Switching from macOS to Ubuntu - a developer's story. Comparison of Mac OS, Linux and Windows operating systems

Each operating system has its own established legend and history. Windows is workhorse, which finds its application in almost any category of users - from the corporate sector to housewives. Linux is a complex and capricious system, accessible only to tough programmers and system administrators. Mac is more associated with design and art, providing beautiful and convenient work environment for creativity.

However, all these attitudes came to us from the past. Today it is reckless and incorrect to give such unambiguous assessments. For example, the hero of today's review comes from the world of Linux, but behaves and looks as if he is a bastard Apple.

is a new distribution based on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. Knowledgeable people will immediately understand that this means stability, almost one hundred percent absence of errors and long term support. The main principles underlying the development are simplicity, design and the absence of the need for lengthy and complex setup.

The first thing that will greet you after installing the system is user interface. Working environment Elementary OS is own development and is called Pantheon. It looks just great and it's impossible not to notice its similarity to Mac OS. Here we see a similar application dock at the bottom, function panel on top of the screen and the same attention to every element of the interface, as is typical of Apple.

The application launch menu is called Slingshot, and it is accessible from the left side of the top panel. Slingshot can display installed applications in various categories and has a search bar. Top panel called Wingpanel. It is made in a minimalist spirit, contains a clock in the middle and an indicator panel on the right side.

Lower dock, codenamed Plank, works exactly like the corresponding element in OS X. It contains buttons for quick launch and displays which applications are in this moment launched. In addition, Elementary OS Luna has the ability to display small copies of all windows when you move the mouse to the corner of the screen (analogous to exppose) and several desktops, between which you can easily switch.

Of course, Elementary OS Luna, like others Linux distributions, contains full package pre-installed software. Only here preference is given to the lightest and simple programs, the interface of which is also specially adapted for this system.

Midori— web browser;
Noise- music player;
Geary- mail client;
Shotwell— photo manager;
Totem- video player;
Empathy— communication on the network;
Scratch- text editor.

Elementary OS Luna really stands out somewhat among the many Linux family distributions. Beautiful design, convenient user environment, applications specially adapted for this system make it ideal for beginners or people who do not want to spend a lot of time setting up and finishing the system. The principle of “installed and immediately started working” works great here. Add to this stability and long term support for Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (until April 2017) and you will understand that this is valid great choice for work.

At the same time, experienced Linux users and those who like to tinker with the settings may feel somewhat uncomfortable here. Because they may not feel any need for their skills. Why fix something that already works?

Each operating system has its own established legend and history. Windows is a workhorse that is used by almost any category of user - from the corporate sector to housewives. Linux is a complex and capricious system, accessible only to tough programmers and system administrators. The Mac is more associated with design and art, providing a beautiful and convenient work environment for creativity.

is a new distribution based on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. Knowledgeable people will immediately understand that this means stability, almost one hundred percent absence of errors and a long period of support. The main principles underlying the development are simplicity, design and the absence of the need for lengthy and complex setup.

The first thing you will be greeted with after installing the system is the user interface. The Elementary OS working environment is our own development and is called Pantheon. It looks just great and it's impossible not to notice its similarity to Mac OS. Here we see a similar application dock at the bottom, a functional panel at the top of the screen and the same attention to every element of the interface, as is typical of Apple.

The application launch menu is called Slingshot, and it is accessible from the left side of the top panel. Slingshot can display installed apps in various categories and has a search bar. The top panel is called Wingpanel. It is made in a minimalist spirit, contains a clock in the middle and an indicator panel on the right side.

Lower dock, codenamed Plank, works exactly like the corresponding element in OS X. It contains quick launch buttons and displays which applications are currently running. In addition, Elementary OS Luna has the ability to display small copies of all windows when you move the mouse to the corner of the screen (analogous to exppose) and several desktops, between which you can easily switch.

Of course, Elementary OS Luna, like other Linux distributions, contains a complete package of pre-installed software. Only here preference is given to the lightest and simplest programs, the interface of which is also specially adapted for this system.

