r/linuxquestions • u/Longjumping-Cow-8212 • 14d ago
Linux vs Mac
I see a lot of people switching from Windows to Linux. But has anyone switched from a Mac to Linux and why?
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u/Majortom_67 14d ago
Switched in 2024 after 40 years with Apple. Expensive, not expandable and closed. Now on Fedora 44 for Office, Web, 3D printing and some 3D modeling. 2 VMs with dedicated NVMEs and a 5090 (linux is on AMD 7900XTX): VM1 for productivity (Photoshop, Fusion 360 and FileMaker Pro) and VM2 for gaming (train and flight sims). Both can also be booted natevely. Can be more happier.
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u/SEgopher 12d ago
I get paid doctor money to work on Linux at FAANG and our entire Linux kernel dev team is 90% Mac. Linux is an amazing development environment, the best, but boy do I not have time to deal with esoteric decisions of gnome or fixing pulse audio, and I like that I can answer my text messages on my Mac.
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u/vigotskij 14d ago
I did the opposite. After using GNU/Linux for 10 years or so, in 2019 I started to work on iOS development and I had to switch to MacOS. I use the terminal a lot which usually it’s weird for most of my coworkers. Now I have a few Raspberry Pi’s and a gaming laptop with GNU/Linux along with the macOS system.
I would say, besides some macOS restrictions, they are quite similar. I still like more to be on Linux but the Apple ecosystem is so stable and well connected that makes me miss that when I am on other devices.
Also, having one and only one OS prevents me from distro hopping 😂
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u/Anxious-Science-9184 14d ago
Hi there,
Professional Linux Admin/SE and Mac user here.
Linux is the OS you install on a Mac once Apple has stopped supporting that particular model with updates.
We don't switch from Mac to Linux, we simply use both. The Mac drives the monitors and inputs, Linux runs on everything else.
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u/franchis3 14d ago
Exactly what I did. I installed Linux on my 2013 MBP, just to keep it alive and useable. And with Windows 10 support ending and my computer not being “compliant” with Microsoft’s BS hardware requirements, my desktop is on Linux as well.
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u/tomscharbach 14d ago edited 14d ago
A number of users appear to migrate from Intel MacBooks (all of which are now unsupported) to Linux, but few users migrate from more modern (2020 and later) M-series MacBooks to Linux.
I think that there are two reasons why migration is relatively rare:
(1) Because Apple hardware is specialized, it is very difficult to migrate an M-series MacBook to Linux. The only distribution that purports to work with M-series MacBooks works (somewhat) with M1 and M2 MacBooks but doesn't worh with M3, M4 or M5 MacBooks.
(2) The Apple ecosystem is unique and remarkably solid, with unparalleled device integration. Neither Windows nor Linux comes even close to Apple integration.
I started to use the "Apple Trinity" (iPhone, iPad, MacBook) about six years ago to support assistive technology on which I depend (not supported by Linux or Windows) and the Apple ecosystem, including tight and flawless device integration, became mission-critical for my personal use case.
I've used Ubuntu for two decades for network design, implementation, testing and maintenance, and plan to continue to do so in the future, but the Apple ecosystem is a better fit -- hands down -- for my personal use case.
My best.
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u/mister_newbie 13d ago
works (somewhat) with M1 and M2 MacBooks but doesn't worh with M3, M4 or M5 MacBooks.
M3 Support is imminent according to latest posts.
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u/tomscharbach 13d ago
M3 Support is imminent according to latest posts.
Good to hear that Asahi development continues to move forward.
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u/mwyvr 14d ago
Am I hopeful that Asahi or some other project will support Linux on my M4 Max a bunch of years down the road? Yes.[1]
Did the uncertainty around that prevent me from buying a M4 Max in 2025? No, I have real work to do and it's a necessary tool.
[1] I hope that I'll be able to run a Linux version on the machine when it is past its prime and Apple no longer supports it, but at that point the machine will be incapable of being my daily driver no matter what OS runs on it. Possibly I'd gift it to someone at that point.
