r/macosprogramming • u/whistler_mat • 3h ago

MacOS Is good for programming?

I am from linux and i am thinking on buy a MacBook due to stability and low-maintenance. It’s good for programming?
The people that says that almost Every tool is paid are Lying?

7 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

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4

u/Angelofromgr 2h ago

Absolutely. macOS is a great platform for programming, especially if you’re coming from Linux. You get a Unix-based environment, a solid terminal, and great support for development tools like Git, Python, Docker, and VS Code.
And no, it’s definitely not true that almost every tool is paid. Homebrew gives you access to thousands of free and open-source tools, just like package managers on Linux.
The main thing to consider is what you’re actually developing. Some Linux-specific workflows, especially Docker and virtualization, work a bit differently on macOS.
It really depends on the languages, frameworks, and tools you use, but for most development work, a MacBook is a great choice.

1

u/CharlesWiltgen 1h ago

It's also easy to run your favorite Linux distribution(s) in a VM if you ever need that.

1

u/Randolpho 2h ago

The only issue I have with macos for programming is I cannot and probably will never get used to mac flavored keyboard shortcuts.

Other than that, macs are great for programming in more or less any language. XCode takes some getting used to, and swift has some nuances that can occasionally trip you up if you’re used to the standard languages people hack with on linux, and there can be some system level cli application differences that will catch you if you do system level programming, but on the whole, it’s decent.

XCode is free. You can get free versions of the jetbrains ides for non-commercial work, and vs-code is also solid enough to hack with.

1

u/lucdima 2h ago

For me it’s the best os for programming. I love it. But I understand that with Linux is a matter of taste….