: The AI that becomes equally dominant on all platforms will win. That’s why open-source models are evolving so quickly—they’ve already narrowed the gap with closed-source systems. If you block a huge user base of builders, you’re not protecting your lead; you’re creating room for open-source to leapfrog you.

Microsoft needs to remember: sometimes you have to sacrifice a little control to win the masses. That’s the way forward for learning, creating, and thriving in the AI community. Don’t follow the path of those giant internet companies that collapsed because they forgot to please their users.

I’ve actually liked more of Microsoft’s services than most people I know. And let’s not forget—you won the PC wars against Apple and IBM by opening the doors to everyone.

So yes, I’ll use AI to clean up this rant (ironically enough) and maybe even make it my first blog post. But here’s the takeaway: Microsoft, you might have gained some Linux users today, but you’ve definitely lost me as a fan.