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Switching from macOS to Pop_OS

support.system76.com

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Re: Switching from macOS to Pop_OS

#291

Post by mindcrime »

yepthatsreality wrote: post #286
mindcrime wrote: post #124

I can't say much about the MacOS side of things (I do use a Mac at my day-job, but only because the choice is Mac or Windows, no Linux option). But as far as PopOS goes... I've been using it full-time on my personal laptop for several months now, and I'm very happy. Surprisingly so, you might say. Why "surprising?" Well TBH, I always looked at PopOS as kind of a niche / oddball thing, along with any other distro that…

> (I do use a Mac at my day-job, but only because the choice is Mac or Windows, no Linux option). This is true at my employment too but we just tell them we're installing a Linux OS and IT does not care. You may want to check if you can get a Linux option by choosing Windows hardware.

Nah, there's no way to get away with that here. This is a highly regulated industry and IT has everything locked down tighter than a drum. Running a non-approved OS on a company machine is probably a fireable offense. I'm not even sure if you'd get a warning first.

Re: Switching from macOS to Pop_OS

#292

Post by PostThisTooFast »

taeric wrote: post #116
im_down_w_otp wrote: post #53

All I want in life is a Linux distro with a package repo full of meticulously reworked & reconfigured packages that make all the keyboard shortcuts across the entire system and every application be like and be as consistent as my old Macs. I've been full-time Linux (Kubuntu) for a few years now, and I've hobbled together something that only irritates me to death about 30% of the time rather than the 100% of the time…

I find this funny, in that I struggle with Mac all the time. The worst grievance lately is that I don't know how to just pop back and forth between three windows. Something about the way command tab works just kills my ability to reason about what the window stack currently is. And, for the life of me, I never get copy paste from a terminal to work like I want it to.

Apple messed up its Alt-Tab implementation with one simple blunder: It doesn't restore minimized apps. I tab TO an application, but when I'm done I minimize it out of the way. But then you can't Command-Tab back to it, because Apple keeps it uselessly minimized.

Re: Switching from macOS to Pop_OS

#293

Post by PostThisTooFast »

xenomachina wrote: post #153
saurik wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Mac is the only thing where alt-tab falls on its face. Even if you remind yourself that you're on Mac and use cmd-tab... But alt on a Windows keyboard layout and and command on a Mac keyboard layout are the same key location, so I don't understand how you can be confused by this... maybe stop looking at the keyboard?

The bigger issue is that command-tab switches between apps, not windows, and command-` switches between windows in the same app, and neither work across spaces. I ended up installing https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/ which adds a keystroke that will cycle through all windows in all apps on all spaces. It's a huge improvement.

Yes, Alt-Tab is a HUGE improvement over Apple's implementation because it not only restores minimized apps as it should, but can also create a window for a running app that lacks one (with Finder being a critical example).

Re: Switching from macOS to Pop_OS

#294

Post by db48x »

somenewaccount1 wrote: post #277
xedrac wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why bother implementing ctrl+c and ctrl+v in Linux when highlighting text copies it, and middle click pastes it? Ctrl+c feels like the dark ages in comparison.

Since when did highlighting text copy it? That would be a true nightmare for me as I use highlighting to focus when I read, extensively.

On Linux, it has basically always worked that way. However, there are essentially two¹ different clipboards. Of course some applications could do things differently, but usually they will use what you think of as the clipboard for keyboard shortcuts like control–c and control–v, while selecting things with the mouse uses a separate system².

There are some interesting differences between them as well. When using the clipboard your application sends whatever you copied to the clipboard and pasting copies it out of the clipboard. With selection, however, the application merely announces that the user has selected something in that application. When you middle–click to paste, the application you pasted into must send a message to whichever application was most recently used to select something (relayed via the X server), and the reply contains the selected data.

https://www.x.org/releases/X11R7.6/doc/xorg-docs/specs/ICCCM...

¹ Actually, there are three³. CLIPBOARD for control–c/v, PRIMARY for selecting with the mouse, and SECONDARY for selecting with the mouse while holding down alt.

² But of course these two systems are implemented using the same messages to and from the X server. They simply have different conventions for how they are used.

³ Actually, there are as many as you care to implement. These three are simply conventional; applications are free to use other names to identify other communication channels.

⁴ … Profit!

Re: Switching from macOS to Pop_OS

#295

Post by db48x »

_dain_ wrote: post #222
xedrac wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why bother implementing ctrl+c and ctrl+v in Linux when highlighting text copies it, and middle click pastes it? Ctrl+c feels like the dark ages in comparison.

