Switching from macOS: The Basics

Post by mixedCase » Wed, Nov 02, 2016, 7:25 PM UTC

mirkules wrote: post #485

claudius wrote: post #480

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s a generic feature of X available in all desktop environments (essentially there’s two copy-paste mechanism which you can use independently). Much easier to use than manual C-c C-v, especially if you have a third mouse button also on your laptop.

And this is the problem. There is zero thought being given to different usage scenarios, and when it is, it's a chaotic solution that works some of the time. How do you middle-click-paste if you are on a trackpad with only two buttons, for example? I'm only picking on this to illustrate the point: things are hacked together at almost every level for a workstation. This is why "The Year of the Linux Desktop" never hap…

Post by buckbova » Wed, Nov 02, 2016, 7:29 PM UTC

cooper12 wrote: post #508

buckbova wrote: post #382

I currently use xfce[1] with docky[2] and it feels pretty good. Probably not as polished but I know it's stable. There were other distros in the past trying to copy macOS, pear os[3] was one of them. I remember Lindows[4] trying to market itself as a windows replacement. I can't believe they got sued and actually lost[5]! Xandros[6] was also in this space. They probably went BK. Every year is the year of Linux for th…

Wait from the article on Windows, it actually claims the opposite, saying that the court rejected Microsoft's claims and that it later settled with Lindows, paying for their trademark.

Post by lloyd-christmas » Wed, Nov 02, 2016, 7:34 PM UTC

gldnspud wrote: post #489

lloyd-christmas wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The single thing that keeps me with macOS is a universal key that is truly universal. Apps on mac are built around the command key. The windows key and the linux super key don't have anywhere near the consistency across applications that the command key does. `cmd + shift + [` flips through tabs in every application I have. In linux, it works only if I set up the keys for that application, and only if that applicatio…

I had a very similar experience. I switched for the pretty fonts, and stayed for the key bindings. You can even add your own key bindings to (almost) any menu item in (almost) any Cocoa app using System Preferences. After I discovered that, I just dug in even more.

Post by seanp2k2 » Wed, Nov 02, 2016, 7:41 PM UTC

veidr wrote: post #357

My own burning hatred towards Apple runs a little hotter than most, and I have been seriously googling (and trying) alternatives since 2012. That was when my $9000 Mac Pro — which had been a great machine, and still was, except for the little detail about not having been updated since 2009 and thus being stuck with USB 2 (!!!) to say nothing of Thunderbolt and any kind of modern accoutrements — started to feel like a…

Post by javajosh » Wed, Nov 02, 2016, 7:42 PM UTC

cooper12 wrote: post #502

javajosh wrote: post #432

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've gotten in the habit of screenshotting. With one hot key (cmd shift 4) I pick a region and a file is placed on my desktop. This turns out to be far more useful in more circumstances for me. (The only image dragging I do is within chrome to send someone an image through hangouts.)

Just FYI, screenshotting is taking a limited-resolution, imperfectly cropped PNG from what is usually a compressed JPG. You just need to get into the habit of right clicking and "save as" and the resulting image with have perfect fidelity with the original.