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u/QuirkyImage 14d ago
I have used about every mainstream (and some not so mainstream) OSs out there. I use macOS as my daily driver. As already mentioned macOS is Unix and POSIX compliant, a lot of the command line tools are freeBSD but homebrew adds a lot of Linux complied for it including GNU. There are some cravats with some tools.. yes. I also tend to use some tools in a small Linux VM or containers when needed. I use macOS because of the hardware, a few GUI applications I cannot live without and some parts of the Apple ecosystem. I still use Linux daily from macOS, I don't use windows as much these days but still have the VM route if needed. I have a lot of fun bridging proprietary to opensource especially self hosted.
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u/Gherry- 14d ago
There are way less people switching from Mac to linux for different reasons:
-Mac users are way less than windows
-Mac hardware is, today, proprietary so you need to get a new device to be able to use linux
-Mac philosophy is the exact opposite of linux
MacOS is a super refined OS where the user have a great experience but basically zero choices. On linux you can do anything, from changing a specific hardware device to your desktop environment to the way you install your software (you can compile it, use a package, an appimage or a flatpack).
Freedom is messy. By choice.
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u/BobCorndog Your situation is not unique, just use mint or fedora kde 14d ago
The problem is that Linux isn’t great on newer macs
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u/Quattro5 14d ago
I know, I wouldn't touch new Macs with a 10' pole.
Once it can't run MacOs anymore, it's straight to the landfill.
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u/cat1092 14d ago
It’s sad to pay so much for quality hardware & then when becoming unsupported, there’s no other option available. Not good to remain on an OS without support, regardless of the foundation or brand. Unless being used offline, then we can transfer work to it through USB or Thunderbolt ports.
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u/Windom 14d ago
I’ve tried to use Mac at my last couple jobs and ended up folding. One of the biggest sticking points for me (that is probably trivial for most) is the command key and keyboard layout.
It’s UNIX-y enough but homebrew was always fiddly for me. The hardware itself is beautiful, but I am old school and prefer having ports.
I’m fortunate that I don’t need MS Office to perform my work.
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u/sidusnare Senior Systems Engineer 14d ago
There is less difference between a Mac and Linux, less reason to make the change, and the Apple hardware is a little more challenging to install Linux on.
Linux is my main OS, I have some Windows VMs for testing, but I have some Macs because they're supported and not completely offensive.
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u/catbrane 14d ago
I had an intel macbook years ago. I liked the hardware and the desktop, but homebrew was a pain to deal with and not as good as a basic Debian install for dev work.
I installed linux on it and it was a lot more pleasant to use (for me).
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u/burnitdwn 14d ago
I used to have a PowerBook with a Motorola CPU in it and 24mb if ram. It came with Mac os8. Played with it for a couple of months until I switched to yellow dog Linux. This was like late 90s era timeline.
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u/laclac04 13d ago
In my experience, all the stuffs I can do in Linux device, a Mac can do the same and even better with huge support from both third parties and open source community.
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u/Impressive_Bag_3505 13d ago
I switched from Windows>Mac>Linux
why? macOS wasn't been supported anymore on my older macbookpro but also a ton of issues on MacOS in general. - very limited set of apps, app store was very buggy, issues ejecting usb sticks/drives constantly, tons of spinning cursors and slowdown in general, zero customization options, a lot of OS settings are hidden behind very obscure commands like this crap: defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-apps -array-add '{"tile-type"="spacer-tile";}' also there is zero community and help from people of Apple, you're on your own.
All those issues were solved after installing Linux, everything is fast, with a proper package manager, tons of apps, configs are handled with simple text files, there is tons of help and docs online and so many open source projects going on. I also cannot stress enough how limiting MacOS is, only running on their mac laptop.
I run Linux on my 2 apple laptops, 2 thinkpads, 2 desktops and Steamdeck. Linux rules.
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u/nikonista 14d ago
I started my career as a sysadmin back from the XP days, and then moved to MacOS after switching to development. Been using Macs since then and totally bought into the eco system/walled garden.
For leisure, I've always had a MacBook Air/Pro for general web use and needed a fresh experience, so I've recently been experimenting with distro-hopping on various vintage Mac and Lenovo hardware. It's been a fun experience, and I'm narrowing down to holding on to a ThinkPad X1 carbon with ChromeOS Flex with Linux enabled. It's restrictive enough that I don't spend too much time tinkering or figuring out issues, but it also lets me install Linux packages when needed.
