Switching from macOS to Linux

Fedora with GNOME is probably the closest Linux gets to the macOS philosophy: a clean, opinionated desktop that stays out of your way. It ships the latest software, has excellent hardware support, and is what many Linux developers use daily.

• GNOME's workflow (Activities overview, search-driven launching) will feel familiar to Spotlight users
• Cutting-edge packages -- you always get the latest versions
• Strong development tools and container support

The most popular choice overall. Massive community means every question has been answered somewhere. Ubuntu uses GNOME with some modifications.

Good if you want the safest, most "just works" experience with the most online resources. See our Windows to Ubuntu guide for GNOME tips -- they all apply here too.

Explicitly inspired by macOS. Has its own desktop environment (Pantheon) with a dock, spotlight-like search, and a curated app store. If you want something that looks most like macOS, this is it.

The downside: smaller community and app ecosystem compared to Ubuntu or Fedora.

Great for developers and gamers. Built on Ubuntu but with better GPU support, auto-tiling window management, and a clean aesthetic. Good if you want a power-user-friendly setup out of the box.

Yes, actually. Homebrew works on Linux (it's called "Linuxbrew"). But there's almost no reason to use it -- your native package manager is better in every way. The only edge case: if you need the exact same version of a tool on macOS and Linux for consistency in a cross-platform team.

Press Super and start typing. GNOME's search works almost identically to Spotlight: it finds apps, files, settings, and even does calculations. If you're on Fedora or Ubuntu with GNOME, this is already set up.

A standalone launcher that works on any desktop environment. Press a hotkey, type what you want, hit Enter. Supports extensions for calculations, translations, emoji search, and more.

# Install on Ubuntu/Mint
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:agornostal/ulauncher -y
sudo apt install -y ulauncher

Another Spotlight-like launcher with a familiar search interface. Supports plugins, file search, web search, and more. Very customizable.

If you use KDE Plasma, press Alt+Space to open KRunner. It searches apps, files, does math, converts units, controls media playback, and more. It's arguably the most powerful built-in launcher on Linux.

On macOS, the menu bar for every app lives at the top of the screen. On Linux, each window has its own menu bar (or sometimes a hamburger menu). This is actually how Windows works too, so if you've used Windows, it'll feel familiar.

Some Linux desktops (like KDE Plasma) have an optional global menu widget if you really want it.

macOS added window snapping late and it's still somewhat limited. Linux has had it for years:

• Super + Left/Right -- snap to left/right half
• Super + Up -- maximize
• Drag a window to the edge of the screen to snap

GNOME also has a built-in tiling assist in recent versions. For power users, Pop!_OS has auto-tiling, and there are tiling window managers (i3, Hyprland, Sway) that take this concept to the extreme.

macOS has Spaces. Linux calls them workspaces. Same concept, often more powerful:

• GNOME creates workspaces dynamically (always one empty one at the end)
• KDE lets you set a fixed number
• Switch with Ctrl+Alt+Arrow keys or Super + scroll
• In GNOME Activities overview, drag windows between workspace thumbnails

This is the muscle-memory adjustment. On macOS, you use Cmd for shortcuts (Cmd+C, Cmd+V, Cmd+Q). On Linux, you use Ctrl (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, etc.).

If this drives you crazy, you can remap your keys. On GNOME:

# Swap Super and Ctrl if you want
# Or remap specific shortcuts in Settings → Keyboard → Shortcuts

Tools like Kinto can make Linux keyboard shortcuts behave like macOS system-wide.

On macOS, the traffic light buttons are on the top-left. On Linux:

• GNOME puts the close button on the top-right by default (and hides minimize). Use GNOME Tweaks to add minimize/maximize buttons.
• KDE Plasma has all three buttons, on the right by default. You can move them to the left in settings if you prefer the macOS layout.
• Cinnamon (Mint) has all three on the right, like Windows.

Before you switch, download everything from iCloud:

1. Files -- go to iCloud.com, select all files in iCloud Drive, and download them
2. Photos -- on your Mac, open Photos → select all → File → Export. Or use iCloud.com to download
3. Contacts -- iCloud.com → Contacts → gear icon → Export vCard. Import the .vcf file into your new app
4. Calendar -- iCloud.com → Calendar → share each calendar → copy the public link. Or export .ics files
5. Bookmarks -- sign into your browser's sync (Firefox/Chrome), or export bookmarks to HTML
6. Passwords -- on macOS, export from Keychain to CSV. Import into KeePassXC or Bitwarden on Linux

Do this before you wipe or stop using your Mac. Some of this data is harder to get at from iCloud.com alone.

On macOS, the terminal is a Unix layer on top of Darwin. On Linux, you're running the real thing. This matters because:

• No more brew install to get basic tools -- they're in your distro's repos
• System paths, package names, and behaviors match your production servers
• Docker runs natively (no VM layer like Docker Desktop on macOS)
• You can test systemd services, cron jobs, and other Linux-specific features locally

On macOS, Docker runs inside a hidden Linux VM (which is why Docker Desktop exists). On Linux, Docker runs natively on the kernel. This means:

• Faster container startup and execution
• No Docker Desktop license requirements
• Direct access to containers via the filesystem
• Less RAM overhead

# Install Docker on Ubuntu/Mint
sudo apt install -y docker.io docker-compose-v2
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
# Log out and back in for the group change to take effect

Almost everything you use on macOS has a Linux version:

• VS Code -- native Linux app, same experience
• JetBrains IDEs -- IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc. All have native Linux builds
• Git -- built-in on most distros, or sudo apt install git
• Node.js / Python / Go / Rust -- all install natively, often via your package manager
• Neovim / Vim / Emacs -- the same everywhere
• iTerm2 -- no Linux version, but Alacritty, Kitty, and Wezterm are excellent alternatives

Xcode is macOS-only. If you develop iOS or macOS apps, you still need a Mac for that. There's no way around it -- Apple doesn't allow iOS development on non-Apple hardware.

For everything else (web development, backend, DevOps, data science, etc.), Linux is arguably better than macOS.

Intel Macs work well with Linux. A few things to know:

• Wi-Fi usually works, but some older MacBook models need the broadcom-sta driver
• The keyboard and trackpad work, but the trackpad won't be as refined as under macOS
• Fan control: install mbpfan to keep your Mac from overheating
• The Touch Bar (on models that have it) has limited Linux support. Basic function key mode works.

Apple Silicon support is improving thanks to the Asahi Linux project, but it's not yet ready for everyone. As of now:

• Basic desktop use works (web browsing, coding, office work)
• GPU acceleration is partially supported
• Some hardware features (Thunderbolt, camera) may not work fully
• It's a work in progress -- check the Asahi Linux feature support page for the latest status

If you have an Apple Silicon Mac and want Linux, consider installing it on a separate PC or running it in a VM (UTM on macOS can run Linux ARM virtual machines).