Midori— web browser;
Noise- music player;
Geary- mail client;
Shotwell— photo manager;
Totem- video player;
Empathy— communication on the network;
Scratch- text editor.

Elementary OS Luna really stands out somewhat among the large family of Linux distributions. Beautiful design, convenient user environment, applications specially adapted for this system make it ideal for beginners or people who do not want to spend a lot of time setting up and finishing the system. The principle of “installed and immediately started working” works great here. Add to this the stability and long-term support of Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (until April 2017) and you will understand that this is truly an excellent choice for work.

However, experienced Linux users and those who like to tinker with the settings may feel somewhat uncomfortable here. Because they may not feel any need for their skills. Why fix something that already works?

The debate is about which of these operating systems It would probably be better if they never stopped. The most common and popular operating systems are Windows, Linux and Mac OS. Let's try to compare them.

Let's start with the fact that Linux belongs to the family of open and free systems. What does it mean? You can install the OS on your PC or laptop completely free of charge, and most importantly, legally. In turn, Mac OS and Windows belong to a closed (proprietary) family of operating systems. Copies of these must be purchased for installation. Pirated versions are widespread.

Now briefly about each of these operating systems:

Windows.Until recently, the most common operating system. According to statistics, it is installed on 85% of devices: tablets, laptops, computers. Used both at home and in businesses. With distribution mobile devices– smartphones, Linux began to push Windows. After all, it became the basis for Android.
The most important advantages are excellent compatibilityb and prevalence.

Linuxfrom the operating room family Unix systems. However, there are various distributions that have a kernel depending on the version, and are tailored for specific purposes. They are suitable for working on desktops for housewives, and for powerful cluster server systems.More than 80% of servers on the Internet run one of the Linux distributions, FreeBSD or another Unix-like system. We talked about the basis for Android above.

The advantage is that defects and inaccuracies can be quickly corrected thanks to the open source code.

Mac OS.A system that was developed by Apple. This is related software for devices produced by this corporation. Based on FreeBSD source closed. IN currently occupies less than 20% of the market and is considered the second most popular.

Advantages: stability and performance.

Let's compare the OS in several ways.

System requirements.Of course, on this parameter now they pay much less attention than some 7–8 years ago. However, the number of applications that require significant resources to operate is increasing. This means that free place on your PC or other device will not be superfluous.

Windows.For stable operation systems of the latest versions, you will need a processor with two cores, 1 GB of RAM (and if you take a 64-bit distribution, then even more), and not the worst video card.

Linux.Here the situation is simpler. All you need is a single-core processor, 256 MB of RAM (be prepared to buy additional hardware right away) and absolutely any video card. Naturally, this will not be enough for fast work applications and easy Internet surfing. But minimum requirements exactly like that. Note that an advantage will be the Zram kernel module, which allows you to compress data from using zip before saving to RAM.

Mac OS.Since the system is closed, it is impossible to draw an unambiguous conclusion. Theoretically, this OS can be launched with 512 MB of RAM, a single-core processor with a frequency of 1 GHz and 9 free GB of memory on the hard drive.

Security/virus protection.Most users store on their computer personal information, photo, exercise Money transfers, communicate, etc. All this information requires protection. How stable are the operating systems chosen for comparison:

Windows.It is believed that this OS is the most vulnerable. This can be explained very simply: over latest versions less qualified employees work. This is confirmed by numerous errors in the code. If you remember Windows NT and Windows XP, the development process was well organized, hence the stability. That is why hackers come up with more and more new viruses under this cover. Also, Microsoft specialists fix very few vulnerabilities, and if they do, it takes a month or more.

Linux.If you look at Linux, “holes” are patched in a matter of hours. All products in the Unix family have very few flaws. It is possible to encrypt data, but doing this will require certain skills. As for pop-up blockers, you can forget about them.

Mac OS.The most secure OS, for hacking it there is even a good reward on some hacker sites. Helps maintain system stability by encrypting data and distributing it into personal and system ones. Besides new Mac The OS has been rewritten from scratch and is not compatible with previous versions. This means that finding ways to hack has become even more difficult.

The process of installing and configuring the OS.Here those being compared manifest themselves in different ways: someone« friendly» , and someone will cause a lot of trouble.