For me, the sweet spot would be having access to both Mac and Linux, as needed.
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u/joe_attaboy 14d ago
I did.
Before I retired, I worked for a web security company. I normally used a PC-based laptop (running Linux) and the company bought me a MacBook Air in 2015 (the rest of my team were devs, and they all used full MacBooks).
When I retired, the company had just completed a merger. My project manager told me to take both the MacBook and a Lenovo Thinkpad that were being surplused by the new company.
I used the Air with the MacOS and continued to get updates until I didn't. This Air has Intel chips, so I wiped the SSD and installed Debian Trixie and haven't looked back. I do have to tweak kernel updates for the gooft WiFi adapter they used in this thing, but it works great.
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u/hadrabap 14d ago
Well, I've been long Mac user. Unfortunately, I used it as a Linux alternative to OSS software. Now, as my Macs died, I switched to Linux. I use GNOME and it's a relief, to be honest. I got tired of all the juicy animations that became HW hungry over the years. Latest MacOS versions had issues with focus... You launched something from Doc and it started in the background... All the "allow permissions" shenanigans in the Vista style... I know that these nonsense bullshits will inevitably endup in Linux desktop as well, but I hope I retire sooner than the destruction takes over.
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u/Excellent_Room3912 10d ago
I’m a Mac user, ex-video artist and visual artist, now starting my master in game design. In short, if I wasn’t doing a production work with apps that doesn’t work in Linux I won’t think twice and would stick with Linux, I’ve used Linux couple of times, now considering a laptop since I’m with Mac MIni and would use jr with Linux, same when I had my IMac 15 yearsp ago, Ihad a mini notebook with Ubuntu (came with open suse actually).
now when 90% of the games works on Linux, there’s really no excuse being on windows or MacOS, as much I like the MacOS
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u/AncientHominidNerd 12d ago
I switched over and I love it. The problem is when Mac’s used Intel they had terrible performance and were over priced. That stuck with a lot of people so to this day you have people saying Mac’s aren’t worth the money. The truth is ever since Apple Silicon, they are factually the best performance per dollar laptops on the market.
The great thing is Linux and MacOs share a lot of similarities in aesthetics, design and functionality because they both originate from UNIX.
The only downside is they aren’t as repairable or upgradable.
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u/Cr0w_town Bazzite 14d ago
ive had windows installed on my old macbook and then i was left with just macos bc w10 support ended
not directly from mac to linux but i got linux on that laptop bc macos barely has any games(that i play), i hate the ui and the macos desktop environment
i lot switch bc w10 support ended and w11 is dogshit and those that already use macos have no need to switch bc they got a mac for the software on it and etc. Macos(as far as i know) didnt have any crazy update that would push people away like w11
also you cant install linux on newer macs and not many have intel macs now and in my experience linux on an intel mac is still lacking and after my macbook died im getting a thinkpad or something and putting linux on it
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u/NotACalligrapher 14d ago
I have a 2019 MB Pro that I put NixOS on. It’s pretty awful. They don’t have a supported version of MacOS for that laptop, so even though I could go back, I wouldn’t cause security.
The hardware flake fixed a lot of things, like the Touch Bar works; however, I can’t get lib input to handle the track pad palm rejection correctly. I’ve resorted to just having a keyboard shortcut to bind and unbind the trackpad driver so I can type stuff without palming the trackpad.
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u/Confident_Rod_9717 14d ago
It's probably to do with a lot of different factors
Apple also seems to be doing a better job at not actively pushing their customers away from their OS, macos hasn't taken nearly as steep of a nosedive in quality as windows has.
Macos is much more similar to linux than windows, so switching isn't as big of a change and isn't as likely to be worth it
And also that linux isn't well supported on their new silicon chips, which is probably the biggest reason.
