So Long, Macbook. Hello Again, Linux • Hacker News Board

Re: So Long, Macbook. Hello Again, Linux

#161

Post by zrobotics » Thu, Jan 10, 2019, 5:05 PM UTC

naibafo wrote: post #85

There are different issues with OSX though, that colleagues of mine had, that never occur with Linux. E.g. the chore of somehow managing different software versions such as the outdated default one and a second one installed with homebrew. Almost all my colleagues struggled with setting up python 2 und 3 correctly at some point, whereas this just worked for me on Linux. Some struggled with font rendering between a 10…

To be fair, that may be a python problem, as I've also had issues with 2 & 3 on a Linux machine as well. At this point, unless I can avoid it I just use a VM for any python 2 work.

Re: So Long, Macbook. Hello Again, Linux

#162

Post by jorvi » Thu, Jan 10, 2019, 5:05 PM UTC

aoro wrote: post #99

What pulls me to linux over my MacBook is the package managers. The apt-get system is much better than homebrew in my experience.

See, I don’t get this. I know that from a technical perspective apt is much nicer because its ‘first party’ to the OS, but homebrew both feels much simpler in us and its packages are so fresh that it trails the stable branch of packages by a day or so. Apt packages are frozen in place, unless you go with extra PPAs. Or if you go with a rolling release like Arch, there’s small things breaking constantly.

Re: So Long, Macbook. Hello Again, Linux

#163

Post by Tehchops » Thu, Jan 10, 2019, 5:06 PM UTC

mawburn wrote: post #97

One of the big features Macs have for me is that I can call customer service any time of day and they can work through any serious issue I have with my Mac. I've only had to call a few times, but they were able to work out some pretty serious issues quickly each time. I think the longest I was on the phone was 1.5hrs to find out that my own IT dept had screwed up Casper settings that I couldn't fix. For a work machin…

> One of the big features Macs have for me is that I can call customer service any time of day and they can work through any serious issue I have with my Mac

This is something else that often gets left out in these discussions. For better or worse, Apple offers an ecosystem/platform, and the support to go along with it.

Suppose you do make a Linux laptop work for your daily driver. You're still left out in the cold if you have an iPhone/iWatch/iPad.

The tight integration that's offered, along with the ubiquitous(and very useful) iCloud is something that Linux just doesn't have.

And yes, I am aware of the various flavors of self-hosted solutions, the dangers of lock-in etc...

If I've already been fighting to make my laptop functional for work, I don't want to start the same battle again for my hobbies too.

Re: So Long, Macbook. Hello Again, Linux

#164

Post by overgard » Thu, Jan 10, 2019, 5:08 PM UTC

MacBooks don’t seem like great developer machines anymore. The keyboards are really lacking (bad travel and lack of useful keys), the touch bar is a silly gimmick, it needs 50 dongles to connect to anything, and every macOS update seems to break developer tools in surprising ways.

Re: So Long, Macbook. Hello Again, Linux

#165

Post by mnw21cam » Thu, Jan 10, 2019, 5:08 PM UTC

dbingham wrote: post #19

What screen resolutions do the Librems support? Their tech specs don't actually list the resolutions, just the graphic card and size of the display. That's, honestly, one of the main things holding me to my mac: I want the retina display. That and the fact that all the PC hardware makers insist on offsetting the damned touchpad. Which, maybe it's just my preference, but I hate when they offset the damned touchpad.

I very much like my Asus UX305C, with its 3200x1800 display. Works a treat in Linux, and is a beauty to behold.

Re: So Long, Macbook. Hello Again, Linux

#166

Post by simonh » Thu, Jan 10, 2019, 5:08 PM UTC

mawburn wrote: post #97

One of the big features Macs have for me is that I can call customer service any time of day and they can work through any serious issue I have with my Mac. I've only had to call a few times, but they were able to work out some pretty serious issues quickly each time. I think the longest I was on the phone was 1.5hrs to find out that my own IT dept had screwed up Casper settings that I couldn't fix. For a work machin…

Apple online/phone tech support is fantastic, I've only used them a few times but they were knowledgeable, helpful and I got to talk to someone with 2 minutes every time so far. Apple stores are a godsend as well and have gone the extra mile even when the Mac in question has been out of warranty.

