I can tell you for a fact, in 1999, we were running Windows3.11 and MSDOS 5.x on a brand-new Pentium II ? or something like that, because the DSP-board and daughter-card system didn’t like Win2k. We were all on the network. Everyone ran Win2k Pro while loading the test codes via network / SMB/CIFs share to that machine.

Same could be done using Linux on all those systems except for the test rig.

NO YOU DO NOT have to use Windows on your desktop just for your toolchain. Put that shit on a separate test-rig and isolate it.

Best Practices and Good Standard procedures makes it possible to use Linux on the Desktop.

It is a matter of ability and talent to do things properly using the best tools at any given time.