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Linux vs macOS
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That’s why I explicitly excluded low-end machines in the post I wrote. I fully agree about keeping older high-end gear in circulation for as long as possible. I myself used a 2013 rMBP that was perfectly fine for my job until a few months ago when it got so depressed about having to run Teams that it committed suicide.
I came from non-macOS BSDs (lately, OpenBSD - which still powers most of my servers, excluding one that runs Solaris) to macOS because I was tired of configuring stuff all the time.
I used Linux for a few years on some of my servers and one laptop, but would never run Linux ever again - I'm tired of their community (divided into 1) para-religious zealots who try to baptize all non-Linux users, 2) a handful of different core Linux development teams who all refuse to talk to each other and 3) fresh users who were told that using Linux is almost equal to being a hacker), their "ecosystem" (every time a major distribution gets a new feature, half of the system is suddenly incompatible with earlier versions) and their surprisingly obvious lack of motivation for technical merits.
If I ever had to migrate away from macOS, I'd move back to an OpenBSD laptop, honestly.
Which is why Windows grew a built-in package manager (WinGet) and several third-party alternatives (most widely used: Chocolatey and Scoop) which all feature open package repositories.
I don't know if you've tried to keep Apple devices from different versions talking to each other, but things like Safari version updates breaking Reading List, History & iCloud Tab sync with previous versions, is literally the experience of "half the system becoming incompatible" after one part updates.
Well, there are big limitations to these, unfortunately:Which is why Windows grew a built-in package manager (WinGet) and several third-party alternatives (most widely used: Chocolatey and Scoop) which all feature open package repositories.
Winget still seems to be even more limited than Slackware’s tarball based “package management” was back in the nineties: You can search for and install packages. No updates, no uninstallation, no cleanup. A nightmare for us ops people, in other words.
Chocolatey has more features, but lacks a central trusted repository like modern Linux distributions have, and the repo they do host is rate limited to, I think, five identical request per origin IP per hour or so. It’s also hampered by the cancer that is restrictive licensing (with reference to Ballmer’s take on GPL software): The only way to make Chocolatey work well and trustedly is to package your own software and host your own repo.
With all that negativity out of the way, let me say that I can’t wait for Microsoft to implement a working and trusted package manager, including for Windows update: Thanks to apt I can lift a Ubuntu server to the next LTS release (24 months of software development) faster than a Windows server installs it’s monthly updates, and I never see production Linux servers with broken update processes or tens of gigabytes of “uninstall information”.
Slackware still does that.
winget upgrade <package>
winget uninstall <package>
Doesn't it do that automatically?
Sure, but today this behavior is an outlier in the Linux world in a way it perhaps wasn’t if you go back 25 years or so. 🙂
You are completely right and I’ve obviously been living under a rock. 😳
These features weren’t in place yet when I looked seriously at it last time, and the screenshot in Microsoft’s documentation still doesn’t show these options, but sure enough they are present further down on the page and when I ran the command on my work computer they do show up. I stand corrected.
There are still things missing, like “upgrade all at once”, but that’s not entirely bad, given the broad spectrum that winget covers.
Which is why Windows grew a built-in package manager (WinGet) and several third-party alternatives (most widely used: Chocolatey and Scoop) which all feature open package repositories.
I would like to add vcpkg to the list of package managers for Windows (vcpkg is also supported on Linux and MacOS.) In this sense it is even a cross platform package manager
vcpkg is more like Conan, I guess. It's great for installing libraries, but it is not primarily focused on installing software - although it probably would work.
This might be a bit polarizing, but I can't stand Gnome 3 out of the box. It feels just... wrong. But once a few extensions are added, I like it every bit as much as I like Mac OS (to the point that I have trouble deciding which I like better). The Activities Overview is amazing. It combines Spotlight, Mission Control, and Launchpad into a single elegant panel.
I still use Mac OS for my primary computer just because of software compatibility and general polish. But I don't mind pulling out my Linux computer when I have the chance. Linux has come a long, long way.
I still use Mac OS for my primary computer just because of software compatibility and general polish. But I don't mind pulling out my Linux computer when I have the chance. Linux has come a long, long way.
Indeed vcpkg is for managing open source C/C++ libraries. If you want to install a library, the sources are downloaded and compiled locally.
Example:
.\vcpkg install sqlite3:x64-osx zlib:arm64-windows
will download, compile and install sqlite3 for MacOS x64 as well as zlib for Windows ARM64. This of course also requires that you have the cross-compilation toolchains available.
It is of particular value, if you are developing a multi-platform CMake project.
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I only use Linux for servers since that is what it’s most suited for given the flexibility, lighter than Windows Server on resources and it’s free. I personally use Red Hat Enterprise Linux for my web server and VPN.
However, Linux on desktop is garbage, mostly due to lack of a Linux versions of software I use, such as Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office, etc. The open source alternatives are inferior and Gimp is complete garbage and pales in comparison to Adobe Photoshop and even Afinity Photo. While I can get around Gnome and KDE, it’s not a pleasant experience compared to macOS. Sure, Linux improved a lot in terms of gaming with Steam and Photon, but still pales in comparison to macOS and Windows in terms of software selection.
Either way, macOS will always be better than Linux when it comes to desktop use.
However, Linux on desktop is garbage, mostly due to lack of a Linux versions of software I use, such as Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office, etc. The open source alternatives are inferior and Gimp is complete garbage and pales in comparison to Adobe Photoshop and even Afinity Photo. While I can get around Gnome and KDE, it’s not a pleasant experience compared to macOS. Sure, Linux improved a lot in terms of gaming with Steam and Photon, but still pales in comparison to macOS and Windows in terms of software selection.
Either way, macOS will always be better than Linux when it comes to desktop use.
For PowerPC, MorphOS if the system can run it. They are very picky. Outside of Morph, then MacOS. Linux has always been too slow for me on PPC.
For an early Intel (2011 and earlier), Win 10 if it can run it. Then Linux. Then macOS.
For later Intels that can handle 10.14 or later is when the macOS can become a primary anymore.
I remember when people said Macintosh systems are only good for graphics. I never say "always". Oops, I just said it. lol
For my use, Linux on the desktop is fine. It's light and has the tools I need, and many more. I don't do graphic design, so can't speak to your use case. However, it's good that you tested the possibilities. Too many people assume that a product cannot meet their needs.
I would say Linux is the best operating system for advanced users and everyday tasks.
Whereas I would prefer MacOS for speed and ease of use as well.
Whereas I would prefer MacOS for speed and ease of use as well.
I agree using MacBook instead of Linux with random laptop in coffee shop would have better chance to talk with a beautiful lady lol xd
Linux pretty much gives you total control over the OS. It's very customizable (if you're willing to visit the CLI to get it done).
Just came here to say that Linux Xubuntu helps me keep a putzy 6 year-old thin Lenovo laptop (originally meant to be a Windows-only competitor to Chromebooks) running. It just keeps going. Comes with a great screen, and I just can’t let it die. I still do a little class website updating on it using Chrome browser, and watch movies using VLC.
Originally paid $150 for it off of the open box table at Best Buy. Might be even older.
Originally paid $150 for it off of the open box table at Best Buy. Might be even older.