Thinking of switching to Linux full time, how is your experience from a desktop standpoint?

[Mog]

Hi all, this post is aimed a the Linux games out there. I've got experience with Ubuntu and Debian based distros for a few years now with school and work, but im strongly considering moving over full time for my gaming rig. I would like to know your experiences with Linux gaming on steam from a desktop standpoint. If you are a linux gamer, can you respond with the following:

- what distro do you use, and why?
- what games do you play?
- have you had any experience / issues with Litrus/bottles?
- what games cant you play, that you wish you could?
- how has the OOTB experience been with proton?
- any other issues that you run into because of your OS?

Would really like to hear what the community has to say on this, thanks!

[idester]

I used to be a Linux gamer for a long time until I had some very specific use cases that required me to use Windows. I'll still answer your questions from a POV of things I know will work on Linux, and my experience on using Linux gaming.

I should also state that I've been doing Linux Gaming long before the Steam Deck announcement, and I quit before the Steam Deck announcement as well. I'm going to have some experience regarding issues that most likely don't exist anymore.

To answer your questions:

- Arch. I wanted customization & a thorough understanding of what I do in my OS. I didn't just game on Linux, I did programming and lots of kernel-based tinkering.

- I mostly play retro games using Open Source Emulators (RetroArch, PCSX2, DuckStation, etc.), I mostly play RPGs.

- Lutris is something I didn't depend on a whole lot since everything I play is mostly on Steam. I don't go on BattleNet often, and I hardly use Epic Games Launcher.

- Rainbow Six Siege and Destiny were games I desperately wanted to play on Linux at the time. I don't care for either anymore.

- OOTB Proton experience has been a blast, its incredibly solid and sometimes games run better on Proton than windows natively. Proton forks (GloriousEggroll, Protontricks, etc.) are also incredible.

- Kernel-level anti-cheat was annoying, but that issue mostly depends on the game developer more than Linux.
There is a huge security hazard with using Kernel-level anti-cheats that I don't think anyone from the Linux Foundation or even Torvalds wants to have support for.
I'm not sure what the security specifics of Windows NT does with kernel-level anti-cheat.

[Haruspex]

I used Linux exclusively through most of last year. It was great, but ultimately it was only one or two Windows programs that I couldn't get working right that made me switch back. Linux is 99.9% there, but that 0.1% will probably keep me on Windows in the near future.

Nguyên văn bởi 780 APM:

- what distro do you use, and why?

I distro hopped a lot, but I ended up settling with Kubuntu[kubuntu.org], which is Ubuntu with the KDE Plasma desktop interface instead of the default Gnome interface. I just preferred KDE personally, and lots of software has builds specifically for Ubuntu. On other, less supported distros you can sometimes be expected to build from source and ensure you have all the prerequisites in place. For a beginner, one of the flavors of Ubuntu is a good choice. I've also heard good things about PopOS!

Nguyên văn bởi 780 APM:

- what games do you play?

Singleplayer. Lots of RPGs. Action, racing, etc. My own experience there was good, with almost all games running very well. Check ProtonDB[www.protondb.com] if you're in doubt and want to see how a game runs. There can be difficulties running certain multiplayer games that utilize certain anti-cheat solutions.

Nguyên văn bởi 780 APM:

- have you had any experience / issues with Litrus/bottles?

I mostly just ran my games through Steam. Pretty seamless there. Minigalaxy worked really well for my GOG games.

Nguyên văn bởi 780 APM:

- what games cant you play, that you wish you could?

It's a little silly, but RPG Maker 2003 wasn't a very good experience. I had font problems, and MIDI music didn't work at all. That's actually what brought me back to Windows.

Nguyên văn bởi 780 APM:

- how has the OOTB experience been with proton?

Amazing. Almost perfect, and only getting better. For almost everything that's not amazing and perfect, there's Proton Glorious Eggroll. It's a custom version of Proton that fixes a lot of games that regular Proton has trouble with. You can use ProtonUP QT[davidotek.github.io] to automate downloading and updating it, then just select the version of GE you want your game to run under in Steam.

