I wrote about the brand new Nexus mods app before, as it's quite a promising exciting development for the future of modding (especially for Linux and Steam Deck). And now, they want your feedback.
Yesterday, July 1st, they announced the Alpha release of this next-generation mod manager and their new Product Manager got in touch to mention they "would be really keen to get feedback from Linux users". So this is your chance to ensure Linux (and Steam Deck) finally become a first-class citizen for game modding.
Mind if we collectively do some troubleshooting?
What are you using to write to the usb key? Have you tried tools like Ventoy? What OS are you using to write the USB iso? Which iso are you using?
What model is your laptop? How far along in the process are you able to get? Is the USB key in the boot device list? Do you have USB enabled in the BIOS under bootable options?
I tried Rufus and UNetbootin, both on the windows 10 machine I'm intending to try Linux on, to a 32gb flash drive (I tried two different ones actually). I used an AV Linux ISO and Ubuntu Studio ISO. I have not tried Ventoy.
It's an HP. I'll have to check the model. I went through the bios, and while admittedly it's been some time, I thought everything seemed right. I recall trying to change the priority.
It wouldn't boot at all. Windows just forces its way through.
Edit: I looked I to Ventoy a bit. I'll give it a try tomorrow.
@w2tpmf ventoy is as easy to set up as any other Boot-Stick-tool and has the great advantage that you can copy as many ISOs on your stick as there is space and you can still use it for other files... imho
@w2tpmf Ventoy is a one time setup. After that you can throw any ISO on it and just reboot...
But you are right and we are on the same boat :mastolove:
There should be a a button that you can press repeatedly to open up a boot menu - it can be the delete key, f2, etc.
Depending on how new your laptop is, you may need to disable something called "Secure Boot". Keep in mind if your windows installation is encrypted with BitLocker or whatever else Windows is using these days. If it is encrypted, and you have secure boot enabled you may run into issues booting back into Windows - it will freak out that secure boot was disabled and require your encryption key.
At least, that's what happened with my ROG Zephyrus M16 - I had to find my BitLocker key to boot into Windows and then decrypt it using the settings menu.
Also, if you want to be able to use both Windows and Linux - see if your laptop has an expansion port for a second hard drive. Windows historically has screwed over dual booted Linux grub with updates, and if you can just boot to a entirely different drive that won't happen.
It's at least 5 years old. I'll look into secure boot. I wouldn't be against ditching windows entirely but I'm not sure I'm up for transferring all my files over right now. No way my laptop supports another drive unfortunately
Edit: however much to my surprise I did find an official service guide
Yeah, I may catch flak but I wouldn't be inclined to ditch windows altogether. Unless you literally only do web browsing on your laptop, there's a high likelihood you may run into a few things that need troubleshooting to get working under Linux, and dual being able to switch back to Windows seamlessly is a huge help/comfort.
If you can find the model number or service tag, that would be a big help for troubleshooting.
There should be a sticker under your laptop with a bunch of tiny text, or if I recall correctly you can use System Information. See this article
I only do audio production on my laptop. All browsing is come on my phone whenever possible. The software in my workflow is all Linux compatible and the distros I'm interested in are geared toward that focus. That said I would appreciate the convenience of having windows for now still. Especially since there are some plugins I occasionally use which unfortunately aren't Linux compatible.
That's good advice, but I'd put forward that you can do all your troubleshooting in a live install so you can bail if you need to. Chances are most things just work and then it's easier to hit the button.
It might take a bit to wade through the BIOS settings to get it up but I'd recommend a process of elimination based on "Doesn't sound relevant to the boot sequence" to figure it out. I have a recent HP laptop and I installed KDE Neon on it.
Searching for "How to install Linux on [your BIOS and version]" might also help.
I use kubuntu with nvidia and it works really well. The only issue I have is stuttering on games with a locked framerate lower than my monitor refresh rate. I was able to fix the stuttering on elden ring with mods and so far that is the only game that has been wonky about it.
I'm already a mint user tho in one of my laptops I have atlas cause I'm trying to extract some sprites from an old game and for some reason wine wasn't making it. But I'm not liking the windows experience any bit.
