3 ms·

The thing is, macOS is objectively worse than Linux in certain respects, e.g. the UI's placement of window close next to other window controls (oddly, the old M

by zeveb 9y ago

The thing is, macOS is objectively worse than Linux in certain respects, e.g. the UI's placement of window close next to other window controls (oddly, the old Macintosh OS did this correctly) or shipping the less-featureful BSD userland rather than the GNU userland, or shipping an old & outdated bash. But I enjoy making my tools work better. I don't compile my kernel anymore, I don't build my own computers, but I do enjoy making my environment work better, faster, simpler and more powerfully.

jsjohnst 9y ago
> shipping the less-featureful BSD userland rather than the GNU userland, or shipping an old & outdated bash. You think that's an intentional choice Apple made? If you spent even a moment looking into it you'd realize the GNU user land has a license that purposely roadblocks companies like Apple from using it. I'm not saying Apple or GNU is to blame, they have different philosophies with their own benefits and drawbacks, but to pretend it's only one side's fault is a bit naive.
- zeveb 9y ago
  > You think that's an intentional choice Apple made? Yes, because they do ship some GPL software (and provide the source code for it); they choose not to ship more, and they choose not to give their customers the source code to the software they purchase. I don't know if Apple could make money selling hardware with open source software, but I do believe that morally it should.
  - jsjohnst 9y ago
    They used to ship quite a bit of GPL software, but have been progressively removing as much of it as they can as fast as they can. There's very little GPL left in macOS and I bet they would kill it immediately if it was practical.
philjohn 9y ago
I know it counts as a tweak, but install spectacles and never bother about the window controls again - last time I clicked one was, um, not actually sure it's been so long!
- zimpenfish 9y ago
  I can't remember the last time I used the close button on a window. Occasionally use the zoom button when I can't remember the shortcut for maximise / fullscreen and when I've forgotten Spectacles is installed (I said I was old, right?)
matwood 9y ago
> The thing is, macOS is objectively worse than Linux in certain respects Maybe, but one of the most important aspects to me (managing multiple monitors with different DPIs), Linux is a joke.

by zeveb 9y ago

jsjohnst 9y ago

> shipping the less-featureful BSD userland rather than the GNU userland, or shipping an old & outdated bash. You think that's an intentional choice Apple made? If you spent even a moment looking into it you'd realize the GNU user land has a license that purposely roadblocks companies like Apple from using it. I'm not saying Apple or GNU is to blame, they have different philosophies with their own benefits and drawbacks, but to pretend it's only one side's fault is a bit naive.

zeveb 9y ago
> You think that's an intentional choice Apple made? Yes, because they do ship some GPL software (and provide the source code for it); they choose not to ship more, and they choose not to give their customers the source code to the software they purchase. I don't know if Apple could make money selling hardware with open source software, but I do believe that morally it should.
- jsjohnst 9y ago
  They used to ship quite a bit of GPL software, but have been progressively removing as much of it as they can as fast as they can. There's very little GPL left in macOS and I bet they would kill it immediately if it was practical.

philjohn 9y ago

I know it counts as a tweak, but install spectacles and never bother about the window controls again - last time I clicked one was, um, not actually sure it's been so long!

zimpenfish 9y ago
I can't remember the last time I used the close button on a window. Occasionally use the zoom button when I can't remember the shortcut for maximise / fullscreen and when I've forgotten Spectacles is installed (I said I was old, right?)

matwood 9y ago

> The thing is, macOS is objectively worse than Linux in certain respects Maybe, but one of the most important aspects to me (managing multiple monitors with different DPIs), Linux is a joke.