Why not dual boot? It is possible to have both. That is what I typically do and with Mac this can be helpful because sometimes you may need to access MacOS for drivers and such. This way you can cross-compare and have more opportunity to learn.

It’s true that they are both operating systems.

See how well the OS runs. MacOS does have a reputation for slowing down on older hardware as newer versions target their newer machines, and I’m also not even sure if a 2015 is supported by Apple anymore?

If the laptop is slow or not recievinf security uodates anymore, then switching to Linux may give you a performance boost and will put you back on to an update secure system.

If MacOS is still running fast on that laptop and it’s secure, then it’d just come down to preference. If you like Linux, or like the degree of direct control Linux gives you then it would be worth installing it.

And if you decide to keep MacOS you should still try and fresh install the OS, as that may also give a performance boost.

Edit: in terms of being similar OS, they are but it’s not relevant. Both run python, and the hardware is what matters more when it comes down to compiling. It’s more about the rest of the OS and what your preferences are.

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What’s your reason for wanting to switch to Linux? Python works under Mac OS just fine.

I’ll second dual booting. If you want to try linux, I say put Linux Mint or KDE Neon on a flash drive and live boot it. That way you can test Linux without needing to install it right away.

For a developer, I’d try PopOS! It is built on Ubuntu, but doesn’t stray far from it. It has a lot of developer tools and packages either pre installed or easy to access. Simple install process and runs well.

https://pop.system76.com/

I’d dump macos unless you have specific needs for it (developing for apple devices for example) and you’re still getting updates.

Use Mint if you really want the Ubuntu ecosystem, it’s much better.

MacOS and Linux are similar for the purpose of learning Python. However I recommend to install GNU/Linux. MacOS hides its internals to provide a better user experience, however as a developer you need to learn how the OS works, and GNU/Linux is much better suited for this.

1. Mac OS uses Unix, Linux is Unix Like. At the core their structure’s are the same

2. however despite being the same they have different software packages.

The question you need to ask yourself is: does MacOS have the software I need to do what I want?

For me I need Xcode for iOS development, so that is a yes. But for you, perhaps you may prefer the Python packages on Linux. Or the ease which new software can be installed.

However regardless on what is better or not, know that you can always re-install MacOS afterwords. Macs have a recovery mode that let’s you wipe the ssd and reinstall. I used it when I upgraded my 2015 Mac from 128GB to 1TB.