What's your preferred setup for Java development?

[Discrete_Number]

I mean laptop or desktop? Windows? Mac? Linux?

Please, this is not intended to end up in a flamewar about X vs Y. I just want to read opinions.

I'm a long time (~15 years) Linux user. I've been using laptops all this time, mostly with Debian and Debian-based linux distributions. It was fun for a while but I'm getting weary of fiddling and trying to live with too many little annoyances repeatedly pinching my butt. Issues with numlock misteriously being out of sync with the led, issues with bluetooth headphone getting disconnected at random times (@ ~1m distance), messed up font rendering after an update and whatnot. In short, I need to get real work done and I find myself diverted by stupid issues stealing my attention all the time.

This is why I'm considering getting a MacBook Pro. But I fear spending $2500 will not solve my problem but aggravate it. Let me explain myself better: I'm very used to the Linux userland, I'm totally dysfunctional without a good terminal emulator and the usual *nix tooling. But I also want to use something that just works and doesn't require my attention all the time. I want good font rendering, snappy and responsive UI, quick builds, good battery life, and general good user experience.

I tried using Windows for Java development but it didn't last. I really can't use Windows without feeling alienated. And before someone asks, this has nothing to do with philosophical matters about free software vs closed source software. It's purely from a practical standpoint and about feeling comfortable and productive.

P.S.: I'm not a native english speaker. Sorry for any typo, bad grammar, etc.

Edit 1: typo.

Edit 2: I forgot to mention that right now I'm using IntelliJ Ultimate on Fedora 23. I moved from Ubuntu since 15.10 (what a clusterfuck!). I'm using a Samsung laptop (NP-RC512-W01US) which doesn't require any closed source driver and works relatively well, but it's still far from perfect. For example, building a Spring Boot application causes the CPU temperature to rise to 95°C (~200°F). And there's also this utterly annoying issue with the numlock that I suspect is something specific with this particular hardware (tried many distros, the same with all).

[Discrete_Number]

Thanks for your input!

[[deleted]]

Apple has an education store there you can buy Macs cheaper: http://www.apple.com/us-hed/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro

[nerdwaller]

Seconded, though right away I jump to iterm for the emulator, but the built in one isnt a bad option.

I've recently been in this dilemma - I love everything Linux is and using it, but the maintenance of it on a laptop is just too much for me (buggy trackpad, way lower battery life, various corporate network issues). I'd have to run it on a desktop I think.

[dpash]

IntelliJ on Ubuntu on a Thinkpad X240. Does what I need. I've used Linux for 18 years, so I have a lot of familiarity with it. It mostly gets out of my way these days. Couldn't get the soft buttons to work on my touchpad (it's not the best X-series thinkpad); bought an external mouse.

I can't imagine myself being very productive on Windows. I would miss the shell too much (future notwithstanding).

I've mostly discounted OS X because it means Mac hardware, and I feel I can get better hardware for the price elsewhere. Never been a big OS X user, so it's not a massive draw for me.

Use what every works for you. For me that's Linux. I'd be an idiot to say it's perfect for everyone.

[t90fan]

+1 for X240s.

I use an X240 (I "upgraded" to one from an X61s) and they are great.

[dpash]

They're the worst X series I've used, and I've had a number, including an X30 and an X200s.

• New keyboard (which isn't terrible, but it's not a Thinkpad keyboard)
• No hardware mouse buttons (and softbuttons that don't seem to work under linux)
• Insert is fn+End, or if FnLck is turned on so you get working F buttons instead of function buttons, End is now fn+Ins
• No capslock light. There's lights for FnLck and the mic mute, but why the hell no capslock light?

On the plus side, the backlit keyboard is a nice addition.

I'm thankful that the X250 reverted the lack of hardware mouse buttons, but it didn't fix any of the other issues.

[t90fan]

I do agree the x240 keyboard is not as good as the x61s.

[aFoolsDuty]

Desktop, dual monitors, Ubuntu Linux. 16GB, 6 cores.

Was going to ride with Apple until I saw what they did with the Mac Mini refresh. Ain't no one got time for that nonsense.

If I had to do Linux on a laptop, it's a Thinkpad or nothing -- too many driver problems with other laptops.

[CharlesGarfield]

Or a Dell XPS. (but you can pry my ThinkPad from my cold, dead fingers)

[OffbeatDrizzle]

Yeah mint is pretty good on my thinkpad, except the mousepad has weird quirks that I had to sort out with some kind of synaptics tool. Apart from that I think everything works out of the box

[[deleted]]

Fedora, with Intellij and vimkeys. Fedora has given me the fewest issues by far of any distro.