Nguyên văn bởi 780 APM:

- any other issues that you run into because of your OS?

Mostly just a general unfamiliarity with the environment. When you spend 30+ years doing things the Windows/MSDOS way, unlearning all that can be a struggle. One thing a new Linux user wants to remember is to stick to your repositories for your software. Don't just download random applications through your browser and run them. The repositories will ensure your stuff stays up to date, and will keep you from running a piece of malicious code.

[Mog]

Nguyên văn bởi crossdressing fem cloud kinnie:

I used to be a Linux gamer for a long time until I had some very specific use cases that required me to use Windows. I'll still answer your questions from a POV of things I know will work on Linux, and my experience on using Linux gaming.

I should also state that I've been doing Linux Gaming long before the Steam Deck announcement, and I quit before the Steam Deck announcement as well. I'm going to have some experience regarding issues that most likely don't exist anymore.

To answer your questions:

- Arch. I wanted customization & a thorough understanding of what I do in my OS. I didn't just game on Linux, I did programming and lots of kernel-based tinkering.

- I mostly play retro games using Open Source Emulators (RetroArch, PCSX2, DuckStation, etc.), I mostly play RPGs.

- Lutris is something I didn't depend on a whole lot since everything I play is mostly on Steam. I don't go on BattleNet often, and I hardly use Epic Games Launcher.

- Rainbow Six Siege and Destiny were games I desperately wanted to play on Linux at the time. I don't care for either anymore.

- OOTB Proton experience has been a blast, its incredibly solid and sometimes games run better on Proton than windows natively. Proton forks (GloriousEggroll, Protontricks, etc.) are also incredible.

- Kernel-level anti-cheat was annoying, but that issue mostly depends on the game developer more than Linux.
There is a huge security hazard with using Kernel-level anti-cheats that I don't think anyone from the Linux Foundation or even Torvalds wants to have support for.
I'm not sure what the security specifics of Windows NT does with kernel-level anti-cheat.

Thank you for your reply, arch seems to be the way forward but im worried its just too steep for me, endevourOS looks nice but i might make the plunge sooner rather than later.

[Mog]

Nguyên văn bởi 8bitbeard:

I used Linux exclusively through most of last year. It was great, but ultimately it was only one or two Windows programs that I couldn't get working right that made me switch back. Linux is 99.9% there, but that 0.1% will probably keep me on Windows in the near future.

Nguyên văn bởi 780 APM:

- what distro do you use, and why?

I distro hopped a lot, but I ended up settling with Kubuntu[kubuntu.org], which is Ubuntu with the KDE Plasma desktop interface instead of the default Gnome interface. I just preferred KDE personally, and lots of software has builds specifically for Ubuntu. On other, less supported distros you can sometimes be expected to build from source and ensure you have all the prerequisites in place. For a beginner, one of the flavors of Ubuntu is a good choice. I've also heard good things about PopOS!

Nguyên văn bởi 780 APM:

- what games do you play?

Singleplayer. Lots of RPGs. Action, racing, etc. My own experience there was good, with almost all games running very well. Check ProtonDB[www.protondb.com] if you're in doubt and want to see how a game runs. There can be difficulties running certain multiplayer games that utilize certain anti-cheat solutions.

Nguyên văn bởi 780 APM:

- have you had any experience / issues with Litrus/bottles?

I mostly just ran my games through Steam. Pretty seamless there. Minigalaxy worked really well for my GOG games.

Nguyên văn bởi 780 APM:

- what games cant you play, that you wish you could?

It's a little silly, but RPG Maker 2003 wasn't a very good experience. I had font problems, and MIDI music didn't work at all. That's actually what brought me back to Windows.

Nguyên văn bởi 780 APM:

- how has the OOTB experience been with proton?

Amazing. Almost perfect, and only getting better. For almost everything that's not amazing and perfect, there's Proton Glorious Eggroll. It's a custom version of Proton that fixes a lot of games that regular Proton has trouble with. You can use ProtonUP QT[davidotek.github.io] to automate downloading and updating it, then just select the version of GE you want your game to run under in Steam.

