Making the switch over to a Mac was the best decision I ever made as a developer

Although I'm a MacBook Pro fanatic myself (the interactions, transitions, and OS are resplendent), recent changes in the ecosystem, and upcoming news are pushing me back to my linux machine full time.

A switch from what?

For me, Mac is a good development platform almost entirely because of iterm. It's probably the best piece of Mac-exclusive software that I know, and it's consistently delightful to use, even after several years with it.

That said, I vastly prefer Linux over Mac for development and work in general, as the breadth of desktop options alone lets me work how I want.

I've tried MacOS (I'd never use it out of principles) but goddamn, I don't get how people can get used to its UI...

@dontbeevil Well, if it'd be to windows, I'd be sitting there without most of my toolset 😅

MacOS does have the Unix shell built-in but that damned UI...

I could honestly never use a Mac. The UI is just so painfully different from every other desktop I’ve ever seen. Had a hard time even giving basic tech support on it (to a teacher who needed help in school lel)

@bahua you ever run linux on Mac hardware?

@LostEth0 If I had windows, I wouldn't be able to do my job! Mac isn't that bad at all, took a few hours to learn everything

@klutch I suppose. Windows does have a lot of issues, like registry disorganization and fucking ads in the ui. Actually making the switch to Linux today because the last of my new PC parts arrived :^)

@dontbeevil Yeah but as I mentioned, I'd need my entire toolset to properly function.

Shell scripts, bash aliases, docker, a few applications only available on Linux, a KDE desktop environment, Terminator....

I don't think you can run all of that on a Linux sub system on windows..

@linuxxx

It takes some getting used to, for sure. But once you do, it's very powerful. The workflow I've seen the most in other people involves leaning heavily on the dock, and if that's the UI to which you're reacting, then I agree that's a clunky way to operate. But that's the tip of the iceberg. I don't use the dock at all, and do 99% of my UI navigation with the keyboard, and it's comfortable and seamless.

@klutch

I have not. The only Mac experience I have is with work computers.

@bahua How does the customization of the interface go?

@linuxxx

The argument that many people have with MacOS, including myself to some extent, is that it's not really excellent without paying for software. Witch, Divvy, and Alfred are the big three must-haves for me. Alfred has a free version, but I make heavy use of the paid features. Choosy, magicprefs, iterm, and mission control round out my workflow.

Let me be clear: when I use a Mac, it's only because I'm given no good alternative by my employer. I greatly prefer Linux for all use cases, and I don't have to pay for a good user experience.

I use a Mac to develop in .Net, it is torture every day.

@dontbeevil for starters, consider a Ruby dev trying to run his environment on windows, painful af experience, most toolsets don't work on windows unless you use some weird obscure bs, same for node js development, want to use nvm to manage your node versions? nah fam, shit ain't happening.

I could say the same for a lot of other tools that are just natively and overall supported better on a nix like environment, such as BSD, any linux distro and OS X.

if you are a mobile dev you are shit out of luck for ios dev, apple is a closed wall environment, you need an os x machine.

Don't get me wrong, I don't jump on hate trains and actually do really enjoy windows, I use it for Java development and .net development (in the rare instances in which I have to) and Python seems a great exception to the preferred-nix bs. But as far as saying that things just can't be done on windows sometimes? yeah that is pretty real.

Just for everyone's reference, it hasn't been called OS X since El Capitan.

@bahua its like saying America instead of United States of America. Y know what they meant by it. But you are correct my good sir. macOS would be a better way of saying it come to think of it

Sounds like you're using Bootcamp. My MacBook is a brilliant Windows 10 machine.

@linuxxx Agreed, MacOS has felt like abandonware for 1/2 decade now, it's awful and painfully obtuse.

@intromatt Agreed.

Any input to the question I asked you yesterday? Don't have to (right now or at all) but I'm just wondering wat your view is on that :)

@linuxxx what question? Happy to help.

@dontbeevil code for iOS

@linuxxx Question: How the fuck does KDE function on your machine?

@kescherRant What do you mean exactly?

As in, does it function? Yes it does, smooth and fine.

@linuxxx Precisely that. Doesn't work for me, doesn't for lots of other people, where any other DE (GNOME, MATE, Xfce) works fine.

@kescherRant To be honest, I haven't had a device yet where it didn't function properly 😅

@linuxxx I guess KDE hates me and anyone who knows me specifically, so their DE doesn't run on any system run by anyone that knows me lmao

@kescherRant Guess so 😅

I'm currently running it stable on Kubuntu with 6 screens!

@linuxxx Well then, hope it goes well, and maybe it'll go well for me too when I try it again in 2 years or so