To Win 7 Users: Install Linux Mint

[D. Flame]

First off it sucks what Steam is doing to you. Not making this post to shame you, but just to try to help.

Mint actually feels a lot like Windows 7 or Windows XP, but it is more up to date. It has a software store so installing stuff like Steam is super easy.

I have also installed it for non-tech savvy 60 and 70 year olds, and even they can use it without problems.

As for games, I wanted to test it with an lower end machine, so I took a Dell Optiplex 3040 as a base and worked from there. I got a refreshed Intel Core i5-6500 on Amazon for like $50, and I got a new RX 6400 for like $150 and put them in the Dell.

To install Windows games in Linux you just need to do a few extra clicks. On the page with the install button for your game -> click the gear icon near the right side of the screen -> click properties -> the properties box will open -> click the compatibility tab -> put a check mark in that box, and leave it set to "Proton Experimental" and close the popup. Then just click install like normal.

As for how well the game will work when installing this way. It should work just as well as the Steam Deck does, since the deck is also using Linux. As for that Dell machine that I tried, I was even able to run newer games like Resident Evil 4 remake and Armored Core 6 on it. I was playing them at lower settings and 1080p, but they were running on Linux. Older games like DOOM (2016) were running at a full 60 FPS on higher settings.

You can even put Linux Mint on a USB drive or burn it to a DVD and boot it from that to try the it out before committing to the change.

[D. Flame]

Deathraven13님이 먼저 게시:

D. Flame님이 먼저 게시:

Which game are you having issues with?

He told you: Games that run on DX12, so for exemple South Park: fractured but whole.

https://www.protondb.com/app/488790

[Hannibal]

Ive recently installed Mint myself but for other reasons other than the Win7 saga. Really cool to use. Easy Peasy stuff. Love the interface, programs, ease of use. Runs silky smooth

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Linux mint is good idea, there also these can always check out if you wanted.

- Zorin OS
- Kubuntu
- MX (KDE)

But for new users, Linux mint, Kubuntu that like windows good idea, but if ok with something little new Pop OS is good too.

For little more into linux maybe Manjaro KDE, or EndeavourOS, these are based on Arch which Steam OS 3.0 is also based on. But either way they're all good, and are popular.

Also while you're able to use proton there other option you can check out such as lutris as they're pretty good too.
https://lutris.net/

And if want to run some game using vulkan there things like DXVK, or DXGL, and other types of layer support that add support to DX games.

Thiesen님이 먼저 게시:

Good luck running DX12 games that is using SM6 on LM...

You can run DX12 games in linux using vulkan, the problem is whatever the GPU you're using if it too old if it has problem to supporting higher SM, or V.

Anyways the other problem is anti cheat such as easy anti cheat, it does support linux, but devs have to opt their games into it which is basically just a flip a of switch actually weird i know, but some devs won't do it, or don't want to support linux for whatever reason.

[Karumati]

D. Flame님이 먼저 게시:

Wolf님이 먼저 게시:

Or you can have dual boot with W7 and W10 like me, so when you want to play you switch to W10 and when you don't want that just W7,

Windows 10 costs money and has privacy concerns associated with it. Linux Mint doesn't.

Oem key on key websites is like 10$

[lsdninja]

Deathraven13님이 먼저 게시:

He told you: Games that run on DX12, so for exemple South Park: fractured but whole.

I download the whole game on my win7 PC and it didn't open because it need ubisoft launcher which don't run on win7 so I had to download the whole game once again on my newer PC that run on win10.........

They didn't give any examples. I know I've gotten games that use DX12 running on Pop! (Horizon Zero Dawn, Control and the new Witcher 3 update all claim to use it, for example), but I don't know how many of those make extensive use of SM6 (which I'm guessing means Shader Model 6.0).

[Cray]

Dr.Shadowds 🐉님이 먼저 게시:

You can run DX12 games in linux using vulkan, the problem is whatever the GPU you're using if it too old if it has problem to supporting higher SM, or V.

On that topic, I have a linux rig with an older AMD Radeon R9 290x - it can support vulkan, but it's never enabled by default. I had to edit my boot options (edit /etc/default/grub, then run 'sudo update-grub' and reboot), so my boot line now looks like this:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash radeon.cik_support=0 amdgpu.cik_support=1"

At first I thought proton was just sluggish, but it was simply reverting to WineD3D instead of using vulkan, because the OS hadn't enabled support for vulkan. After I added this, the games were running on a whole different level, day and night.

[D. Flame]

Cray님이 먼저 게시:

Dr.Shadowds 🐉님이 먼저 게시:

You can run DX12 games in linux using vulkan, the problem is whatever the GPU you're using if it too old if it has problem to supporting higher SM, or V.