Nguyên văn bởi 780 APM:

- any other issues that you run into because of your OS?

Mostly just a general unfamiliarity with the environment. When you spend 30+ years doing things the Windows/MSDOS way, unlearning all that can be a struggle. One thing a new Linux user wants to remember is to stick to your repositories for your software. Don't just download random applications through your browser and run them. The repositories will ensure your stuff stays up to date, and will keep you from running a piece of malicious code.

unlearning windows operation was a big thing for me, took much longer to realises the power of the terminal than i think it should of, its sad to see windows go away from that as a standard point of usage for the OS, thanks for you input.

[Electric Cupcake]

I stuck Manjaro on my old laptop last summer. It worked beautifully for a while, until pacman broke everything twice in a row.

Now, it's running Xubuntu. No complaints.

[DevaVictrix]

For me, it's been no different than using Windows. If anything it's better because you can use FSR on almost everything (It doesn't seem to work on World of Tanks).

I use openSUSE Leap and Proton-GE, and a nVidia gpu.

I keep it simple so no launch commands other than the FSR one, if needed.

I tend to install launchers (Epic, EA, Wargaming and Ubisoft) using just Wine (not Proton) but I usually have to open them with Proton. Wargaming, I think, is the exception. If it's a Steam game I install using Steam not the publisher's launcher.

It just works!

EDIT:
What games? check protondb

Recently I've played or tested ...

Inside (epic)
Limbo (steam)
World of Tanks (wargaming)
Watch Dogs (steam)
Watch Dogs 2 (ea)
Darq (epic)
Among the Sleep (epic)
God of War (steam)
Control (steam)
Bioshock (epic)
Hellblade (steam)
Death Stranding (epic)
RDR2 (steam)
Fifa 18 (ea)
+ more

All have worked flawlessly without any messing about or launch commands.

[Mog]

Nguyên văn bởi DevaVictrix:

For me, it's been no different than using Windows. If anything it's better because you can use FSR on almost everything (It doesn't seem to work on World of Tanks).

I use openSUSE Leap and Proton-GE, and a nVidia gpu.

I keep it simple so no launch commands other than the FSR one, if needed.

I tend to install launchers (Epic, EA, Wargaming and Ubisoft) using just Wine (not Proton) but I usually have to open them with Proton. Wargaming, I think, is the exception. If it's a Steam game I install using Steam not the publisher's launcher.

It just works!

EDIT:
What games? check protondb

Recently I've played or tested ...

Inside (epic)
Limbo (steam)
World of Tanks (wargaming)
Watch Dogs (steam)
Watch Dogs 2 (epic)
Darq (epic)
Among the Sleep (epic)
God of War (steam)
Control (steam)
Bioshock (epic)
Hellblade (steam)
Death Stranding (epic)
RDR2 (steam)
Fifa 18 (ea)
+ more

All have worked flawlessly without any messing about or launch commands.

interesting to see that the epic launcher is rather popular on linux, wonder why that is?

[DevaVictrix]

Well, they’ve never had a penny off me! Most of that goes to war gaming!

[Heitor Villa-Lobos]

Nguyên văn bởi 780 APM:

Hi all, this post is aimed a the Linux games out there. I've got experience with Ubuntu and Debian based distros for a few years now with school and work, but im strongly considering moving over full time for my gaming rig. I would like to know your experiences with Linux gaming on steam from a desktop standpoint. If you are a linux gamer, can you respond with the following:

- what distro do you use, and why?
- what games do you play?
- have you had any experience / issues with Litrus/bottles?
- what games cant you play, that you wish you could?
- how has the OOTB experience been with proton?
- any other issues that you run into because of your OS?

Would really like to hear what the community has to say on this, thanks!

I've been using GNU/Linux systems for over a decade now. I've distro-hopped (tried out many flavours of GNU) a lot and I run different distros for different purposes. On servers I run Debian for its stability and well-curated packages; for work usually Manjaro or Solus; Personal computer varies a lot, usually OpenSuSe, but a distro that has interested me a lot recently is Garuda, as it is optimized for gaming.

