Re: VMware should keep their f$%@##ng mouth shout about Linux
No, I used the web UI to manage vCenter. I use the VCSA. The VCSA is a vCenter appliance that comes loaded on Linux. I've been using VCSAs since VMware 5.1. They work fine. I don't know why you need Windows at all to run vCenter.
And yes, the VSCAs work just fine for very large deployments.