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#+date: <2024-05-03>
#+title: Running Ubuntu Linux on macOS with OrbStack
#+description: Learn how to run Linux machines as applications on macOS with minimal hassle.
#+slug: ubuntu-on-macos
Being a macOS user who previously used Linux for many years, I often
find myself searching for alternatives to the Linux-native tools and
methods that I had become used to over the years.
Luckily, there's an option to simply use Linux directly on your macOS
device without having to boot the whole device into Linux or having to
SSH into another Linux machine.
In this post, I use [[https://orbstack.dev/][OrbStack]] to create an
Ubuntu Linux machine to take advantage of the Linux system.
** Installing OrbStack
OrbStack has a [[https://orbstack.dev/download][download page]] if you
prefer to use =*.dmg= files to install applications.
Personally, I prefer to install everything through Homebrew. For
OrbStack, run the following to install the application via Homebrew:
#+begin_src sh
brew install orbstack
#+end_src
** Creating a Linux Machine
Once installed, you can launch OrbStack and create a Linux machine in a
matter of seconds. The creation dialog defaults to Ubuntu.
#+caption: OrbStack's Linux Machine Creation Page
[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20240503-ubuntu-on-macos/create.png]]
** Launching the Machine
Once created, the dialog will close and you will be presented with your
new list of machines. Simply double-click on a machine to run it.
When you run the machine for the first time, it may warn you that a
program is attempting to run a shell script. You can choose to manually
inspect this shell script via the provided path if you wish. When you're
comfortable with the script, you can toggle the
=Suppress this message permanently= button and click OK to run the
machine.
#+begin_quote
*Quick Tip*!
You will always be able to launch the OrbStack application and control
the machine via the Machines page, but you can also use the OrbStack
icon in the macOS menu bar to quickly control the machine without
launching OrbStack itself.
#+end_quote
** Working in Linux
Once successful, OrbStack will launch your default terminal and log you
into the Linux machine you created above.
In the example below, we can see that the machine is using
=Linux ubuntu 6.9.6= and operates similar to a fresh Ubuntu install on
bare metal.
#+caption: Ubuntu CLI
[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20240503-ubuntu-on-macos/cli.png]]
You can also click the machine's folder icon in OrbStack to open the
machine's file system within macOS's native Files app. Within Files, you
can double-click to open any files and they will open in the macOS
defaults for those file types (e.g., TextEdit).
#+caption: Ubuntu Files
[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20240503-ubuntu-on-macos/files.png]]
Here's an example of opening the =test.md= file in the screenshot above,
which defaults to opening in Xcode on my system.
#+caption: Ubuntu Files
[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20240503-ubuntu-on-macos/xcode.png]]
*** Test Examples
As a quick example of the system, I installed =neofetch=, switched to
the =zsh= shell, and ran a few common commands.
#+caption: Test Examples
[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20240503-ubuntu-on-macos/test.png]]
** Thoughts
The installation, creation, and launch processes are seamless and
provide an easy way to test or use Linux on macOS with little to no
hassle.
The shell and file integrations are incredibly snappy and I have not
experienced any lag so far. Further, being able to open files in the
Files app allows for me to use macOS native applications, such as
TextEdit for quick editing without having to resort to other programs
that may not be as familiar to macOS users.
I love this method and will be happily looking for further use cases to
apply.
|