I really need to point out that Linux is not shorthand for GNU/Linux OS (GNU is a better one) and using as such is a obscurantist terminology, just like "cloud" meaning "corporate servers". Linux is just the name of the kernel, that even Google's Android runs. GNU and GNU-like OSes are what you usually run on servers or personal computers.

I usually play indie games. Here in Steam I own mostly Programming and Logic games. I have a larger variety of genres at Itch , where they sell DRM-free games. I also really enjoy compiling games from other peoples repos (sourceforge, gitlab, personal websites/blogs, etc). There is a whole world of FLOSS games, just like there are alternative literature and fan-fiction circles. There are some games that have been under slow and constant development for years, and whenever a new update comes, its like a new chapter of the Gilgamesh epic has been discoreved/disclosed. There are games being actively developed by a large community, which you can participate. There are games that really blur the boundaries of what is gaming and what is programming.

The point is that Steam eventualy seems too vanilla once you embrace the possibilities of libre/community development.

In fact, once you do learn and adapt to the Free/Libre and Open Source world, you'll envision an amazing possible reality where OSes and computers are optimized for tasks like gaming, data science, media/art production, etc.

The scenario today, unfortunately, is Microsoft holding all of us hostage to their horrible development model, where they make bad and heavy software, enforced to the general population via shady billionary deals with computer manufacturers.

It does not have to be the case.

Embrace diversity, embrace other cultures, embrace other approaches to software & hardware engineering and development.

You have so much to gain.

But if you don't liberate your mind and seek to deal with computers and programs just as you did with Windows, you will have a bad time, and you will regret it.

Once you do join us on the libre side, you'll - like us - wonder how ṕeople are kept in the dark about what computing can be (just about anything).

[Heitor Villa-Lobos]

Adding to the previous post:
I avoid games that are still only developed for an unethical OS. Are we or are we not in a Environmental and Ethical Crisis? Are we really going to build a new Economy based on human private data, whíle the Environment collapses? Are we still going to play one last game by the billionaires of the world before tackling distribution of food, hunger, pollution, plastic island, climate chage, etc? Therefore, I almost never run Proton.

I do wish a few titles ran on GNU/Linux natively, for example PC Builder Simulator. On the other hand, it is an over expensive game, broken down into a dozen DLCs. Its a money grab by imoral people. Even though the subject interests me, it is usually the case that what drove the development of titles that don't run natively on GNU is just greed.

Then I change my mind and don't miss those games anymore. You see?

Do I really want to play the newest and most realistic first-person-shooter where US soldiers kill evil <every single nationality that not the US> to save the planet (actually, just the US)? Games funded by the US military complex and/or brands like Oakley?

Meh, there are also trans/queer rebels in the US coding nice stuff and fighting supremacy. They probably build GNU/Linux native games with a lot of love. I'd rather buy those.

EDIT: I know OP is playing Call of Duty® and Warzone™ *right now* because it shows in their miniprofile.
I do not mean to shame you or anything. I'm just sharing my point of view. Enjoy your games, but perhaps seek more.

[Jinrum]

Nguyên văn bởi author:

- what distro do you use, and why?

Fedora Workstation 37 on Gnome using X11. I used Pop OS for a year to acclimate and get comfortable navigating linux. I did quite a bit of reading on various subreddits like /r/linux_gaming, /r/Fedora, /r/Pop_OS, and plenty of other distros to get a feel for what people were experiencing on a month to month basis for a whole year while I was on Pop OS.

My conclusion was Fedora is not bleeding edge like Arch based distros that have a higher chance to break during an update. Fedora is more leading edge that it isn't too old like Ubuntu based distros where you are behind on kernal updates. This is especially important if you are running newer hardware that was recently released.

Nguyên văn bởi author:

- what games do you play?

I play pretty much everything in my library except for one game called Hardland that won't start no matter what I try. Certain anti-cheat games will not run like Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 | Warzone 2.0 so keep that in mind.

