• Even at my workplace I asked HR for permission to switch the office desktop to GNU+Linux. They required the installation of a few malware spyware but otherwise didn’t mind.

    I have been using GNU+Linux on and off since 2007 only using Windows when needed to. Now I’m fully Windows-free and intend to keep it this way.

  • PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml
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    25 days ago

    I only use windows for gaming. If Windows somehow fucks it up so much that I can play the majority of games in Linux on Steam, then I no longer have a use for them. I don’t use windows for work, and all of my normal computer use cases Linux is fully capable of, I’ll basically be forced over to Ubunutu or something, with a cracked Win11 VM for new games that don’t have linux releases.

    I suppose linux graphic drivers and performance are still an issue, but that will surely only get better, especially as the windows desktop segment of GPU sales dries up.

    • XenGi@feddit.org
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      25 days ago

      If you stay with AMD graphics and avoid highly competitive games that require kernel level anti cheat Linux for gaming works just fine. Especially with steam. But also epic games etc run pretty well.

    • Horse {they/them}@lemmygrad.ml
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      25 days ago

      If Windows somehow fucks it up so much that I can play the majority of games in Linux on Steam

      you pretty much can outside of certain multiplayer-only games with kernel level anti-cheat

      I suppose linux graphic drivers and performance are still an issue

      graphics drivers yes, but only really on nvidia and only really on newer cards
      in my experience performance has been mostly on-par or better under linux than windows, including many “windows only” games through wine/proton

      • PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml
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        25 days ago

        I’m thinking very new AAA releases like GTA6, Buldurs Gate 3, Hollow Knight, as well as minor developers that may not have linux releases. Though I acknowledge the difficulty of creating a linux version is getting smaller.

    • Grimtuck@lemmy.world
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      25 days ago

      I switched 5 weeks ago and it’s honestly in a much better state than I thought. I haven’t felt the need to use Windows in those 5 weeks. It feels like I’m back in 90s with full control of my computer again.

  • mub@lemmy.ml
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    26 days ago

    There needs to be some sort of EU directive that once a hardware device sells enough units they MUST provide the equivalent software features and functions available on windows for Linux, and not just a plain driver with no config options.

    Imagine being able to buy hardware knowing you can configure it in Linux without relying on some unsupported thing made by the community.

    • P1k1e@lemmy.world
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      26 days ago

      Had Win 11 on my laptop (came with it) swapped to Mint 2 days ago. First Linux device. I cannot express how much faster it loads shit now.

    • fin@sh.itjust.works
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      25 days ago

      Nah most people will just create an account. They literally have no idea what they are doing.

    • eldavi@lemmy.ml
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      26 days ago

      i used to think this too; but seeing tech literacy rate drop since the widespread adoption of smartphones makes me wonder if people will go with whatever works well enough and for the least about of effort.

      and linux still takes effort.

      • EldritchFemininity@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        25 days ago

        makes me wonder if people will go with whatever works well enough and for the least amount of effort.

        This has always been the case. People want something that just works right out of the box, and familiarity will keep a lot of people from considering anything else.

        I’ve been talking for a long time now with a friend of mine about how sick we are of Windows, and more recently about how I’m planning on installing Linux on a spare HDD I have before making the commitment to getting rid of Windows entirely, and he’s decided to go to 11 despite hating it because he’s afraid of trying something new and having to learn a new system.

        And it’s not just a computer thing. People can and will hurt themselves by repeating the same mistakes because it’s the familiar habit and doing something new - even if it’s for your own good - is scarier. Been there, done that, plenty of times.

        • eldavi@lemmy.ml
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          24 days ago

          People can and will hurt themselves by repeating the same mistakes because it’s the familiar habit and doing something new - even if it’s for your own good - is scarier. Been there, done that, plenty of times.

          i know too many people who are hurting themselves because they genuinely can’t afford iphones or macbooks; but they keep borrowing money to buy another one each time something happens to their current one and only because “it just works”

    • PhAzE@lemmy.ca
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      26 days ago

      How is it for gaming? Im hesitant to switch just for that one use case, but its a big one.

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        26 days ago

        It is amazing for gaming (particularly if you go with AMD over Nvidia). I’ve run into very few (if any) games that have outright not worked. Almost all games work with not tinkering whatsoever.

        Checkout protondb.com and look up the games you’re wondering about.

      • belated_frog_pants@beehaw.org
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        26 days ago

        Great. Proton changed everything. My friend uses arch, i use fedora, another friend uses bazzite. I can play everything i want, no issues. Great framerates

        • Sas [she/her]@beehaw.org
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          25 days ago

          The great framerates was something i doesn’t expect to this extent when switching. I thought that games would probably work similar but i went from 40-50 fps on medium high settings in elden ring to smooth 60 on highest settings just by switching from windows to bazzite

  • SabinStargem@lemmy.today
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    25 days ago

    I am waiting for an official SteamOS Desktop release. If I am switching to Linux, I would prefer a gaming-focused PC distro that has the support of an 800lb gorilla.

