From macOS to Linux ... a new definition of Think Different

Think different … really ?

A bit of background

I learn computing on several system: Windows 3.1 - 95, VAX-11, SUN-4 and Linux Debian.

My favorite operating system has been Linux for many years. Mid 2001, Apple launches macOS X 10, code name Cheetah. My UNIX background was happy, the foundation of the new Apple system feel like my current system. The UI is shiny, the promise is nice … and back then I was a bit tired to break my workstation every to day … because you know when can tweak it, why not break it.

I switch

So I switch a few years later, and I spend the last 13 years as a happy Apple customers. I love the Macbook Pro hardware since day one, solid, minimalist, efficient, … The price tag is pretty high, but you can sell your machine a few year later on the second hand marker at a correct price, so not a hardcore fanboy but a happy user.

And now …

My current machine is a late 2013 Macbook Pro. Not a really recent machine, but I’m more than happy with it, it’s solid, the keyboard is awesome … and I have a real escape key.

I’m really not a fan of the design of the recent Macbook Pro, the magic touch bar rise the price a lots but I don’t need it. I use a lots the F# keys, and really need a keyboard with a physical feeling. The “butterfly” keyboard style don’t work for me, and is really too fragile (I plan to move as a digital nomad, so i can’t take the risk that my keyboard stop working in the middle of nowhere because of a small dust).

Until recently Apple has been quiet good in term of stability and security, but since High Sierra many security issue, and some really stupid one (yes, like no password for a root account, …). Even worst, High Sierra doesn’t not offer big improvements for the end user. I know there is APFS under the hood, but seriously APFS is maybe more one of the problem than a good new feature. As a pro user, my computer is a central piece of my work setup. Until High Sierra, I never reinstall macOS, not a single time. But during the last few month, I try to reinstall it at least onetime every month, to try to solve some nasty issue (unable to book, external screen not detected, system freeze…). So why not refreshing my working setup and give up on the Apple ecosystem … who basically move away from the Pro market.

Planning

I try to switch a few month ago. Changing my behavior has been hard. After less than a week, I was back on macOS … with the feeling to be kind of “captive” user.

I’m a web developer but also love design (and I’m not a designer … just) so tools like SketchApp are parts of my toolbox. By most used software are different browsers, Firefox as my default one and Chrome for the awesome developer tools, my fancy terminal and an editor. I love vim, but feel more in my comfort zone with PhpStorm or IDEA (yes, you can say a Jetbrains fanboy). No issue to have the same setup for developer on Linux … my designer journey will be a bit more difficult.

Docker is an import tools for me. Docker for Mac make working with docker a nice experience, until you have to deal with share files between the guest OS and the containers, it’s extremely slow. Docker is not a native tool on macOS, so you have a Virtual Machine to host your containers. Linux should solve this, and allow me to move to a 100% docker based setup.

I work a ttree.ch with my co founder. For our daily work, we use mainly online service (Google Apps, Gitlab, Harvest, …). Some other tools make the switch more difficult, for me I have three “hard to switch” software:

1. SketchApp
2. 1Password
3. TablePlus

Backup & Try again

Last Friday, my mac crash again … two times in a row. That was enough for me. A few minutes later, I connect an USB drive, rsync all my personal data on the external drive, run a last time machine backup and create a bootable USB stick with a Solus Linux Budgie ready to be installed.

Next step

Thanks for reading, this post is the first post of the series. The next part will be about my first step of Solus Linux and my journey to a working Linux based working setup.

Come back in few days to read the next part of the story. Follow me on @dfeyer to not miss the next article.