How to make linux feel more like a macOS

[bgirschig]

TL;DR
Is there a Linux distribution/desktop that feels like Mac OS? I don't really care about looks, only how it behaves (see below for a list of what I'm looking for)

Context
I've been using mac OS for a while now, but I often have to use other OSes for some clients and specific tasks

Over the years I've become accustomed to a lot of little things that are I'm missing on Linux.
I've tried to recreate those by carefully crafting the config, but it's hard to get everything just right and consistent across the OS

I'm considering switching to Linux entirely, but without the things mentioned below and some software (mostly the adobe suite) the transition is going to be hard

Missing/different things

• Ctrl & ⌘ keys
  • ⌘c ⌘v: copy caste (everywhere, including terminal)
  • Ctrl+c: send interrupt
  • I've tried swapping ⌘ and Ctrl key mapping, but then I need to also change settings on terminal emulators, etc...
• Text Cursor shortcuts
  • ⌘ + arrow keys: move to end/start of line/file
  • alt + arrow keys: move to end/start of word
• Quicklook (I've tried installing some tools for that. Never worked well, or only on some file formats)
• Screenshot tool + shortcuts
  • ⌘ + shift + 4: drag-select screenshot
    • hold space bar to move the capture window
    • also extremely useful to measure pixels on screen
  • ⌘ + shift + 3: full screen capture
  • Hold Ctrl to store capture directly in clipboard
• Special characters (I'm using a US keyboard)
  • alt+e, e: é (on Linux: alt+',e)
  • alt+i, e: ê (on Linux: alt+shift+^, e)
  • alt+c: ç (on Linux: ?)
  • etc...
• Drag and drop a file or folder on a program's icon to open it there
  • I can right-click > open with > my program
  • I can drag and drop files on a window if the program has one open
  • But but I can't drag & drop files & folders on the program's icon to open in a new window.
• In terminal, open opens in the default program for this file type
  • In Linux I have to remember the program and its command line name (it it nautilus, nemo, dolphin, ...?)
  • While writing this, I found out about xdg-open, which is perfect. alias open="xdg-open", problem solved!

I'm not saying all these are better on mac OS than on Linux, just that I'm used to them. I have the shortcuts "in my fingers", and would rather spend time learning piano than duplicate keyboard shortcuts.

Also, I'm sure there are some specific solutions for each of these problems, and I will happily take suggestions, but what I'm really hoping for is a distro/desktop/whatever created specifically with this general idea in mind.
I've heard of elementary OS but it seems like they are focusing on looks rather than the kind of things I'm looking for. If you have any experience with it, does it solve any of the issues mentioned above ?

My current config(s)
debian + cinnamon
Mac OS 10.15.7
Both with US keyboard

Thanks for reading!

 

[KGIII]

As for the keyboard, I use something called 'US intl with AltGr dead keys' - which is fairly close to gibberish and to make matters worse it is inconsistent between distros.

áßðfg朩®ñÁ§ÐFGHÆŒ¢®BÑ

That's holding the right Alt and sometimes using the right Shift key as a modifier.

KGIII³ Development®.

Stuff like that becomes easy, you just need to learn the new layout. It's fairly intuitive.

As Ubuntu is a Debian derivative, it's probably named similar.

¹²³¤€’¥×¬ ¡½¾¦ - those are the numbers, first with Alt and then with Alt + Shift.

 

[Deleted member 108694]

TL;DR
Is there a Linux distribution/desktop that feels like Mac OS? I don't really care about looks, only how it behaves (see below for a list of what I'm looking for)

Context
I've been using mac OS for a while now, but I often have to use other OSes for some clients and specific tasks

Over the years I've become accustomed to a lot of little things that are I'm missing on Linux.
I've tried to recreate those by carefully crafting the config, but it's hard to get everything just right and consistent across the OS

I'm considering switching to Linux entirely, but without the things mentioned below and some software (mostly the adobe suite) the transition is going to be hard

