I’m a junior backend software engineer. I use a Vim plugin on my fancy code editor. I like the command line but I’m not all in on it or anything.
If I was a Windows user I’d switch. But being a Mac user I have a lot of what I need for software development.
What am I missing out on? Genuine question.
I think that’s a lot about personal preference. Do you enjoy your machine? That you can’t repair it? That you can’t easily take your OS with you one to a machine from another manufacture? Maybe you don’t care. I do. I think Linux gives you a lot of freedom, but if you don’t need or want it, I don’t think there is a reason to change. I mean, apart from the whole Apple-being-a-big-coorporation-that-actively-hinders-reparability issue that one might care about from a societal and environmental perspective.
Maybe you could get all the same stuff you need for development in Linux, and a lot more freedom to boot.
I apologize that this comes off a bit hostile. I am a bit hostile. I am also sorry for it!
Perhaps you shouldn’t. Any honest Linux user will tell you up front if that if you have a comfortable system already it may not be worth the disruption in your workflow while dealing with the learning curve. That being said, being free from the whims of Apple is a nice feeling.
EDIT: I’m not sure what the state of virtualization is on the Mac side right now but it wouldn’t be the worst idea to fire one up and try out a distro or two. Kick the tires before you think about committing.
As long as the distro has an ARM64 build, it’ll be fine virtualized on Apple silicon. Virtualbox has a developer preview build for M1/M2 Macs and I believe VMWare Fusion licenses are free for individuals.
While you can run AMD64 builds but it’s quite slow and painful (even headless via Docker). Thankfully most distros have ARM64 builds available - and I second the “kick the tires” effort.
„It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.“ — Voltaire
I would use the word people instead of fools, because even the smartest people can be misled.
Also, for some people freedom is very important even if it cost them dearly. Other people just want convenience and luxury, and don’t mind living in a golden cage.
You really have to make your own decisions in life. What makes you tick?
