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I'm on the verge of switching my gaming PC to Linux, the bloat of windows is becoming too much. I'm fairly PC literate but don't know anything about Linux or distros. It is intimidating to commit to a platform where I know so little. Does anyone have any tips regarding distros or learning the basics?
Look at ProtonDB to see what games you own will run on Linux.
Pop OS: is a good Ubuntu based distro.
The Nobara Project: is a Fedora based gaming distro.
Drauger OS: is another good gaming specific distro.
Each of these has their own pros and cons depending on your needs and hardware. Google is your best friends here. You will have issues with a game not working like you want. Again Google will be your best friend here.
My biggest suggestion is to embrace the challenges. Understand that in the last two years alone gaming on Linux has improved dramatically. Stay with it Linux is always maybe a better experience overall even if some of our games don't work right now.
With Redhat going kinda closed-source, will its derivatives like Fedora remain viable?
Don't remember how Canonical shit the bed, but I'm wary of using Ubuntu derivatives.
What would you recommend for a distro that keeps on top of security updates and is at least acceptable in terms of running games like AoE2 DE or The Outer Worlds?
As a Linux home user that uses windows for work, I recommend you start by debloating your windows. I prefer the Powershell script found here. There are multiple options for debloating windows on github, some also include tools to disable telemetry. I prefer more control over what telemetry gets disabled, and use O&O Shutup to manage that separately.
Then install a few Linux distros in a free hypervisor (Hyper-V/VirtualBox/VMware Player) on your lean windows. Note, Hyper-V is only avaliable on Pro versions of windows. Experiment until you find a Linux distro you are comfortable with. Build your confidence before you take that jump, and you'll be more likely to stick with it.
If you still find you may occasionally need windows, you can always dual boot, or run windows inside a hypervisor on Linux.
I put pop os on my media and travel netflix laptop. Best decision ever.
Dont switch to linux if you want to play rainbow six siege lol
- Learn about the different desktop environments (DEs) available for Linux. For example, visit this link (https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current-live/amd64/bt-hybrid/) to download ISOs for KDE, XFCE, GNOME, Cinnamon, etc. You can use Ventoy to create a bootable USB drive and add multiple Linux ISOs to it for testing purposes (without Ventoy, you would need to write one image at a time to the USB drive). Try running them live to see which one you prefer. In my opinion, KDE is a solid choice.
- Consider getting a secondary drive to install Linux on. Don't worry too much about the specific distribution; you can reinstall Linux as many times as you want. Just be careful not to accidentally install the boot loader on your Windows drive. Try using only Linux for a day or a week.
- Personally, I have tried many Ubuntu-based distros, but I really started using Linux after trying Arch-based ones. I think EndeavourOS is a solid choice. Garuda is also good, but you might want to unrice it first. Also, Arch wiki is a godsend.