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Ubuntu on Windows

(blog.dustinkirkland.com)
2049 points bpierre | 2 comments | 30 Mar 16 16:35 UTC | HN request time: 0.422s | source
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matt_wulfeck ◴[30 Mar 16 17:35 UTC] No.11391211[source]▶
microsoft is leveraging FOSS Linux to get Mac users. I think it's a real smart move.

The author points to using grep and Xargs and some other tools to quickly update a package. That's the key here. These bash/Linux utilities are productivy boosters for all the Linux and Mac/bsd people out there. I can't imagine living without them and they're necessary for any system I develop on (which is currently a Mac).

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simonlc ◴[30 Mar 16 17:53 UTC] No.11391411[source]▶
I completely agree. I only really switched to OSX because getting node tools to work on windows and cygwin is a pita.
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tostitos1979 ◴[30 Mar 16 18:27 UTC] No.11391709[source]▶
I've been "stuck" with a 2010 Macbook since Apple isn't refreshing it's laptop hardware soon enough. Plus I'm sick of soldered in RAM and other BS.

For devs that do heavy Linux work (but have stuck with a Mac OS for GUI/app reasons), is it time to move (back) to Windows? If so, what would be a good laptop to get at the moment?

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snuxoll ◴[30 Mar 16 18:36 UTC] No.11391787[source]▶
Dell's Inspiron line is my go-to for portable workstations. Run Linux straight on them, or if GNOME/KDE aren't your cup of tea just run Windows and put your distro of choice in a VM (I just run Fedora on everything but my gaming PC, personally).

I'm personally using a Dell XPS 13 (2014), soldered in RAM, but I did buy an ultraportable and 8GB is more than sufficient to do my all my personal work on. Work supplied me with a Lenovo W540 that is substantially more flexible, but it weighs as much as a couple bricks and I usually just leave it at home on the dock.

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jpalomaki ◴[30 Mar 16 19:06 UTC] No.11392023[source]▶
I don't have hands on experience, but Dell XPS 15 looks like an interesting option for thoaw looking for Windows laptop that is close to 15" Macbook Pro (quad core, sleek etc).
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NateDad ◴[30 Mar 16 20:26 UTC] No.11392695[source]▶
I have the XPS 15. It is almost identical to a Macbook Pro. Build quality is really awesome. Super super happy with it. The new one with the infinity edge screen is super friggin' sexy, and will absolutely be my next computer. I know a bunch of other devs on the XPS 15 as well, also very happy (we run Ubuntu, but I'm sure it's even better in Windows).
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Pwngea ◴[31 Mar 16 04:36 UTC] No.11395024[source]▶
Which one do you have? How is it specs-wise?
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1. NateDad ◴[31 Mar 16 14:47 UTC] No.11397565[source]▶
I have one that is now 2.5 years old. Specs-wise, it was basically top of the line. Quad Core i7, 16GB RAM, 500GB SSD, 3200x1800 touchscreen, GeForce 750m GPU (which was one of the best mobile GPUs back then). It has a lot of nice touches that lower end models don't have, like 2 or 3 USB3 ports, with 2 or 3 USB ports that have power even when the laptop is off (super handy for charging a phone on an airplane while your laptop is still in your bag, for example). Wireless N networking, HDMI and MiniDP connections, able to drive two external monitors at once along with the laptop screen (up to 1920x1200 over HDMI and 4k over miniDP). The touchpad is pretty decent. backlit chicklet keyboard with variable brightness. SD card slot, 1/4" headset port... the only thing it's missing is an ethernet port, but that's just because it's too thin for the port. A USB3 gigabit ethernet adapter is cheap and works great.

And it's pretty damn light for a 15" laptop. Easily one-handable (I think it's like 2 pounds IIRC).

And what's great is that you can crack it open and replace stuff - I swapped out the hard drive and replaced a malfunctioning battery myself with just a torx screw driver (super tiny torx, but still, no glue or special tools or anything).

It was pretty expensive - like $1900 IIRC. You're paying for the high res screen, better build quality, and thinness/lightness. But it's still like $500+ less than an equivalent macbook.

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2. Pwngea ◴[01 Apr 16 17:19 UTC] No.11406624[source]▶
Wow, sounds awesome. Was thinking about getting a macbook but probably won't anymore.