Day 45: Using Linux as My Primary Development Environment: A Technical Review After 45 Days
It has now been 45 days since I started my “100 Days of Linux” journey on November 24th. The goal was simple but radical: replace macOS and Windows entirely and verify whether Linux could cover everything—development, gaming, productivity, graphics, and daily use—without compromise.
The conclusion so far is clear: Linux has become my main system, and it works flawlessly.
Below is my technical review as of January 7th, 2026.
Development environment: identical (or better) compared to macOS
The transition from macOS to Linux has been surprisingly smooth. My entire toolchain—from C# development to containerized workloads—is fully replicated and fully operational.
Rider works perfectly
JetBrains Rider on Linux is extremely stable and responsive:
- full support for .NET 8 / 9 / 10 preview
- refactoring and code analysis identical to macOS
- debugger works flawlessly even with complex solutions
- Docker, SSH, and Kubernetes integration without weird configurations
- excellent support for Unity, MonoGame, Silk.NET, OpenGL, Vulkan
No limitations compared to macOS.
.NET 10
: fully functional on Linux
One of the most interesting parts of these 45 days is that I’m already working with .NET 10.
On Arch Linux:
- multiple SDKs can be installed side-by-side
- projects can target specific versions using
global.json - Rider detects them automatically
- no runtime conflicts
- no platform-specific issues
I’m currently testing:
- JIT improvements
- more stable AOT pipeline
- more reliable SingleFile + trimming
- smoother runtime performance under load
Everything works on the first try.
Performance reality: the M4 Max still wins
The only thing I truly miss from macOS is the raw performance of the MacBook Pro M4 Max.
Strengths of the M4 Max:
- faster C# build times
- consistent compilation with no thermal throttling
- incredibly low power consumption under heavy workloads
- extremely efficient unified memory
No x86 Linux laptop can match that today.
This is not a Linux limitation—it’s a hardware limitation.
That said, my productivity hasn’t decreased; I just miss the raw speed boost of Apple Silicon.
Gaming on Linux: 100% compatible, no compromises
With an RTX 5080, gaming on Linux has become seamless.
Thanks to:
- Proton GE
- DXVK / VKD3D
- shader pre-caching
- optimized NVIDIA drivers
compatibility is nearly perfect. Some games even run better than on Windows because of lower OS overhead.
My setup:
- Proton GE set globally in Steam
- MangoHud / GOverlay for metrics and overlays
- Gamemode for CPU scheduling
- precompiled shaders
I haven’t rebooted into Windows a single time in 45 days.
Non-gaming software compatibility
Photopea instead of Photoshop
For light-to-medium graphic work, Photopea is more than enough:
- works with PSD files
- supports layers and masks
- runs in the browser
- zero installation
For heavier workloads, Krita or Gimp are options, but I haven’t needed them yet.
Hardware: best-case scenario on Linux
Webcam finally supported
With the latest Arch kernels, the Dell XPS IPU7 webcam works without patches:
- integrated drivers
- stable quality
- native support for Zoom/Meet
Kernel Zen improvements
Using Zen kernel provides:
- better CPU scheduler
- lower latency
- improved thermals
Battery management: the only real weak point
This is where Linux can’t compete with macOS.
Dell doesn’t offer a macOS-style smart charging system, so I’ve implemented a custom script that:
- defines charging thresholds
- caps charging at 70–80%
- triggers automatically on AC/DC events
- integrates into systemd
It works, but it’s not as elegant or automatic as macOS.
Wayland, Pipewire, and window managers
Wayland
Stable, modern, and now compatible with most apps.
Pipewire
Excellent audio routing and reliability.
Hyprland
I use only one setups:
- Hyprland for a more aesthetic, animated workflow
Printers: still a pain point
USB printers remain the only truly annoying area:
- CUPS drivers are sometimes outdated
- some all-in-one devices behave unpredictably
- plug-and-play experience still not at macOS level
Technical conclusion after 45 days
The summary is straightforward:
Linux has fully replaced macOS as my main environment without losing functionality.
- development: complete
- .NET 10: fully supported
- gaming: flawless
- desktop environment: modern and stable with hyprland
- hardware support: excellent
- ✘ laptop performance: Apple M4 Max still unmatched
- ✘ battery management: still needs improvement
As I continue toward Day 100, it's now clear that Linux is no longer an experiment.
It’s my primary environment—and I’ll keep optimizing, automating, and documenting the journey.