Software-wise, if you are using a Linux installation with KDE interface, on an AMD CPU and AMD GPU, and are using a wayland session with gamescope to play games, it is very VERY close to the Steam Deck and you are benefiting from all the optimizations that were made for Steam Deck. Bonus points if the hardware is Ryzen 3000 series and Radeon RX 6000 series.
You probably saw this, but Nexus Mods are asking feedback from Linux users, not just Steam Deck. Because, you know, apart from the sticks, size and touch pads, Steam Deck is just another Linux machine.
The "biggest power" is the unique first-party processor it uses, the touch pads, the Steam Input configuration, Gamescope, sleep/resume function (tied to the processor) and the direct launch into Big Picture mode. Not to mention hardware that's simply guaranteed to work with Linux/Steam. All things installing any old Linux distro won't suddenly provide you.
interesting.... can you please go ahead and tell this to my Minisforum PC i hooked up to my TV and let it boot into big picture and resume from sleep etc. just like its a console?
Because from what you told me it shouldnt work... but it does... and somebody needs to tell it and i can't because i didnt spend so much time with it... you know i just installed bazzite and called it a day.... so i don't really have a big connection to it :/
But in all seriousness, you're completly wrong here. The chip used in the Steamdeck sure is special and does a lot of heavy lifting. But everything that makes out the steamdeck is definetely not exclusive to its hardware. You 100% can just hook up any PC, be it some minisforum mini pc, a laptop or a off the shelf gaming PC, install literally any linux on it and within a few hours of installing and configuring stuff - you can make your own "steamdeck". It works. Reliable, hasslefree.
I assume you just don't have any real-world experience with setting something like this up. Go ahead and try it, it's not hard and you will see that you just don't need a steamdeck.
It's absolutely nothing special to produce a console-like gaming experience with linux these days.
You really shouldn't believe to be correct if everyone else has the real-world experience you try to tell others can't exist
But in all seriousness, you're completly wrong here....But everything that makes out the steamdeck is definetely not exclusive to its hardware.
Yes, I would be wrong, had that been what I said, but it isn't. In fact I very clearly listed several software requirements that you're just intentionally ignoring in a poor attempt to "dunk" on me and score fake internet points.
You 100% can just hook up any PC, be it some minisforum mini pc, a laptop or a off the shelf gaming PC, install literally any linux on it and within a few hours of installing and configuring stuff - you can make your own "steamdeck".
No you cant. I just listed a dozen reasons why that isn't true, you argued with one and declared that I was wrong while completely ignoring the rest.
I assume you just don't have any real-world experience with setting something like this up.
Well you know what happens when you assume. You make an ass of yourself. I have a Steam Deck, and a desktop PC running Bazzite. The sleep function does not work.
if you have an amd gpu and install bazzite its basically the steamos version valve hasn't released yet but with a fedora base instead of arch. I wouldn't actually do the deck image though because game mode is kinda annoying unless controller really is your primary input. I use the desktop image on all my computers that aren't server use.
I really love the thing. It's been my almost exclusive gaming device for the last couple years, except for the past few weeks where I've been binge gaming shattered pixel dungeon on my phone.
I just screwed myself so hard. Was OP buff as hell warrior class. Killed the final boss with ease, went back up to level 1, and .....couldn't leave. I'd forgotten to go grab the dumb amulet and didn't even notice I wasn't healing on the boss stages on the way back up.
Went all the way back down, grabbed the amulet, started going back up again but at that point I was running low on food. Then due to a quick series of absolute bs and bad luck I got killed. Ruined a fantastic run that I thought was in the bag.
Is not even that hard really it does not spawn many champions so they are just tougher only. Challenge yog is harder.
Now that I think of it hopefully evan doesn't see this he's gonna patch out the shit outta it.
I gotta go all the way! Lol. So far I'm 2/48 now. Beat with the mage first, then warrior just today. Next up will be Rogue. After I win with every hero it's going to be time to retire and play other games again. I think the last three hero wins will go a lot faster than the first two. I have a great grasp of the game, now.
I've beaten it with the four base classes but not the dualist, and not since the "ascent" feature was added. Its a good timewaster. Though, I wish I used alchemy and spells more...
Will do. I started a rogue run just a bit ago and I hope I don't screw it up, cause I got a crazy good level 3 blasting wand drop on floor 1 or 2. Huge benefit to rogue it seems. I've never even had a level 3 wand drop on me in my last 48 games.