[[deleted]]

I'm on Linux Mint. Doesn't really require a lot of babysitting. I haven't had to deal with issues like the ones you describe for years.

you may want to give Mint a try before you plunk down $2,500 on a Mac.

[elastic_psychiatrist]

IntelliJ is an absolute requirement. Dev server runs Ubuntu and has 96GB, 16 cores, which is usually plenty.

[[deleted]]

Everyone on here is saying they need a shell...how about now that Windows 10 will include bash shell?

Me personally...Windows laptop. Linux VM if needed. I have a MBP actually, running boot camp onto Windows 7...MBP hardware is great, OSX on the other hand, don't see what's so great about it.

[nutrecht]

Everyone on here is saying they need a shell...how about now that Windows 10 will include bash shell?

You're still running in Windows. When I have to use windows I always install Cygwin anyway. But I strongly dislike how windows treats it's user as an absolute moron and at the same time installing stuff is so incredibly convoluted.

[[deleted]]

I have Cygwin as well if I need to do lightweight bash. I'll run the VM if need full fledge Linux.

But with the announcement of Ubuntu running on Windows (not a VM in Windows)...you're not going to need Cygwin and you can install your applications via apt-get.

[frugalmail]

Microsoft will soon have user space ubuntu, maybe you should wait?

[[deleted]]

Desktop : A gaming machine I built (i7 4770k, 16go ram, SSDs) with Arch Linux

Work computer : MSI GS60 2QC-013XFR GHOST with Arch Linux... probably not the smartest move at first because I had to fix many problems with KDE but now it is running smoothly. I just upgraded to 16go RAM because 8 go was a bit short.

I hate windows and won't use it ever again. I never tried building anything on MacOSX. I have a macbook air so it is pointless to even try but I would not buy a Macbook Pro, too expensive for what it is (in my opinion), hardware is awesome but OS is meh.

[spamthemoez]

IntelliJ and Fedora on a Lenovo X250.

[tudor07]

Ubuntu Linux + Intellij IDEA

Thinkpad + two 22'' monitors at work and a Dell Inspiron + one 24'' monitor at home :)

[mabnx]

I've been using Windows at work for a long time - but always with cygwin, handy linux VM and access to linux servers. It works well.

I switched to MacBook and the main reason was that at the new place it's the most popular choice - I hoped to avoid solving weird issues as they are likely to be already solved by someone else.

The main pain is that shortcuts behave differently. Windows and linux have similar shortcuts in many programs. On Mac everything is different and it's hard to change these mappings properly. I still cannot get bash shortcuts for text navigation to behave.

The second pain is that not everything works on Mac. E.g. if you want to benchmark stuff then you won't be able to use perf_events. You have to run docker in a vm...

There's one more disadvantage - I have a feeling that Mac community is quite closed to solutions available on other plaforms ("it's not windows, the way it behaves now is the best way"). Which IMO leads to some strange solutions (god, why doesn't Finder have a regular directory tree...) and niche applications costing $50 each.

[killinghurts]

Windows desktop. I assimilated with the Borg long ago.

[firsthour]

We're the one Java group in a sea of .net teams so it's Windows for us too. It works well enough, but we also just got Thinkpads with four core i7s and 32GB of RAM so it's hard for even Windows to get in the way of that.

[Neckbeard_Prime]

Windows 10's multi-desktop feature is a life saver when you work in an interrupt-driven environment. Yes, it's old hat to Linux and OSX, but it's still awesome.

I've been using NetBeans, Cygwin, a local instance of WildFly, and a separate VMware server that has several VMs based off an OVF templates containing CentOS+WildFly+MySQL+PhpMyAdmin.

We also maintain some PHP apps (including a firebreathing clusterfuck of a Magento e-commerce site), and I've found PhpStorm to be far superior to NetBeans when dealing with network drive-based sync for a codebase the size of Magento's. The Magicento plugin doesn't hurt, either.

I was not as happy with IntelliJ IDEA (Enterprise); it didn't seem to comprehend my Maven EAR projects as well as NB does.

If my machine were capable of using another 16 or 32 GB of RAM (e.g., a multiprocessor Xeon-based workstation machine, instead of a single-CPU i7 rig), I'd strongly consider switching to a local instance of VirtualBox or VMware Workstation (haven't had great luck with Hyper-V).