    If I have to migrate early, say, at the start of a 2nd American Civil War, I will probably use CachyOS. I don’t expect Microsoft to be neutral or to work for the good guys.

    • ano_ba_to@sopuli.xyz
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      25 days ago

      The meat of the work Valve did was with the compatibility layer, not SteamOS itself. This means you can choose any distro you’re comfortable with and games will work as well as they do in SteamOS. I recommend Bazzite.

    • tiramichu@sh.itjust.works
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      25 days ago

      For anyone else on the fence, you don’t need to wait. Lots of distros support gaming right out the box. I switched my gaming desktop (nvidia card) to Pop_OS!, installed Steam, and it just works.

      What factors lead you to select Cachy?

      • ook@discuss.tchncs.de
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        25 days ago

        Bazzite is another one. Super easy install, you could dual boot it but you need a bit of tech affinity to follow those instructions. Just installing it by itself and deleting windows is easy as though.

    • zebidiah@lemmy.ca
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      25 days ago

      I ran steamos for a few months on my gaming PC… You can download the iso and run it on just about any hardware (so long as it’s team red).

      Cachyos is better

      The immutable nature of steamos made sure i wouldn’t ever be able to fuck it up, but it also means you cant really sudo anything, plus it’s missing basic PC functionality like printer drivers etc.

  • Carvex@lemmy.world
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    27 days ago

    I use Lemmy and Steam games, someone please recommend a Linux OS and a browser to end this stupid shit for me.

    • methodicalaspect@midwest.social
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      27 days ago

      Linux Mint. If my 85-year-old dad can get used to it after over 30 years of Windows, you’ll be fine.

      /edit Also Firefox comes with pretty much every Linux distribution, but if you need something Chromium-based, I’m partial to Vivaldi.

      • starblursd@lemmy.ml
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        27 days ago

        Nobara and pikaOS also both good options. I use CachyOs on my main PC and nobara on my htpc and have had a very pleasant time with the distros and their communities. Just gotta leave windows at the door and be open to learning a new way of doing things. Best of luck OP

        and browser I love zen browser and have Vivaldi as my chromium browser of choice when some niche task needs it

        • Damage@feddit.it
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          25 days ago

          I went from Nobara to Bazzite, Nobara worked but felt super janky, Bazzite is on another planet in terms of polish.

          • starblursd@lemmy.ml
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            24 days ago

            Bazzite is awesome I just don’t like immutable distros personally. I like to tinker more than they allow. Nobara works great for my htpc but I think if I had to switch from CachyOs on my gaming PC I’d go pikaOS

      • Amju Wolf@pawb.social
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        25 days ago

        KDE is also similar enough but actually looks good, and is a more complete and coherent experience.

        I also don’t think “looks similar” is actually good if you’re switching. Because it will be similar enough to be confusing when it then behaves differently, and it’s IMO easier to learn something that’s obviously (slightly) different than trying to just learn different behavior.

        • Y|yukichigai@lemmy.sdf.org
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          26 days ago

          TBH I’m fine with XFCE. It looks reasonably modern but is lightweight and uncomplicated. Takes recolors well, too. Never had any problems with it.

            • Y|yukichigai@lemmy.sdf.org
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              25 days ago

              Huh. I’ve not had that experience. Then again, I don’t have a ton of tray icons on my Mint install, mostly just Steam, Telegram, and occasionally Discord.

    • VerilyFemme@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      27 days ago

      Pop!_OS, PikaOS, CachyOS, and Bazzite are the top gaming distros right now.

      I recommend Pop! if you have Nvidia cards. If you have AMD, any of them will work.

      PikaOS or Bazzite with the KDE Plasma desktop are going to be closest to Windows 10 in terms of how you use them.

      Pop! has a super different UI, almost Mac-like. But it’s based on Ubuntu, the most-used distro. Which means that if anything goes wrong you can search “[problem] Ubuntu” and get hundreds of solution pages.

      CachyOS is based on Arch, which is the big, scawy Linux that all the nerds say they use. It’s easier to break than the other ones, and won’t officially offer some of the apps that something Debian/Ubuntu based might have. I would recommend it when you’re looking to get a bit more technical.

      That said, I haven’t broken my install yet and CachyOS is like the fastest OS available right now. Serious FPS gains for a LOT of games compared to Windows, and even other Linux distros. I also have not had to sit and troubleshoot it over anything. I was shocked at how smooth it was for an Arch system.

      So, there’s not really a bad choice in those 4. I’d recommend Pop! if you never want to have to tinker, Pika or Bazzite if you want to feel like you’re still using Windows, and Cachy when you feel comfortable taking some training wheels off (and that could be right now!).

      For browsers, try LibreWolf. It’s a locked-down version of Firefox. Or just use Firefox. It ain’t perfect, but then again it ain’t Chrome.

      • Scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech
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        27 days ago

        PopOS vote from me. Very easy to get set up, especially if you have an Nvidia card. Flatpak is integrated to their store, it just works out of the box.