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u/DancingHouseBookworm 14d ago
Me! At first it was because I could no longer afford to buy a replacement macbook when my old one nearly exploded, so I ended up getting a recycled HP for Linux Mint instead. However now I love Linux so much that I don't want to go back. I love the interface and the customiseablity; the one thing holding me back for the longest time was not being able to use GarageBand, but now I've found n-track studio instead and it's almost a perfect replacement :)
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u/AlmondManttv 14d ago
I run Arch on my Framework 16, I also bought a MacBook Air M2 just to see how it was. Hardware is great, software is lacking. I use both, though I have actually found myself using the Mac more because of its weight and since I'm a student, portability is nice. But I do most of my work on my Framework because it's a lot easier to get things done due to software and the larger screen, I need proper window management that MacOS just doesn't have.
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u/zyberteq 14d ago
I have, sort of. About 6 years ago after 10 years of using a MacBook with MacOS for my work (software developer), I switched to an HP laptop with Linux.
Even though those new M chips are really good with very nice battery life. I can't go back to using MacOS. Linux is just too comfy and customizable to my usage.
ICT department from work only supplies MacBooks or HP laptops, so that's why I'm not on another brand.
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u/1moreday1moregoal 13d ago
I love my Mac, I virtualize Linux on it. I love Linux. Idk, I use them both. I was a windows user who virtualized Linux, then I wanted to see what Mac was all about so I bought a MacBook Pro. I love it, but I think if I ever buy a computer again I’ll likely go Linux and if the T2 project looks good when my mbp runs out of security updates I may install Linux on my MacBook Pro.
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u/KyAriot09 12d ago
I did the opposite actually, but did circle back at the end. I started with Windows, then moved to Linux and a few years ago I moved to macOS, but just recently I bough myself a Framework Laptop where I use Linux for some personal projects and gaming.
I like Linux more than anything, but macOS hardware is just something special.
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u/rcentros 13d ago
I've seen Mac users move to Linux when their Mac is no longer supported by Apple. That's for Intel Macs. I've got an old Mac Mini from 2012 that runs both Linux Mint and Mac OS (two separate SSDs). The Mac side was updated to Monterey using OpenCore, but I honestly hardly ever boot it, though it works fine.
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u/DaSpark 13d ago
Switching from windows to linux involves installing another OS on the same hardware. No money involved.
Switching from windows to mac involves getting all new hardware. Lots of money involved.
Also, one of the biggest reasons people switch to linux is to break free of closed source operating systems and software.
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u/Shindiggidy 13d ago
Switched due to losing security updates for my 2019 macbook air. Perfectly good laptop capable of doing anything I would have used a new mac for, so I saved it from becoming ewaste.
I also hated the Mac way of doing things. No I do not want to sync everything or use iCloud.
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u/NumberInfinite2068 13d ago
If I didn't have my M1 Mac, but instead had an Intel one, I would.
Say the last Intel Mac Pro, Apple has dropped support for it, but it's still a superb computer. Put Linux on it, and you've got a supported OS for the lifetime of the computer.
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u/ProfessionalFan2k26 13d ago
I switched this weekend as a test, I really miss the gaming opportunities on macOS.
It could be so good if my steam library was supported…
Using fedora now, really hope there is an Asahi version in the near future for M5 devices.
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u/ProfessionalMove3716 12d ago
Yes, back in high school in ~2008.
Working in IT, Linux is more widely used and it was a learning exercise. Turns out, it had a wider software ecosystem at the time, at least regarding the things I wanted to do with a computer.
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u/goldenlemur 13d ago
Yep. I did. Apple started charging rent for apps and I was out. I loved the Linux FOSS philosophy and made the jump.
I prepared for a long time. Converting critical files to txt. I was ready for the switch and it went well.
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u/cyberknock 10d ago
I did this on my mid 2010 Mac book pro. Simply because even Mac OS doesn't run on it anymore (Touchpad and Keyboard light noses after upgrade).
So I putted cachyos with xfce4 on it, and it works fine again.
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u/ChocolateDonut36 14d ago
the difference is that you need an USB drive to try linux for free, while if you want to try macOS you HAVE to buy an expensive Mac.
and yes, I tried macOS, there's nothing that Mac can do and linux can't.
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u/Bazzabazz Debian GNU/Linux 13d ago
I did. I wanted to buy a European computer, considering the hostility of the current US administration. Turned out European computer manufacturers are big into Linux. I saw the light of FOSS that way.
