Why I Switched Back to Linux After Half a Year on macOS – Lessons and Essential Tools

Motivation to Return to Linux

After six months of using macOS, the author switched back to Linux. Although macOS offers a friendly ecosystem, the author found that a Linux workstation can provide comparable convenience when the workflow relies on cross‑platform software and a consistent set of shortcuts.

Stability Issues on macOS

Following an automatic macOS update, the process /usr/libexec/secd began consuming excessive CPU, causing the fan to run at high speed. The problem was resolved by removing the directory ~/Library/Keychains and rebooting the machine, which appears related to the Keychain update mechanism.

Performance Concerns

Even on high‑end hardware (Intel i9, 32 GB RAM), macOS occasionally displayed “Application Not Responding” dialogs, whereas the same workload on Linux remained smooth and responsive.

Cross‑Platform Applications Used

Google Chrome with account sync

Syncthing (supplemented by Nextcloud) for real‑time file synchronization

Terminal emulators (Guake, kitty) launched with F12 (macOS via Hammerspoon script)

RIME input method (fcitx‑rime / Squirrel) sharing configuration and dictionaries

IntelliJ IDEA

Bitwarden password manager

SmartGit

Telegram

GoldenDict

VMware Fusion / VMware Workstation

Obsidian notes, synchronized via Syncthing and version‑controlled with Git

Installation Commands

Bitwarden (Snap package): sudo snap install bitwarden Google Chrome (APT repository):

sudo apt update
sudo apt install google-chrome-stable

Configuration Management

Key configuration tools include zsh, tmux, vim, and RIME. Dotfiles and RIME configuration files are stored in a Git‑tracked repository that is synchronized across machines, ensuring identical environments.

Keyboard Shortcut Consistency

The author examined the kinto project (https://github.com/rbreaves/kinto/) that maps Linux shortcuts to macOS equivalents. Ultimately, most shortcuts were kept identical on both systems, relying on Vim‑style key bindings (e.g., Vimium in Chrome, Vim mode in Obsidian, and the Vim plugin in IntelliJ) to maintain a unified workflow.