My daily driver MacBook Pro has had an update. It’s a mid-2015 15” MacBook Pro with a 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7, 16 GB RAM, and a 512 GB SSD. For over 10 years, it’s been a reliable machine…until it wasn’t. MacOS Monterey is no longer supported by Apple and as a result, it became an unsafe machine to use for development or general browsing.

What did I do?

I decided to wipe it clean and install Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. The installation process was straightforward, and I opted for the minimal install. After installation, I set up my development environment, including VS Code, Git, and Node.js (Docker coming soon). The performance boost was immediate. Applications launch faster, and multitasking feels much smoother.

Tradeoffs?

How can I put this? Ubuntu Desktop is the equivalent of owning a “mechanic’s car.” You might not like the smell of burnt oil, but you’ll get used to it. There are some tradeoffs, of course. Some applications that are available on Windows or macOS are simply not available for Linux. This forces me to find alternatives, develop my own software, or learn to live without.

Overall, switching to Ubuntu is a mixed bag. I do like it, it’s nice, it does what I need it to do. It does offer me the freedom to do whatever I want to do with my computer…HOWEVER, the compatability issues leave me feeling a little left out in the cold at times. But, that’s the price you pay for liberty.

At the end of the day, I’m glad I made the switch. My MacBook Pro feels revitalized, and I’m excited to explore what Linux has to offer. If you’re considering a similar move, I say go for it! Just be prepared for a bit of a learning curve and some compromises along the way.