Check https://www.protondb.com/ to verify if your games actually work or if tweaks/launch commands are needed to get running.

Use https://areweanticheatyet.com/ to check if a anti-cheat game is supported by the developer on linux. If a game required easy anti-cheat to be installed it can easily be done from your steam game library by searching for Proton EasyAntiCheat and install it.

Nguyên văn bởi author:

- have you had any experience / issues with Lutris/bottles?

Yes, no issues from when I used it a year ago to login to my Ubisoft account to play some Immortals Fenyx Rising. Bottles I only used to run a specific Windows only software for updating the firmware on my recording camera for my car but that was about it.

Nguyên văn bởi author:

- what games cant you play, that you wish you could?

None, after a few months I came to the conclusion that the majority of anti-cheat games I never had fun in due to the constant cheating. I'll rarely play TF2 for an hour or two but that is about it. Your mileage may vary.

Nguyên văn bởi author:

- how has the OOTB experience been with proton?

Very good and Valve continues to support more games. Even newer titles Valve puts out a hot fix a few days later for newer releases. I can't remember the last time I needed to use Lutris to play some games.

Nguyên văn bởi author:

- any other issues that you run into because of your OS?

None, everything works for my particular hardware setup. The biggest thing you can do is make sure the BIOS for your motherboard is up to date for stability and performance reasons.

Here are some news sites to follow besides reddit.
https://www.phoronix.com/
https://www.gamingonlinux.com/


Ultimately, you just need to do your due diligence and research your hardware/software setup.

[Mog]

Nguyên văn bởi Jinrum:

Nguyên văn bởi author:

- what distro do you use, and why?

Fedora Workstation 37 on Gnome using X11. I used Pop OS for a year to acclimate and get comfortable navigating linux. I did quite a bit of reading on various subreddits like /r/linux_gaming, /r/Fedora, /r/Pop_OS, and plenty of other distros to get a feel for what people were experiencing on a month to month basis for a whole year while I was on Pop OS.

My conclusion was Fedora is not bleeding edge like Arch based distros that have a higher chance to break during an update. Fedora is more leading edge that it isn't too old like Ubuntu based distros where you are behind on kernal updates. This is especially important if you are running newer hardware that was recently released.

Nguyên văn bởi author:

- what games do you play?

I play pretty much everything in my library except for one game called Hardland that won't start no matter what I try. Certain anti-cheat games will not run like Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 | Warzone 2.0 so keep that in mind.

Check https://www.protondb.com/ to verify if your games actually work or if tweaks/launch commands are needed to get running.

Use https://areweanticheatyet.com/ to check if a anti-cheat game is supported by the developer on linux. If a game required easy anti-cheat to be installed it can easily be done from your steam game library by searching for Proton EasyAntiCheat and install it.

Nguyên văn bởi author:

- have you had any experience / issues with Lutris/bottles?

Yes, no issues from when I used it a year ago to login to my Ubisoft account to play some Immortals Fenyx Rising. Bottles I only used to run a specific Windows only software for updating the firmware on my recording camera for my car but that was about it.

Nguyên văn bởi author:

- what games cant you play, that you wish you could?

None, after a few months I came to the conclusion that the majority of anti-cheat games I never had fun in due to the constant cheating. I'll rarely play TF2 for an hour or two but that is about it. Your mileage may vary.

Nguyên văn bởi author:

- how has the OOTB experience been with proton?

Very good and Valve continues to support more games. Even newer titles Valve puts out a hot fix a few days later for newer releases. I can't remember the last time I needed to use Lutris to play some games.

Nguyên văn bởi author:

- any other issues that you run into because of your OS?

None, everything works for my particular hardware setup. The biggest thing you can do is make sure the BIOS for your motherboard is up to date for stability and performance reasons.

Here are some news sites to follow besides reddit.
https://www.phoronix.com/
https://www.gamingonlinux.com/


Ultimately, you just need to do your due diligence and research your hardware/software setup.

Thanks for getting back to me, glad to hear that your experience was so good, especially with OOTB proton.