[[but is that an actual “desktop” operating system in the same vein as Windows? ]]
Depends on whether you can accept windows alternative programs like open office or gimp or other such substitutes- I can’t- I use linux as my every day, day to day computer for online stuff, email, card games, and that’s about it- as it’s much safer than windows- but for things l ike PC games, photoshop, office, I dual boot into windows proper- not some virtual machine-
Which is why I have become such a fan of Oracle’s VirtualBox. The host OS can be either Windows or Linux and the limitations on VM (Virtual Machines) are limited only by the host machine’s specs.
Starting two OS’s is a bit cumbersome at first but it allows me to work in compartmentalized areas with disaster recovery only a mouse-click away.