From my experience developing C++ on it, as long as you don't use anything exotic, everything is portable (i.e. just recompile).

On the other hand, for the missing apps and other stuff, I'm running a Linux VM via VMWare Fusion Pro. It works efficiently, and interoperability is good. Just add another internal network card to the VM, and keep an always on SSH/SFTP connection. Then everything works seamlessly.

Never had any problems for 7 or so years when developing that application and writing my Ph.D. in the process.