Re: So Long, Macbook. Hello Again, Linux

#167

Post by joombaga » Thu, Jan 10, 2019, 5:08 PM UTC

InitialLastName wrote: post #149

Waterluvian wrote: post #129

Hooking up three monitors, 2 of which are 4k onto Ubuntu is the most frustrating thing I've done with that OS. It just works on OSX though. Rough spots is a good way to describe it. Overall it works... But not without effort and competence.

That doesn't "Just work" on Windows 7 or 10, though, so not sure it's a failure on the part of Linux as much as a success on the part of macOS.

It does work though. X can't be configured with 2 different DPIs at all.

Re: So Long, Macbook. Hello Again, Linux

#168

Post by walterstucco » Thu, Jan 10, 2019, 5:08 PM UTC

Waterluvian wrote: post #129

Hooking up three monitors, 2 of which are 4k onto Ubuntu is the most frustrating thing I've done with that OS. It just works on OSX though. Rough spots is a good way to describe it. Overall it works... But not without effort and competence.

I've dropped OS X because of multi monitor setup not working, but works great on Linux with KDE

Re: So Long, Macbook. Hello Again, Linux

#169

Post by alanfranzoni » Thu, Jan 10, 2019, 5:09 PM UTC

coding123 wrote: post #6

alanfranzoni wrote: post #5

I must say that the whole desktop looks like something from the 90s. If you find it fine for your needs, that's great. But I don't think it's a general solution. Linux is so half-baked with respect to desktop, very often it's getting as problematic as a Windows system, especially on laptops.

How is it half baked?

Some examples from my latest (Ubuntu 18.04) linux experience: - Does hidpi work? For ALL applications, and flawlessly? - Is the desktop responsive, or does it feel laggy? - File manager:Can I customize my favourites, including removing the builtin ones? - Can you use a lot of good desktop applications? Like MS Word, Adobe Photoshop, and similar? Or Google Drive, Pixelmator, Dash, Flux, tools in general that may have a small price but make your work considerably faster? - Does bluetooth audio work flawlessly, like, you can use a bt audio device, then stop, then start again? - does the system include a braindead, just-works backup-and-restore system?

Sure: if you know Linux well enough, AND YOU SPEND ENOUGH TIME ON YOUR SYSTEM, you can fix most of the above issues (I could not fix the Gnome DE latency with hidpi, btw). But I don't want to waste my time fixing my desktop; I want to pay, and my desktop should just work.

Then: if you like the Linux desktop, feel free to use it.

Re: So Long, Macbook. Hello Again, Linux

#170

Post by jasondclinton » Thu, Jan 10, 2019, 5:09 PM UTC

devereaux wrote: post #143

jasondclinton wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's true: some things are easier on Mac. In particular, I'd say that using software that hasn't been packaged for your distribution is much easier on Mac. However, your example of fonts is definitely not one of those areas, anymore. Font rendering on Linux is as advanced and capable as any other OS including in the areas of kerning and hinting. It should just work without any user intervention and look great. I ag…

Personally, I gave up on Gnome and run LXDE a bit like i3 - autopositionning the windows with Fx keys mapped to a given set of coordinates, so F10 will make a window use a square on the left covering 80% of the screen, F11 will move the window to the remaining 20% on the right, thus hiding conky - etc. The only advantage I find in LXDE is that it has a titlebar I can 'reveal' if I wish to mess around and fiddle with…

Some people try that, too (and XFCE). Admittedly, they're better than a tiling window manager, but LXDE's last stable release was 2016 and it doesn't have a compositor so all of that graphics hardware in your computer specialized to prevent X11 DAMAGE events from forcing applications redraws and for saving power is going unused.