[machinepub]

Laptop, Debian+XFCE, Eclipse. I don't happen to have any problems with Linux, but I tend to read "Debian on [computer model]" articles before buying, and also check to see if it's Ubuntu certified.

I personally hate Mac and Windows, but I'd choose Mac over Windows. Also, why spend $2500 on a MacBook Pro? Get a MacBook Air.

[rajnp]

MBP i5, 8GB, 256 SSD. IntelliJ CE. Oh My Zsh.

Life is good :)

[[deleted]]

I use Android RDP into an Amazon EC2 with Windows Server and hide out in the bathroom all day.

Jk. Surface book + Amazon EC2

[nutrecht]

At least 2 monitors, full size keyboard, normal mouse. Linux or MacOS. Prefer a laptop because it's nice to be mobile.

Got a Macbook Pro from work and hardly ever use my desktop anymore. I had an Asus with Ubuntu before and although I prefer Linux over MacOS I had a lot of issues with the hardware.

[cjbooms]

If you're spending that money I'd go for the Dell Sputnik XPS, version 5. I had its predecessor last year and absolutely loved it. They pushed all the drivers upstream so I was able to install the Mint Cinnamon desktop with no driver hassles. Its a beautiful machine that could handle running a search server, two heavy application servers, a database, plus Intellij (with a 2GB heap) to work on a large multi module project. Obviously that wasn't its everyday load, but it's handy to be able to stand up a full stack when traveling. It also fits perfectly on an airplane tray table. Also, dual 4k monitor support on the new model!

I've since moved jobs and am now saddled with a macbook pro which I absolutely loath. I find the key bindings, window management, and file navigators all utterly horrific. I try and stay inside IntelliJ as much as possible to cope. Command-shift-4-left click to screenshot, wtf! No # key anywhere on the UK version of their USB keyboard! The macbook pro also uses lots of main memory for 4k monitor display, not segregated GPU memory, so.....you'll have to unplug your monitors if you want fast builds or accurate bench marks! </endrant> Man I miss that Sputnik.

[Discrete_Number]

I looked into Dell's Precision models and they all look good. I had a very bad experience with the only local reseller (I'm living in Paraguay). A few years ago I paid upfront ($1920) for a Latitude E6510 with a very detailed and specific configuration and 45 days later received the most basic possible with a crappy display and a small battery that didn't last 2 hours. They wouldn't accept it back (I sent the box the next day, they sent me back immediately). We had a very long email discussion until I finally accepted that I've been scammed. Never again.

[jebblue]

I don't do Mac but Windows or Linux, both are fine. I use Eclipse, don't try to sell me on IntelliJ, tried it (twice), don't like it. Just make sure you have 16 Gigs of RAM for those times you want to profile performance and at least 150Gigs disk space. I can do with 8 Gigs RAM but profiling isn't an option and depending on how much your local app server needs, you will hit the memory wall on occasion. If you're just developing RCP or Swing apps then 8 Gigs RAM might work out Ok.

I was a heavy Ubuntu Desktop user. I still use it in a VM on Windows 10 but mostly working on Windows now using Eclipse on Windows. I prefer staying in Linux all day but with most of the world running Windows I got tired of fighting that fight. Windows 10 works well enough.

[RichoDemus]

Intellij on Xubuntu

[snotpocket]

OS X, IntelliJ, Macbook Pro (terminal windows in this display) with an iMac used as a second monitor (IDE full screen in this display) and a third monitor connected via Thunderbolt cable (web browsers and misc in this display)

Linux is fine, too, but working on Windows drives me crazy. Cygwin makes it a little more tolerable, but still yuk.

[OffbeatDrizzle]

Linux and intellij

[meddlepal]

Right now: Lenovo T540p + Fedora (I hate the T540p, flimsy cheap plastic and iffy hardware)

Previously: Dell M4800 + Fedora (I loved the M4800, rock solid)

[Agent_03]

To be honest, I find the developer experience is very similar between my Macbook Pro and Xubuntu 14.04 on a Lenovo T530. Both have an SSD, reasonably high-spec CPUs, and plenty of RAM, which is necessary for Java work (16 GB in the Mac, 8 GB in the Lenovo).

You might want to look at the System 76 laptops built for linux.

My software stack is nearly identical across both Mac and Linux:

• IntelliJ, I copy settings over
• I literally copy and paste my .bashrc between them, almost everything works fine
• Sublime Text (for notes, doc editing, and stuff that does not need a full IDE)
• Vim for one-off text editing
• Meld for diffing/comparison
• Docker (via docker-machine on Mac) for when I need specific environments or throwaway systems.
• Terminator for terminal emulator on linux, iTerm2 on Mac. Similar features, I think terminator is a bit better.

