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Windows or Linux/Mac : which one is better for development?

Rishav Jadon on January 29, 2021

Which one is better in terms of workflow, developer experience, etc?

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Andras Bacsai

I'm a huge Linux fan/user for 10 years now. I used it everyday on all of my development machines.

I bought my first gaming pc at the beginning of this year, so I've installed Windows on it.

But I thought maybe I could use it for work as well, as it's an 'MHz Monster' - if you know what I mean :). And WOW. I was so surprised how well WSL2 integrated into the operating system. I do not even see that I'm on a Windows machine. I can install whatever I want on the Ubuntu running in WSL2. VSCode is also connecting to that WSL instance. Perfect.

I'm also running some of my development environment in docker, which is perfectly working.

I recommend testing it!

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Rishav Jadon

Wow that's cool to hear. I'm on windows and I've always wanted to explore linux

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Martin Jablečník

I prefere Linux. You can customize it, choose from various environments, setup own shortcuts and have more workspaces which I am using a lot for better management of my work. Windows are too binding for me.

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Syed Umair Ali • Edited

I prefer linux for Development.

Give WSL2 a chance also

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Samuel Abreu

With a powerful enough machine, its irrelevant, with WSL2 and even using virtualization you can have everything from Windows on linux (and vice versa).

But on low end machine, definitely linux, less bloated and easier maintenance.

As i have to work on apple products im using mac @ work, except xcode all tools i use works well on linux.

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Luis R. Anaya

I have coded in Linux and Windows and my personal preference is Linux just because that's the platform that target platform work related tasks is Linux (I also coded in MVS/zOS but that's beyond the scope of this exercise). Both have each strengths and weaknesses, therefore better is a somewhat relative term. In my case, what drives my choice is the target platform.

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Dorian C

I've been using all three and it's quite similar. You may loose more time here and there on linux but overall it's the same. At this point, I think it's more about personal preference / workflow on your project (docker / VPN access only on windows / etc) and also your feeling regarding closed source system.

I'm mainly talking about web development of course.

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Chad Adams

Currently use Mac for work but I prefer Linux :)

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Lorenzo

Hello! If you're interested you can find other people's opinion here: dev.to/devlorenzo/windows-or-mac-4f8k

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Justin

For Me Linux

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David Hernández

Windows with WSL 2

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Manav Misra

Mac/Linux for all things JS related. Windows for '.net' and 'C#,' etc.

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Rishav Jadon

Why mac/linux for js? Can you specify?

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Manav Misra

Oh. Sure. It was just a quick 'on the way out.'
The main reason why is b/c Mac gives us much better experience with Terminal - iTerm2, brew package manager, etc.

Now, on the latest Windows, one can utilize the Linux subsystem, so that's not bad now - but then, you are not really using Windows then.

For most thing web dev, setting up npm and installing packages and such, my students have generally had less trouble/issues as opposed to using GitBash on Windows for this.

It's not a 'major' difference, but the terminal and package management is nice to have, which is a big part of full-stack JS. So...not JS per say - JS can be written in the browser console, technically.

Ok, so it's pretty much even, but if asking, then Mac/Linux terminal gives a more seamless web dev experience for some of the things I have mentioned here.

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Habdul Hazeez

The one you can afford, and make the most of it.

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Faturachman Yusup • Edited

I prefer Linux. Because I haven't Mac😅

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Abdulbasid Guled

I love both. I really don't have a favourite tbh, they both have their uses

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kryptobi

i prefer Mac

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Toma

In XXI century, It shouldn't matter. It should matter WHAT you build, not how and with what Technology. Or maybe my concern is from Xxiii or XXIV century...

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VIJAYASANKAR BALASUBRAMANIAN

Windows is good, even though I use Mac as my daily runner, prefer to use Windows much if you are into core development

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kostja

What do you mean by core development?