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0989382

Suspended
Original poster
Jan 11, 2018
527
379
One of the great things about Apple is on your Mac or iPad or iPhone, your content has a home. Messages, Calendar, Contacts, Photos, Music, Files etc. And I don't just mean storing them as files on a filesystem, but storing them in a way that they can be interacted with and used properly. Does Linux have built in or like a rich ecosystem of decent, practical feature rich software for this? If one tries to move from Mac / iOS and Apple especially, this kind of data needs a home. Ideally one that is visually appealing and functional, and doesn't feel like an arbitrary backup to an external hard drive 'and that's it' kind of scenario. Google has its online services, Microsoft has it's online services as 'homes' for our data, but wanting to go to Linux, what are the options?
 

c0ppo

macrumors 68000
Feb 11, 2013
1,890
3,267
One of the great things about Apple is on your Mac or iPad or iPhone, your content has a home. Messages, Calendar, Contacts, Photos, Music, Files etc. And I don't just mean storing them as files on a filesystem, but storing them in a way that they can be interacted with and used properly. Does Linux have built in or like a rich ecosystem of decent, practical feature rich software for this? If one tries to move from Mac / iOS and Apple especially, this kind of data needs a home. Ideally one that is visually appealing and functional, and doesn't feel like an arbitrary backup to an external hard drive 'and that's it' kind of scenario. Google has its online services, Microsoft has it's online services as 'homes' for our data, but wanting to go to Linux, what are the options?


There are a ton of alternatives. But honestly, none so polished like Apple ecosystem. But what might surprise you, imho, better then on windows.

To put it simply, you can use google services and feel right at home. For example, on ubuntu based linux systems, it will even prompt you to login with google account from the install of the OS. After that google drive will be accessible right from the nautilus (finder alternative).

So your calendars, reminders and everything can sync quite easily. I even found an app that does that for iCloud, but never tested it, since I'm not a huge iCloud fan.

And as far as google services sync goes, as far as I know it, it works like a charm. I avoid google like a plague, so can't speak from personal experience. But I see my fellow developers using those services on ubuntu based distros every day, and they seem to work like a charm.

Further more, there is an app called KDE Connect for Android. Install it, and install it on your linux distro of choice. Clipboards are in sync, messages are in sync, you can even tether just like on iPhone, without touching your phone. Heck, even whatsappp messaging works. It takes less then 60secs to set it all up. Really easy and simple.

But bare in mind, don't try to make your linux distro behave like a MacOS. Try to use it like a linux, like it's meant to be used. You will like it more that way. If you try the route of using any linux distro like a mac, well, you will fail.

For a complete beginner, install elementary OS. It looks and behaves similar to MacOS, has some nice design guidelines. Really great distro, especially for those who are coming from mac. It's ubuntu based, so everything I'm writing about here will work on elementary OS as well.
 

MisterSavage

macrumors 601
Nov 10, 2018
4,673
5,521
When I'm on my Linux box I access my calendar and mail online via Google. For the things you mention my primary computer at home is a Mac.
 
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