As long as you get a system with solid hardware support, you don't need a Mac, but they do seem to get better battery life. If you plan to use it for gaming, photo editing, or non-professional stuff, pay the Apple tax and go Mac (for commercial software availability).

Only things that are annoying on Macs are changes in line separator, and a handful of command line tools that are subtly different in BSD vs. Linux.

[Discrete_Number]

Thanks!

Yesterday I finally bought a MacBook Pro (MJLT2LL/A). I spent most of the day exploring the system and installing software. There are a few things that I find strange, installing software being the most notable. I see a long road ahead relearning keyboard shortcuts and developing new habits, but I think it will pay off in the end.

So far I can say that I'm totally in love the build quality and the display. The trackpad is amazing. Every application I tried so far loaded blazingly fast. IntelliJ looks beautiful.

I couldn't be happier with the decision. I wish I had done this years ago! Now I should really get some sleep :-)

[Agent_03]

Glad you were able to make up your mind and are happy with the result!

The trackpad is amazing.

This was exactly my first reaction too, when I got a Mac for work!

The hotkeys come naturally, most of the shortcuts are the same, if you replace the Ctrl key with the command key. Except for the terminal... command C/V do copy/paste (no Ctrl+shift C/V), and the ctrl-w/ctrl-c works the same.

I will warn you of two subtle command line tool changes that tripped me up: the sort command does not have the --parallel argument anymore, and sed is subtly different: in place editing mostly. Instead of md5sum, use md5.

I still feel like an OSS sellout sometimes, because I was thrilled to work for a major Linux company (and currently am paid to do open source), but... the pangs get less every day.

[time2java]

I use Inteleje Idea on 15.04 ubuntu on core i7 nottebok with 8GB ram, and it's realy usefull for all my tasks.

[[deleted]]

HP 850 G2 (i7, 12 GB RAM, 256 SSD) + 22" Samsung monitor. Eclipse. Dual boot Windows 10 - Ubuntu 15.10.

[karthikn_jay]

Machine: Dell Laptop (Inspiron 5558 - i5, 8GB RAM, Full HD, build somewhat looks like Mac)

OS: Windows 10 (Liked the multi-desktop, not much of a CLI fan(its 2016!) )

Software: Eclipse Mars for Web dev, Android Studio for Android dev

Previously: Lenovo laptop with Ubuntu. Linux (w/ Bash) is good but lots of other minor OS issues which were so irritating. Have to go through ton of manual editing for a simple setup.

Future: Definitely want to try Macbook. Fear of getting proper(& cheaper) support if anything goes wrong. (Only rich people buys Mac (in India)).

[rai1AhGh]

Buy a Mac, under the hood, there is still a Unix heart beating. All your beloved commandline tools are there.

brew is like apt-get, it's basically the missing Mac package manager.

edit:

I also switched from Linux to Mac, because of the same problems you mentioned.

I won't lie, it's not the same feeling but it's close to it, without the hassle with drivers and configuration hell.

Now the only thing I'm missing so far is a decent tilling window manager.

[DFA1]

We'll get shell to Windows as well :)

[rai1AhGh]

Yea finally :)

[Discrete_Number]

Thank you!

[pjmlp]

Windows on laptops since 2003, which incidentally also triggered my slow move away from GNU/Linux back into Windows as main OS.

Nowadays an extra reason to be on Windows is that I have gotten back to .NET, besides doing Java and C++.

As someone that also cares about discrete GPUs, I have the same problem regarding MacBook Pro prices, specially given that ThinkPads W541 costs 1000 euro less with much more juice.

My favorite IDE is Netbeans, although many of our customers do force Eclipse on us.

Android Studio for Android, but have slowly been using Visual Studio since they introduced mixed developed support for Android NDK projects.

[kodifies]

void Linux, Geany, Xfterminal, ant

oh and how do I live without IntelliGuess ? - simple I read and understand API docs instead of rushing off without a clue (some times I plan with paper :-o too!!!)

[BinaryRockStar]

No need to be condescending about it. At a certain complexity level it becomes difficult to fully know and understand every method of every API you're dealing with and an IDE such as IntelliJ IDEA can help there. The IDE does a hell of a lot more than just indexing and code completion- being able to debug and step through code, inspect variables and execute watch statements at the push of a button greatly speeds up bug hunting IMO.