Why I Switched to Linux

I ran Windows for most of my life and macOS for about four years. Switching to Linux wasn't something I planned — it started as an experiment and became permanent. This isn't a 'Linux is objectively better for everyone' post. It's an honest account of why it works better for me and what the real tradeoffs are.

What Pushed Me Over #

Three things: WSL on Windows never felt quite right for serious development (filesystem performance, the impedance mismatch between Windows paths and Unix paths), macOS started feeling increasingly locked-down and expensive for what it offered, and I got tired of fighting the operating system instead of using it. When I need to set up a development environment on Linux, it usually just works. Packages are where I expect them, configurations behave consistently, and nothing tries to redirect me to an App Store.

The Practical Reality #

I use Ubuntu (currently 24.04 LTS) because I want an OS that gets out of my way, not one that I need to configure constantly. I know some people consider Ubuntu too mainstream, too beginner-friendly, too opinionated. Those same people seem to spend a lot of time configuring their operating system. I'd rather configure my actual projects.

Development tooling is genuinely better on Linux. Docker runs natively without a VM wrapper. Rust compilation is faster. Package management with apt is simple and predictable. Terminal performance is excellent. When you deploy code to a Linux server, you're developing on the same platform you're targeting, which eliminates an entire category of 'works on my machine' problems.

The Tradeoffs I Actually Notice #

Gaming is the obvious one — the situation has improved dramatically with Proton, but it's still not as seamless as Windows for every title. Adobe software doesn't run natively (though Affinity apps run well under Wine, and I've mostly migrated to them). Some collaboration tools have worse Linux clients than their Windows or macOS counterparts.

Font rendering took some adjustment. Linux handles fonts differently than macOS, and it took a few configuration tweaks to get things looking the way I wanted. This is a one-time setup cost, but it's worth knowing upfront.

I don't think everyone should switch to Linux. If you're deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem or rely on Windows-specific software, the switching costs are real. But if your primary work is writing code, and you're willing to spend a weekend on the transition, I think most developers would be pleasantly surprised. The friction I expected never really materialized.