Missing/different things

• Ctrl & ⌘ keys
  • ⌘c ⌘v: copy caste (everywhere, including terminal)
  • Ctrl+c: send interrupt
  • I've tried swapping ⌘ and Ctrl key mapping, but then I need to also change settings on terminal emulators, etc...
• Text Cursor shortcuts
  • ⌘ + arrow keys: move to end/start of line/file
  • alt + arrow keys: move to end/start of word
• Quicklook (I've tried installing some tools for that. Never worked well, or only on some file formats)
• Screenshot tool + shortcuts
  • ⌘ + shift + 4: drag-select screenshot
    • hold space bar to move the capture window
    • also extremely useful to measure pixels on screen
  • ⌘ + shift + 3: full screen capture
  • Hold Ctrl to store capture directly in clipboard
• Special characters (I'm using a US keyboard)
  • alt+e, e: é (on Linux: alt+',e)
  • alt+i, e: ê (on Linux: alt+shift+^, e)
  • alt+c: ç (on Linux: ?)
  • etc...
• Drag and drop a file or folder on a program's icon to open it there
  • I can right-click > open with > my program
  • I can drag and drop files on a window if the program has one open
  • But but I can't drag & drop files & folders on the program's icon to open in a new window.
• In terminal, open opens in the default program for this file type
  • In Linux I have to remember the program and its command line name (it it nautilus, nemo, dolphin, ...?)
  • While writing this, I found out about xdg-open, which is perfect. alias open="xdg-open", problem solved!

I'm not saying all these are better on mac OS than on Linux, just that I'm used to them. I have the shortcuts "in my fingers", and would rather spend time learning piano than duplicate keyboard shortcuts.

Also, I'm sure there are some specific solutions for each of these problems, and I will happily take suggestions, but what I'm really hoping for is a distro/desktop/whatever created specifically with this general idea in mind.
I've heard of elementary OS but it seems like they are focusing on looks rather than the kind of things I'm looking for. If you have any experience with it, does it solve any of the issues mentioned above ?

My current config(s)
debian + cinnamon
Mac OS 10.15.7
Both with US keyboard

Thanks for reading!

You can take a look at MacPup Linux - https://macpup.org/

 

[f33dm3bits]

 

[LorenDB]

Here's something I did using KDE Plasma.

 

[bgirschig]

As for the keyboard, I use something called 'US intl with AltGr dead keys' - which is fairly close to gibberish and to make matters worse it is inconsistent between distros.

áßðfg朩®ñÁ§ÐFGHÆŒ¢®BÑ

That's holding the right Alt and sometimes using the right Shift key as a modifier.

KGIII³ Development®.

Stuff like that becomes easy, you just need to learn the new layout. It's fairly intuitive.

As Ubuntu is a Debian derivative, it's probably named similar.

¹²³¤€’¥×¬ ¡½¾¦ - those are the numbers, first with Alt and then with Alt + Shift.

Thanks for your answer, although I'm not sure I understand all of it...

You say you use "US intl with AltGr dead keys" but that it's gibberish and inconsistent. Soo... do you recommend this or not ?
What's KGIII³ Development® ? Looking for it on Google returned a single result: this thread
If I understand correctly, you main point is that there is no good solution to my question ? Learning the new layout is what I'm doing already, but quickly switching between OSes makes every inconsistency really annoying

Thanks for your answer!

 

[bgirschig]

You can take a look at MacPup Linux - https://macpup.org/

Thanks, I'll have a look

 

[KGIII]

LOL That was just me showing you what they keyboard layout can do. It doesn't mean anything.

And, yeah, I recommend finding a layout that works for your needs. I use the US Intl AltGr with dead keys, sometimes just called US Alt Intl with Dead Keys, sometimes just called US Alt Intl.

In most distros, there's a spot to test your keyboard layout while you're setting it up.

I'd personally recommend that layout as it's the easiest for an English speaker that I have found in the many years I've used Linux. I've used an alternative keyboard layout for decades.

The layout is perfectly good US English until you press the Alt or the Alt + Shift buttons.