Windows.As practice shows, even a novice computer user can install it. The course of the entire operation is clear on an intuitive level. Minus - you will have to look for some programs for full-fledged work systems.

Linux.The installation process differs little from that described above, and sometimes it will be even easier to install the software. This applies specifically to the desktop version. If you need greater system customization and disk savings, then for installation you need to have at least a general understanding of the system packages and their interaction.

Mac OS.The installation process can be compared to a similar operation in Windows. To configure the system, ready-made System programs Preferences

Stability.Let's look at the differences in the work process.

Windows.Yes, outdated versions Indeed, they often failed. This is not the case with modern versions of the OS. Blue screens Deaths are now extremely rare.

Linux.Perhaps the most stable system of all three.

Mac OS.Crashes happen with about the same frequency as Windows. This most often occurs due to the use of programs that are incompatible with Apple standards.

Software support.Now let’s compare how they “treat” third party software operating systems presented.

Windows.Since this OS is the most common, software is most often written specifically for it. You can find a lot of paid and free software.

Linux.Every year it appears great amount programs compatible with this system, and almost all of them are free. In addition, this OS has Wine emulators and Mono, which allow you to run most Windows applications directly from Linux.

Mac OS.There are a sufficient number of programs. The downside is that they can only be installed from the AppStore.

Ease of use.All developers strive to make their products as simple and accessible as possible to use, but not everyone succeeds.

Windows.No questions asked here.The interface is clear (except for Windows 8). Working on a computer is not difficult.

Linux.Each distribution is developed by a group of like-minded people from different countries, and not by individuals or companies. Anyone can choose a distribution based on the recommendations of other users, taking into account their knowledge and tastes.

Mac OS.Also comfortable and simple system, every little detail is taken into account. Working with it will be clear even to the uninitiated.

Instead of a conclusion.I would like to note that the choice should be based on requests. Decide what you need. Windows simple and a clear system that is ideal for a novice user. Mac OS is perfectly optimized, pleasant to use, and productive. Linux is actively developing, it is already used by “armed” people and specialized specialists, and is also increasingly being installed on home computers. Take what suits you. Pushwe recommend going throughcourseat our Academy.

There are many people in the world who find the OS X interface convenient. Is it possible to set up something like this yourself? appearance on Linux, for example, on Ubuntu OS or its derivatives? Can. Moreover, you don’t need a large file, a small one is enough. That is, even a beginner can cope. In general, avoiding long preambles, let’s just consider different options.

Cairo-Dock

“It’s really very simple!” - exclaims more or less advanced user GNU/Linux. - “Get Ubuntu, turn on hiding the Launcher panel before hovering the pointer, install Cairo-Dock and enjoy!”
However, unfortunately, everything is not so simple and cloudless.

Cairo-Dock does provide, with apologies for the tautology, a "dock" - an icon panel similar to that of OS X and with similar functionality. These icons both launch applications and switch between windows.

But Cairo-Dock is not easy additional element interface, this is now a whole graphical shell. And its integration with Ubuntu is not inspiring. Because Ubuntu is designed for the Unity desktop and is not friendly with other environments. Anyone who tried to install, for example, MATE or Cinnamon, probably encountered glitches and other misunderstandings.

In short, Unity needs to be cut out completely, only then it will not interfere with other shells.

Instead of the bulky Cairo-Dock software, it is better to take the small and modest Docky program. We install and configure the “apple” appearance (by default, the rectangle does not look like a translucent shelf, it does not “go into perspective”). Works well with Unity on Ubuntu. Now all that remains is to hide the Launcher, assign a light theme, and set OS X wallpaper.

If you need something less heavy-handed, Docky works great with GNOME 3. Perhaps even better than with Unity, since Gnome is significantly faster. Suitable, by the way, Ubuntu GNOME Remix.

Along the way it is solved the main problem“Gnome”, which has scared off many users, is the lack of a taskbar or similar quick remedies switch between windows. Docky is just such a tool. It's a pity that the program is not a standard part of GNOME Shell.

