4 ms·

Switch to Linux. Using MacOS locks you into proprietary hardware. By focusing on the software rather than the hardware, you can switch hardware manufactures as

Switch to Linux. Using MacOS locks you into proprietary hardware. By focusing on the software rather than the hardware, you can switch hardware manufactures as they oscillate in quality. Going with something like NixOS would make this even easier as your operating system setup could easily be migrated to another machine when the time comes.

suprfnk 4y ago
While NixOS in principle would make switching between hardware manufacturers easier, working with NixOS is anything but easy. Don't expect to run anything that isn't packaged. Don't expect packaging some binary blob for NixOS is easy.
- colordrops 4y ago
  I've found it to be a ton easier than RPM or deb files. Not much ceremony - a binary can sometimes be packaged with a dozen lines of config. The problem isn't that it's not easy. It is easy. The problem is that it's an entirely new ecosystem and language, and takes time to learn. But it's worth it.
pizza234 4y ago
Switching to Linux is a move that must be extremely carefully considered, due to compatibility. I'm positive about this because I've been working 10+ years exclusively on it, and compatibility is "not great". In the past, Linux compatibility was not great because the desktop userbase was considerably smaller. Today, compatiblity is not great because hardware got considerably more complex. It's possible that some hardware is very compatible. That's great! But one has to be very careful. For example the alleged Dell XPS compatibility with Linux is a half-scam (I've worked on such laptop), or brands like Lenovo, which used to be very compatible in the past, now are not necessarily so (e.g. Ryzen 6000 laptops are a dumpster fire on Linux).
- allisdust 4y ago
  > Dell XPS compatibility with Linux is a half-scam How so? I'm using one with ubuntu 22. 04 and it works great. Haven't seen a laptop that properly sleeps and wakes up with Linux before so it has been a pleasant experience. Only thing that doesn't work out of the box is the fingerprint reader.
  - pizza234 4y ago
    I don't know with 22.04 and with the current, but on the first XPS developer models (I believe 9370 and 9380), there was an issue with the power consumption in standby mode, which required a workaround. Tracking bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1808957 https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1808957. It's a bit mad - even if the fix has been released, it seems to still affect users of other XPS models. Other bug, affecting keyboard lights: https://ubuntu-mate.community/t/keyboard-light-keeps-turning-on-after-login-and-or-unlock/6914 https://ubuntu-mate.community/t/keyboard-light-keeps-turning.... On the other hand, the recent XPS 13 Plus, is officially certified by Ubuntu, so there's hope :)
  - archi42 4y ago
    I have the XPS 13 Dev Edition (9310, from mid 2021) and replaced Ubuntu with Arch Linux. 1. The fingerprint reader needs some older and/or patched versions of the corresponding tools/daemon. I fixed it upon setup, but don't really use it so didn't bother checking if this works now with the latest vanilla versions. 2. Something related to Bluetooth causes random CPU lockups (I think the kernel/driver is the culprit), so I have it disabled. (3. IIRC the Wifi wasn't properly supported by the mainline kernel for some time upon release - but I bought the laptop quite late into the product cycle, so this didn't affect me) 4. The WiFi chip does not support promiscuous mode If it was really as Linux-compatible as the ads suggest, everything would work out of the box with mainline kernel & upstream versions of user-space tools. Mostly they probably should have picked a better supported WiFi/BT combo chip (e.g. something from Intel) instead of using a chip that barely works (yes, it's soldered on and I the dev variant probably has the same PCB as the non-dev variant). Besides that, the UX is quite good. As you say, sleep works well (but I'm expecting that from any decent laptop; I know, I'm expecting too much). The touchscreen is awesome in Chromium (too bad Firefox doesn't touch-scroll, but maybe that can be reconfigured in about:config). [edit] light rephrasing, added 4. + last two paragraphs.

suprfnk 4y ago

While NixOS in principle would make switching between hardware manufacturers easier, working with NixOS is anything but easy. Don't expect to run anything that isn't packaged. Don't expect packaging some binary blob for NixOS is easy.

colordrops 4y ago
I've found it to be a ton easier than RPM or deb files. Not much ceremony - a binary can sometimes be packaged with a dozen lines of config. The problem isn't that it's not easy. It is easy. The problem is that it's an entirely new ecosystem and language, and takes time to learn. But it's worth it.

pizza234 4y ago

Switching to Linux is a move that must be extremely carefully considered, due to compatibility. I'm positive about this because I've been working 10+ years exclusively on it, and compatibility is "not great". In the past, Linux compatibility was not great because the desktop userbase was considerably smaller. Today, compatiblity is not great because hardware got considerably more complex. It's possible that some hardware is very compatible. That's great! But one has to be very careful. For example the alleged Dell XPS compatibility with Linux is a half-scam (I've worked on such laptop), or brands like Lenovo, which used to be very compatible in the past, now are not necessarily so (e.g. Ryzen 6000 laptops are a dumpster fire on Linux).

allisdust 4y ago
> Dell XPS compatibility with Linux is a half-scam How so? I'm using one with ubuntu 22. 04 and it works great. Haven't seen a laptop that properly sleeps and wakes up with Linux before so it has been a pleasant experience. Only thing that doesn't work out of the box is the fingerprint reader.
- pizza234 4y ago
  I don't know with 22.04 and with the current, but on the first XPS developer models (I believe 9370 and 9380), there was an issue with the power consumption in standby mode, which required a workaround. Tracking bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1808957 https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1808957. It's a bit mad - even if the fix has been released, it seems to still affect users of other XPS models. Other bug, affecting keyboard lights: https://ubuntu-mate.community/t/keyboard-light-keeps-turning-on-after-login-and-or-unlock/6914 https://ubuntu-mate.community/t/keyboard-light-keeps-turning.... On the other hand, the recent XPS 13 Plus, is officially certified by Ubuntu, so there's hope :)
- archi42 4y ago
  I have the XPS 13 Dev Edition (9310, from mid 2021) and replaced Ubuntu with Arch Linux. 1. The fingerprint reader needs some older and/or patched versions of the corresponding tools/daemon. I fixed it upon setup, but don't really use it so didn't bother checking if this works now with the latest vanilla versions. 2. Something related to Bluetooth causes random CPU lockups (I think the kernel/driver is the culprit), so I have it disabled. (3. IIRC the Wifi wasn't properly supported by the mainline kernel for some time upon release - but I bought the laptop quite late into the product cycle, so this didn't affect me) 4. The WiFi chip does not support promiscuous mode If it was really as Linux-compatible as the ads suggest, everything would work out of the box with mainline kernel & upstream versions of user-space tools. Mostly they probably should have picked a better supported WiFi/BT combo chip (e.g. something from Intel) instead of using a chip that barely works (yes, it's soldered on and I the dev variant probably has the same PCB as the non-dev variant). Besides that, the UX is quite good. As you say, sleep works well (but I'm expecting that from any decent laptop; I know, I'm expecting too much). The touchscreen is awesome in Chromium (too bad Firefox doesn't touch-scroll, but maybe that can be reconfigured in about:config). [edit] light rephrasing, added 4. + last two paragraphs.