So I am hoping to finally get around to installing Linux for the first time. Ideally I would like to eventually replace my win10 installation with it, but for now I plan on dual booting until I am comfortable enough on Linux. This leads me to a couple questions:

  • which one is best suited for gaming? I do a couple other things as well but I would expect that any OS could deal with those. I know vaguely about proton / the steam deck improvements that trickled down, but don’t know if and how that affects different Linux versions.

  • I read some days ago that ubuntu is being used by Microsoft, does that mean it is more compatible with their other applications?

  • I also read that amd is better suited to linux because nvidia refuses to support it, which would be a happy coincidence for me because I just recently built a fully amd computer, is that actually true?

  • And lastly, provided there is even a definitive answer to my first question, where should I look to get started? I have never dealt with Linux before but would consider myself reasonably tech / computer savvy.

Thank you

  • @onlinepersonaEnglish
    2•10 months ago

    For gaming, something like Ubuntu (or Kubuntu if you want it to look like Windows than Mac), Mint, or Pop!OS is probably your best bet. They are quite easy to use and setup. Definitely can recommend them. Steam works on those 3 for sure. In case you want to use a guide for selecting a distro see DistroChooser

    To check which games work on linux, use ProtonDB. To check which windows programs work on linux, use Wine’s database. I would however recommend finding a linux alternative using AlternativeTo. If you use Adobe, I can already say that you’ll have to dualboot (have windows and linux installed) and use windows for Adobe related work.

    AMD support is indeed quite good on linux and NVIDIA is a very mixed bag. Some people have normal experiences with it and others won’t touch it ever again. Personally, I’d advise against NVIDIA. If you’re planning on using your existing hardware, I’d recommend checking out the Linux Hardware Database for compatibility reports. Should you be on the market for hardware officially supported or sold by linux shops, see Linux Preloaded to find such a shop. From personal experience, I can recommend Tuxedo Computers.

    Good luck!