Ready solutions

Most users do not want to pick up even a small file at all. They prefer self-sufficient products. Some of them, having sufficient knowledge, decided to create ready-made Linux distributions with an “Apple” taste. Let's look at a couple of such products.

Pear OS, also known as Pear Linux, is an almost complete imitation of OS X, only instead of a bitten apple on the logo there is a pear (hence the name “Pear”). Indeed, everything was ready for use.

Why was it? Because the creator sold the distribution and removed the installation ISO images from public access. On SourceForge you can still get the old fifth release, which remained there, apparently due to an oversight. In general, you will have to get the OS somewhere on torrent trackers.

However, perhaps the old release will also be useful, since the last free one, the eighth in a row, had some defects. In particular, the system did not know which program to open media files in. Associations had to be configured manually.

ElementaryOS is still a live project. This is Ubuntu, but there is no spirit of Unity there. Instead - the Pantheon shell, its own desktop based on GNOME 3.

It works great, much faster than the original Ubuntu, and can be installed even on weak netbooks. But the “doc” there doesn’t look like the “apple” one, and in the release “Luna” (on Ubuntu based 12.04) to set it up as needed, unfortunately, it’s unlikely to work. Minimize windows (minimize) - only by right-clicking on their titles.

There are other problems, for example, selection of software. File manager Files closes by itself, it's better to replace it with Nautilus or something similar. You should also take care to install a normal text editor. LibreOffice (no way without it) should be added only in conjunction with the libreoffice-gtk package, otherwise there will be no integration with the theme at all.

However, when installing any OS it is still required applications you need to add it, so it doesn’t scare away a newbie. The main thing is that the desktop is initially “Apple” in spirit; the interface does not require significant independent modifications.

Conclusion

So, the simplest and most universal option is the Docky program, which works without problems in the GTK shells of Unity and GNOME (but not in XFCE). This is absolutely necessary for GNOME Shell. But the rest will have to be designed in the “Apple” style manually. In ElementaryOS this design is already “ideologically correct”, even if not completely identical, so it makes sense to follow the development of this distribution.

Pear OS 8: a type of Mac OS-style Linux operating system designed for both tablets and desktop computers.

Pear translated from English means “Pear”, Mac OS means “Apple”. Even the Pear OS logo (bitten pear) resembles the Apple logo, don’t believe me, look at the screenshot!

This operating system will be very familiar to Mac users.

Pear OS, based on the operating system kernel Linux and is designed to visualize beauty How V MacOS from Apple. The software and utilities by nature of origin in Pear OS are GNU/Linux and this means that they are all free like the operating system itself.

Since Pear OS is based on Ubuntu, this means it is easy to use. All applications are available from Ubuntu repository, thus the system creates good conditions. Pear OS - this could be the perfect combination Linux + Mac. The operating system does not require high-end hardware.

Pear OS 8 is now available for desktops and laptops, developed by David Taveres.

Pear OS 8 - Linux like Mac OS

Pear OS version 8 - still continues to adopt the design from software Apple. This Linux Pear OS 8 has more than just a user interface like in MacOS, but also the same launchpad touch Apple for desktop computers, color scheme inspired from iOS 7.

For the desktop operating system, the image is available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Pear OS does not focus solely on the visual style of the operating system. David Taveres promises the same fast and high performance Linux, wide range of compatibility peripheral devices, including MP3 players, cameras, printers, etc.

Also in this Linux Pear OS there is a cloud, a utility for Reserve copy and synchronize your contacts, documents, pictures and other data over the Internet.

Pear OS for tablets

The Pear team also hopes to create a version of Pear OS for tablets. Developers are starting to work on a line of tablets from Microsoft. x64 and ARM versions will be available. After integrating the ARM version, Pear OS will eventually be compatible with other tablets including Google Nexus, Samsung Galaxy Tab and Note models. David Taveres is trying to raise funds in the amount of 10,500 euros (about $14,000) to develop Pear OS for tablets.

If the Pear OS team accomplishes everything planned, something similar to this will appear. existing system like Mac OS X on tablets, Mac OS X for desktop computers, laptops, phones and tablets, only based on Linux and free.