In the fall of 2019, I came to a decision. It was time to leave modern macOS behind.

A decade prior, switching to OS X had been a revelatory experience, as though the software was working in perfect sync with my mind. That feeling had long since disappeared. Each update seemed to chip away at something I liked about the platform. I needed to switch to a different operating system.

I surveyed the computing landscape. Windows was still fine, and Linux was still Linux. A normal person would have just picked one—but I was apparently not a normal person. I cared far too much about having the perfect computer, and I just couldn't get that wonderful memory out of my head...

Want to follow in my footsteps? It does take some work, but the results can be wonderful. If you're ready, here's how to do it.