From Apple macOS to Linux: Operating System
I am going to discuss which Linux distro you should go with when you are migrating your life from Apple macOS to Linux
I must disclaim that I will not target power users in this series of articles. I want to show you that anyone can easily move from an Apple to a Linux environment by saving at least 80% of the money that is spent on Apple products and apps. We aim not to focus on money-saving either, but it comes as a cherry on top.
When you move from Apple macOS to Linux, you will first notice that there is no one operating system on the Linux side as Apple. This is another crucial point: We also don’t call operating system as Linux. Linux is an operating system; the rest of the discussion will be on distros. As a result, distros are like brothers, sisters or cousins. All of them are derived from the base, generally called Kernel, the unit or core that provides communication between hardware and software. I called it “generally” because not all Linux distros are derived from the Kernel core directly but indirectly. For example, Debian is on top of Kernel directly, Ubuntu is derived from Debian, and Linux Mint is derived from Ubuntu (Linux Mint also has Debian derivation).
I don’t want to cover too many Linux basics, as you can find very valuable articles, books, and videos on this topic.
My main aim is to provide an action guide for you to come to Linux’s endless World.
So, we need to choose a Linux distro that fits us. This is a very controversial topic because we don’t always agree on our tastes. This is also the beauty of Linux World: you have options. I wrote several articles on this topic, so I suggest you check them:
I Changed My Go-to Linux Distro for the First Time from Year 2006
Why Did I Switch Back to Fedora 36 After Using Ubuntu 22.04 LTS?
Linux Distros in 2024
My Fedora 39 (Gnome 45) Full Setup
My Fedora 40 Development Setup
I Tried Fedora 40, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Linux Mint 21.3, Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS, and EndeavourOS Galileo
Start Using Linux in 2024
Are you still trying to decide? No worries. Most Linux distros provide live versions where you can boot your PC with Linux and try it before installing. There are several ways to do it, but I downloaded the image of the Linux distro I want and created a USB stick with balenaEtcher. Depending on your PC, you may need to configure boot priority to point USB, which should be the first. There are many different ways for different providers, so I suggest you search like “boot … USB” where “…” is your laptop. Apple side is tricky as usual because newer versions may not allow you to boot the Linux distro from a USB drive. Even if you pass it, the Linux distro may not boot properly because of Kernel’s integrity with the macOS device.
If you want a quick answer, I use Fedora with KDE (I used Gnome, too). This is another topic that you need to decide. We discussed the Linux distros, but there is also a selection of desktop environments. Again, it is not available in macOS if you don’t go with themes but desktop environments are not the theme only. If we say Linux distro is your body, desktop environments are the clothes you wear in your style. I am using KDE because it is the best desktop environment scaling properly for 4K monitors, but there is a catch:
Will KDE 6.1 Work?
If you don’t plan to use high resolution, I like GNOME.
If you like lists like me, there are two excellent resources:
DistroWatch: Shows Linux Distros and ranks them based on page hits.
Wikipedia, as usual for desktop environments. You can also find additional articles.
Another topic is finding a proper Linux laptop. You can also use Windows laptops, but sometimes, they are not optimized for Linux from the hardware side. As a result, you should go with Linux-certified laptops/desktops. There are two types of providers in this manner: Known providers with Linux compatibility or providers who build laptops/desktops for Linux. Even though you haven’t decided to use Ubuntu, there is a good page on their side: https://ubuntu.com/certified/laptops . Let’s recall Kernel: a unit/core communicating hardware and software. As a result, if you check the Ubuntu page for compatibility but would like to use Arch Linux, for example, there is no harm in checking Ubuntu pages for compatibility. Of course, they are different from a usage perspective (like a package manager, etc.), but compatibility comes from Kernel and some additional modules on top.
Do you want a quick answer? I am using a Lenovo laptop. There were several reasons that I chose Lenovo:
It is rock solid and has been tested for its reliability for ages. It was IBM, and they sold PC units to Lenovo.
I like its keyboard; it is legendary.
I found an excellent discount when I was purchasing.
It is a well-known provider, so that I can find them after two years of purchase.
Good Bye My 20 Years Old Friend: Apple
I was unsure if I would use Linux as a daily driver, so I wanted to try the most reliable and cheap laptop. In future, I may go with a better version of the suppliers that provide Linux machines directly.
Do you want to join me on this journey? You can follow me!