Learning Linux improved my love for macOS
I have been using Apple devices since the age of 11. Prior to that, I was always Windows and I missed having Windows devices during the time I had MacBooks until at university. This changed significantly when I was at university. It was during this time that I revisited the world of PC gaming, which I hadn’t indulged in since playing classics like Lego Racers as a child.
Returning to PC gaming felt like coming home. As a teenager, I had been obsessed with console games like MW2 and FIFA, and the transition back to PC brought with it new obsessions: League of Legends and CS:GO. However, this isn’t a gaming post, so I’ll refocus.
In 2019, I moved to Australia for 5 years pushing me out of my comfort zone, not necessarily knowing what I was doing with my life and I certainly experienced life with all the ups and downs. That journey led me to cyber security, which in turn reignited my passion for electronics, computers, and everything in between. This rediscovered love eventually introduced me to Linux—a platform I’d previously only heard of as an obscure OS that "nobody uses."
The Gateway to Linux
Curiosity led me to learning Linux, using a mixture of defensive and offensive (blue team and red team) pathways on the tryhackme platform. I put in some serious work on tryhackme and built up to a 100-day learning streak. I picked up so much knowledge from this and it's brilliant. This learning period opened my eyes to so many possibilities, in cyber and in technology too. I have constant ideas of projects because of this. Suddenly, I was SSHing into a Raspberry Pi acting as a file host, writing full-blown applications, and leveraging packages, APIs, and databases. It felt like an endless playground of creativity and learning.
The Painful Beauty of Technology
One thing that’s both frustrating and fascinating about IT and cyber security is realising how much there is to learn. The deeper you go, the more you understand how little you actually know. From setting up ELK stacks and OpenVAS on remote servers to booting a REMnux VM for malware analysis, every step forward feels like opening yet another door to even more learning.
I’ve even repurposed my old 2014 MacBook Pro by installing Ubuntu, turning it into a versatile development environment. Using VS Code, I’ve thrown myself into learning frameworks like React.js and Tailwind. The open-source ecosystem is astounding.
Rediscovering Apple’s Brilliance
Through all this exploration, I’ve come to appreciate Apple’s ecosystem even more. The seamless integration of iOS and macOS, combined with the robust capabilities of the terminal and the ability to leverage Linux-like tools, makes Apple devices a dream for someone who loves both functionality and design.
Learning about OS architecture, infrastructure, and open-source software has shown me just how brilliantly engineered Apple’s systems are. Features I once took for granted now feel intentional and powerful, enabling me to accomplish more with less effort.
Closing Thoughts
At this point, it feels like I’ve come full circle. While I’m back to loving macOS, the skills and tools I’ve gained along the way have transformed how I approach technology. I'm back loving macOS but the tools I now have in my repertoire have increased ten-fold. I'm grateful to have a multitude of systems with varying ecosystems. I will continue to grow in cybersecurity, I'm currently working on completing the SOC Level 2 pathway on TryHackMe. I also aim to work towards the Practical Malware Research Professional (PMRP) certification from TCM. I will continue to learn code using Python and Javascript (React.js, mainly) to develop apps that I later want to put out into the world.