Because maybe I don't want to clobber my clipboard with every damned thing I highlight?

On Linux there is a separate “clipboard” that gets “clobbered” every time you highlight something. See my other comment on the matter or https://www.x.org/releases/X11R7.6/doc/xorg-docs/specs/ICCCM....

Re: Switching from macOS to Pop_OS

#296

Post by dopeboy »

lordgroff wrote: post #51
multiplegeorges wrote: post #2

Is it finally the year of Linux on the desktop? But seriously, the work System76 is doing is really great. PopOS is really nice to use. The attention it is getting is well deserved.

First year for me not on Linux desktop for my primary device since... 99? M1 Air was the culprit. I still don't particularly love Mac OS and remain somewhat puzzled by the overwhelming love people have for it but: 1. It's usable enough and it's certainly polished and much more importantly 2. The M1 Air is the laptop I always dreamed of. Fast, doesn't get hot, SILENT. It's worth the trade-off for me, but I hope Linux…

I had the choice of a M1 or a Thinkpad (which is what I've been using for the past decade). It was a very difficult decision - everything I hear about the M1 is incredible. I ended up getting a thinkpad because I really don't like macOS. But I don't know if I'll make that same decision in a couple years.

Re: Switching from macOS to Pop_OS

#297

Post by xiaomai »

lwouis wrote: post #186
taeric wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find this funny, in that I struggle with Mac all the time. The worst grievance lately is that I don't know how to just pop back and forth between three windows. Something about the way command tab works just kills my ability to reason about what the window stack currently is. And, for the life of me, I never get copy paste from a terminal to work like I want it to.

I made a FOSS alt-tab drop-in for macOS: https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/ I also list alternatives on that page. That may inspire you

I hate the mac my work makes me use, but this makes it a bit less painful. Thank you.

Re: Switching from macOS to Pop_OS

#298

Post by howinteresting »

boplicity wrote: post #139
taeric wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find this funny, in that I struggle with Mac all the time. The worst grievance lately is that I don't know how to just pop back and forth between three windows. Something about the way command tab works just kills my ability to reason about what the window stack currently is. And, for the life of me, I never get copy paste from a terminal to work like I want it to.

Make your desired windows fullscreen, then swipe side to side on the trackpad (3 or 4 fingers) to switch between them almost instantly. One of the best features of MacOS, IMO.

If almost instantly means 700 milliseconds on a regular monitor and 950 milliseconds on a 21:9 monitor, sure, instantly.

Re: Switching from macOS to Pop_OS

#299

Post by 1_player »

somenewaccount1 wrote: post #66
im_down_w_otp wrote: post #53

All I want in life is a Linux distro with a package repo full of meticulously reworked & reconfigured packages that make all the keyboard shortcuts across the entire system and every application be like and be as consistent as my old Macs. I've been full-time Linux (Kubuntu) for a few years now, and I've hobbled together something that only irritates me to death about 30% of the time rather than the 100% of the time…

Lol. I came here to say the only thing that matters is that copy and paste in Linux is 'cntrl+shift+c'. You can try changing it, but your still fucked in most terminals, and then you end up with two key combos depending on context. It's a nightmare, and I'm really glad you have the top comment. Clearly I'm not alone.

Get yourself a terminal that supports smart copy. It's a thing.

Tilix, kitty, Windows Terminal and others support using ctrl-c for both copy-to-clipboard and SIGINT.

To me it's a game changer and judging from the sibling comments, pretty much no one knows this is a feature that exists. Ctrl-Shift-C/V is barbaric and I have opened issues and merge requests to implement it in other popular terminal emulators.

Re: Switching from macOS to Pop_OS

#300

Post by Fnoord »

rbreaves wrote: post #218
spindle wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why doesn't someone use kmonad or libinput or something to make a utility that holds a database of the most-used applications and, whenever the user focuses a window, remaps the keyboard to some set of consistent system-wide bindings? I don't think that exists, does it? EXWM comes close, but it doesn't have the database. I know, I know, I just said "someone" when I should do it myself.

There are 3 options here. https://github.com/mooz/xkeysnail https://github.com/k0kubun/xremap https://github.com/autokey/autokey My advice is to skip the last one unless you need something truly complicated and a config syntax that is just insane regardless of your level of complexity imo. Of course if you just want mac based keybinds to be done for you then use my kinto app. https://github.com/rbreaves/kinto

I use AutoHotKey in Wine, and that works for me.
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