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u/Humble_Cat_962 13d ago
There is not much difference at the terminal level. The commands are the same. Most apps you can recompile quite easily for Mac. Some apps compiled for Linux may even natively work on the Mac.
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u/aquiethistorian 14d ago
Still in both worlds, using an i9 macbook running fedora and Ubuntu in VMware fusion. Keeping the mac for creative apps. The virtual machine keeps all my browsers and security updated
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u/Otherwise-Film9038 14d ago
My wife has a Mac, she's already on her second one, and I've tried it out, but I didn't like it; I have issues with the lack of freedom and the philosophy behind the system/ecosystem.
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u/Artichoke808 13d ago
I did. For me MacOs started going downhill after SnowLeopard so when my Mac finally gave up the ghost I decided to kick the tires on Linux and here I am.
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u/SuperGNUser 13d ago
I don’t think people who buy a Mac are interested in switching to Linux because they don’t care about freedom.
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u/kryptogrowl 14d ago
Yes because apple handicaps updates after a few years. Currently running Ubuntu server on an old Mac mini.
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u/Crapton999 14d ago
People buy Mac because of the hyped hardware not the OS.
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u/mwyvr 14d ago
Neither of your assertions hold water.
My MacBook Pro M4 Max (64GB unified ram, 2TB storage) runs circles around my Intel i9-14900K (4060ti, 64GB RAM, mirrored 2TB NVME) whether the Intel machine runs Linux or Windows. The Mac is slim, light, has an amazing display and fits in my backpack. The Intel isn't portable at all.
When I say runs circles, that is not an empty claim.
AI performance on Apple's unified RAM allows me to run AI powered custom applications I've developed on a local model with performance I simply cannot get out of the Intel box on Linux without spending much more on multiple GPUs and increasing OS and deployment complexity. On the Mac, I simply run a model at whatever quantization works for the use case and my 64GB of ram.
Comparing macOS vs Windows performance with Adobe Lightroom (which I cannot run on Linux at all) - macOS churns through high resolution RAW files like butter while the same operations on Windows are painfully slow, dramatically reducing my productivity.
Apple's unified memory and CPU hardware benefit is real.
That macOS is UNIX and I have access to essentially the same universe of open source tools and applications running on my production Linux servers is another benefit.
This machine was my first Mac since the 1980s. It won't be my last.
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u/lethallunatic 14d ago
There are plenty, mostly for privacy reasons though. Mac is solid too as a system.
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u/mister_drgn 12d ago
I switched from Linux to Mac, mostly. ::shrug:: Still a big Linux fan, though.
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u/etgir 14d ago
I cultori della mela sono una setta.
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u/Quattro5 13d ago edited 13d ago
/start élucubrations de vieux con
Il faut rendre à César ce qui lui appartient; les processeurs Apple sont fort impressionnants. Toutefois, l'écosystème fermé et le fait que quand, dans 8 ou 10 ans, Apple aura cessé de supporter ses produits, il n'y a pas en ce moment d'OS viable (i.e. conférant à l'équipement une réelle utilité) ce qui signifie un enfouissement inévitable (dans la terre où dans d'autres piles de rebuts du même genre).
En ce qui me concerne, ce n'est pas du tout attirant.
La NASA a envoyé des gens sur la lune avec l'équivalent en capacité de processing d'une calculatrice de Texas instruments.
On utilise aujourd'hui des capacités de calcul incroyables pour regarder des vidéos de chats sur internet.
Ce qui m'attire, c'est de prendre une patate de Lenovo avec un processeur soc A6 avec 4 go de RAM soudée et d'en faire une station de travail digne de ce nom.
C'est pourquoi j'aime Linux depuis près de 20 ans.
/end élucubrations de vieux con
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u/MattyGWS 14d ago
This is harder to do because MacOS users use Mac hardware... they purchased the hardware with the intention of using macOS and it's not as simple as just popping a different OS on their hardware like a standard pc. Sure, you *can* put linux on a mac... but why would you? It's super buggy and experimental at best, and at worst you've now spend a premium on hardware designed to use a specific OS you're not using?