I Used Arch, BTW: macOS, Day 1

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Nix and configuration management on macOS

  • One view: Nix on macOS (even with Determinate installer) is “awful” compared to native NixOS; big night‑and‑day gap.
  • Others report nix-darwin as “a dream,” using mostly shared configs across macOS and NixOS, once the learning curve is past.
  • Some had Nix/Nix‑Darwin catastrophically break macOS setups, even resisting clean uninstall and forcing OS reinstalls.
  • A common compromise: Nix (or nix‑darwin) for CLI/config, Homebrew for GUI apps.

Homebrew, MacPorts, and alternatives

  • Experiences are sharply split.
    • Positive: many report decade‑plus of stable use across multiple Macs, even on Linux and WSL; like “evergreen latest” dependencies.
    • Negative: others hit breakage on almost every large update, dependency/cask transitions, permissions issues, and Python/virtualenv havoc.
  • “Maintenance snippet” (update/upgrade/autoremove/cleanup/doctor) run regularly is cited as key to stability, but some find that inconvenient.
  • Complaints: forced auto‑updates, mass upgrades when installing one package, quick removal of EOL software (e.g., old PHP), confusing nomenclature, and concerns about security/review of formula changes.
  • MacPorts is remembered as very stable, but with fewer available packages; some switched only because desired software existed only in Homebrew.
  • Several people avoid both Nix and heavy Homebrew use by:
    • Using static binaries plus mise/asdf for languages.
    • Using uv/pyenv instead of Brew’s Python.
    • Setting HOMEBREW_NO_AUTO_UPDATE=1 and keeping macOS/Xcode tightly in sync.

Linux on Apple Silicon vs VMs

  • Fedora Asahi Remix on M1/M2 gets praise: much faster than macOS for dev (K3s, FreeBSD VMs, compilation) with good GPU support.
  • Concerns: project slowed after maintainer left over kernel Rust disputes; missing features (e.g., DP Alt Mode), M3/M4 support uncertain.
  • Some argue rising contributor interest could restore momentum; for current supported hardware it’s already “excellent.”
  • Running Linux in Apple’s Virtualization framework: near‑native CPU performance, but no suspend/restore, limited graphics/devices, some friction with audio/displays and host shortcuts. Arch ARM is described as rough; Alpine suggested but criticized for weak supply‑chain guarantees.

macOS, Linux, and “distraction”

  • One stance: Linux is the most distracting due to tinkering.
  • Counter: Windows wins for intrusive ads and ignoring user intent; macOS also imposes Apple’s preferences. Linux is “all yours,” with power and responsibility.

Hardware, price, and platform choices

  • Many praise Apple Silicon’s performance, battery life, build quality, speakers, display, and trackpad—even on the €1k Air.
  • Some see comparisons between a €3k M4 Pro and a cheap Linux laptop as unfair; argue you should compare to high‑end ThinkPads/EliteBooks, which now have good Linux support (especially AMD).
  • Others note new Intel/AMD laptops give “good enough” battery and performance plus first‑class Linux, so Linux fans no longer “have to” buy MacBooks.

macOS workflow tooling

  • Tiling: AeroSpace vs yabai + sketchybar. AeroSpace wins for some because it doesn’t require disabling SIP or sudoers hacks.
  • Terminals: WezTerm and Ghostty are recommended over Alacritty for better macOS integration and advanced workflows.
  • Hammerspoon is mentioned for deep macOS scripting/customization.

Time spent on setup

  • Debate over whether investing days in environment setup is wasteful.
  • Some insist it’s over‑optimization; others argue that even a couple of days is negligible over a machine’s multi‑year life and pays off in comfort and productivity.