On that topic, I have a linux rig with an older AMD Radeon R9 290x - it can support vulkan, but it's never enabled by default. I had to edit my boot options (edit /etc/default/grub, then run 'sudo update-grub' and reboot), so my boot line now looks like this:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash radeon.cik_support=0 amdgpu.cik_support=1"

At first I thought proton was just sluggish, but it was simply reverting to WineD3D instead of using vulkan, because the OS hadn't enabled support for vulkan. After I added this, the games were running on a whole different level, day and night.

I have never had this issue in Mint.

[lsdninja]

D. Flame님이 먼저 게시:

I have never had this issue in Mint.

If you're using a newer GPU then it'll likely have Vulkan support enabled by default and therefore not have to have it enabled manually.

[lsdninja]

D. Flame님이 먼저 게시:

Deathraven13님이 먼저 게시:

He told you: Games that run on DX12, so for exemple South Park: fractured but whole.

https://www.protondb.com/app/488790

I just tried installed Fractured Butthole on my Pop! system and aside from some Ubisoft Connect idiosyncrasies (you have to let it install Connect and log you in on the first launch, quit it and relaunch it again before it'll actually launch the game) got the game to launch and was able to load my existing save. There was one annoying issue: Every few seconds I'd get pop up saying "steam_app_488790 has stopped responding blah blah blah", presumably because Ubisoft Connect was idling in the background to the point the OS assumed it'd crashed. This might just be Pop! being a little over eager since it's not in any of the recent protondb reports (top of the list as I'm writing this being from a Mint 21.2 user coincidentally).

[KalGimpa]

Tristin님이 먼저 게시:

I've heard Proton does run Windows games, but not all. It can be hit or miss. As it is experimental

no matter what choice you make

to move to linux

move to 10/11

stay on 7

you are going to have to fiddle with something

whether it is proton and wine to use linux (and bottles for those non steam games)

adjusting 10/11 to fit your preference

or 7 and messing with steams files and using the workaround that will stop updates

linux is doing great

i have had very few issues that needed minor adjustments

i highly recommend it

[D. Flame]

lsdninja님이 먼저 게시:

D. Flame님이 먼저 게시:

https://www.protondb.com/app/488790

I just tried installed Fractured Butthole on my Pop! system and aside from some Ubisoft Connect idiosyncrasies (you have to let it install Connect and log you in on the first launch, quit it and relaunch it again before it'll actually launch the game) got the game to launch and was able to load my existing save. There was one annoying issue: Every few seconds I'd get pop up saying "steam_app_488790 has stopped responding blah blah blah", presumably because Ubisoft Connect was idling in the background to the point the OS assumed it'd crashed. This might just be Pop! being a little over eager since it's not in any of the recent protondb reports (top of the list as I'm writing this being from a Mint 21.2 user coincidentally).

A lot of the entries with that game mention the Ubisoft connect being a pain.

Personally, I try to avoid games that require 3rd party accounts even on Windows.

[lsdninja]

D. Flame님이 먼저 게시:

A lot of the entries with that game mention the Ubisoft connect being a pain.

Personally, I try to avoid games that require 3rd party accounts even on Windows.

A lot of those are also from years ago. The actual install and log in to Ubisoft Connect went pretty smoothly, it just failed to launch the game itself on the first run and had to quit and relaunched (which is easier on desktop than the deck since there's a wine system tray integration that places the icon in your normal indicator area). There's probably a way to increase or even disable the watchdog timer, but I'm not sure I'll look in to that, I was mostly concerned with whether or not the game actually installed and ran, which it does.

[Ulfrinn]

Tristin님이 먼저 게시:

I've heard Proton does run Windows games, but not all. It can be hit or miss. As it is experimental

I've been using Linux for about 18 months now (Arch, not Mint, screw Mint) and haven't found a game that doesn't work with DXVK/Proton.

[Cray]

D. Flame님이 먼저 게시:

I have never had this issue in Mint.

It's not a mint issue, it's an "older card" issue. That whole chip line (codename Hawaii iirc.) had vulkan support added, but it was technically flagged as "experimental" and they never changed the label, so it's not turned on by default.

Niche issue that affects all distros afaik.

[Cray]

Ulfrinn님이 먼저 게시:

Tristin님이 먼저 게시:

I've heard Proton does run Windows games, but not all. It can be hit or miss. As it is experimental

I've been using Linux for about 18 months now (Arch, not Mint, screw Mint) and haven't found a game that doesn't work with DXVK/Proton.

Heck, not only do all but one of my games work (so far, haven't tested every single one), but when it comes to managing dependencies etc. it's also been an easier experience. Lots of games just wouldn't work on a stock Win7 or Win10 installation because of windows service packs and updates the games quietly depended on, even though they usually pull their dependencies with them automatically or tell you something's missing.

Could've just let windows update download a few dozen gigs, rebooted 8-10 times and waited for all the installers to run, but, like.. bleh.

On Linux it just pulled everything out of the box and worked. I had to laugh a little, having come to the point where installing something on Linux was actually easier than windows. Still got some distance to cover, but it was a fun start.