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My typical experience with Linux on the desktop. Install it, get frustrated with lack of compatible games, then something blows up after a week so it won't boot

My typical experience with Linux on the desktop. Install it, get frustrated with lack of compatible games, then something blows up after a week so it won't boot, back to windows. I enjoy my Mac so much more when I want to to development. Linux just kinda faceplants itself every time i even attempt to use it for anything else than a server.

gjsman-1000 2y ago
My favorite example of this: Elementary OS. Looks gorgeous. It's so simple, it's even got "elementary" in the name. Very simple experience for people who want something macOS-like. However... they never figured out how to get distribution upgrades working. So, they never did it. Whenever a new version comes out, reinstall the OS is the official guidance. The most elementary task in the world, even for technically minded people. Ironically, that Linux distribution is the ultimate example of form over function, more than any other OS.
threetonesun 2y ago
I use a Mac as my primary computer but I run a Linux VM on Unraid just for gaming or other odd tasks I want a VM for. The setup and out of the box support for gaming was actually easier than Windows 10, which was what I tried first.
Aardwolf 2y ago
Never have that problem with Archlinux, 'pacman -Syu' to update everything almost never gives problems (it's actually over 5 years ago it gave a real problem for me). You can control yourself when you run it too, no forced updates. > get frustrated with lack of compatible games I have no issue playing whichever modern game I want in Linux on Steam (I don't play competitive games with anticheat features though, but things like Cyberpunk 2077, Satisfactory, Age of Mythology, ... all work. Haven't tried Starfield yet but it's 'gold' on protondb)
- lawn 2y ago
  Same experience but with Void Linux here.
progx 2y ago
I am a heavy linux user (it is my work machine os), forget games on linux, it is still crap. For gaming i still use Windows.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
Beijinger 2y ago
I hate windows. I don't play any games besides https://play-cs.com/ https://play-cs.com/ But AFAIK Linux users use something called Steam to play games? No?
- stonemetal12 2y ago
  Steam is a video game app store for PCs. Back when MS added their app store to windows, the people who make steam (Valve) started working on Proton (wine based?) to get windows video games to work on Linux. Originally Valve said Ubuntu was the only Linux distro they officially supported. Then they started their own distro based on Debian. then they switched to their distro to arch. TLDR Valve, the company that makes Steam, works on getting games to work on Linux, but they have been kind of all over the place.
RIMR 2y ago
Your major complaint is the lack of compatible games, but then you say you like your Mac better? There are WAY more Linux-compatible games than Mac-compatible games, and that's just talking about native builds. With Proton, you basically only won't be able to play games with kernel-level anticheat. Everything else works great. I'm not doubting that you have had some bad experiences with Linux, but the lack of gaming options is really not a modern issue. Just don't use Wayland (for now) if that is a priority.
lccerina 2y ago
There are distros slightly optimized for games (e.g. Garuda is based on Arch) and the support from Valve and Proton is quite good at the moment. Problems appear only for games launcher that insist on being Windows-only (anything from EA and Ubisoft, Epic games launcher etc...)
yndoendo 2y ago
I have been Linux desktop user for over 15 years, Gentoo to Arch. Currently being paid to develop on Windows and have more problems with Windows than Linux when it comes to the desktop and OS stability. Any issue that comes up has been a means to fix with Linux with downgrading a package or editing a config file. Problem with Windows often requires a re-install with the tight integration with registry and buggy drivers that lock up development VMs. My work laptop has become a space heater controlled by Microsoft Compatibility Telemetry, consumes 1/3 of the CPU, and their Antimalware Service Executable, consumes 4/5 of the CPU for days. No way will I let Windows bare metal on my personal computers and you have to pay me to use such bad quality software. PS. Any that says Windows has good backwards capability, that capability is subjective. Still cannot run "Slave Zero" on NT kernel, only Win32.
- dcminter 2y ago
  Another Linux guy here to report that the corporate experience on Macs can suck balls too. Not just Windows. At $dayjob the corporate issued Macs are locked down (for good solid compliance reasons so there's no point fighting that) but run a variety of incredibly shitty DLP and virus-checking borderline-malware. The developer experience is horrible. Worse, because they're locked down so tight you can't install any of those myriad utilities that Mac people tell you about whenever you complain how poor the desktop experience is compared to Linux! - I'm not even able to install uBlock Origin on my browser so any web browsing is eye-opening. Don't get me started on the MITM SSL certs that the DLP software requires us to have set up for everything - it's pretty amazing how terrible the devX is at times.
nsingh2 2y ago
Complete opposite experience for me. With Linux I pare down my system to the bare minimum I need, less software running -> less potential problems -> more stability.
yjftsjthsd-h 2y ago
> then something blows up after a week so it won't boot ... What on earth. What are you doing to the poor machine?

gjsman-1000 2y ago

My favorite example of this: Elementary OS. Looks gorgeous. It's so simple, it's even got "elementary" in the name. Very simple experience for people who want something macOS-like. However... they never figured out how to get distribution upgrades working. So, they never did it. Whenever a new version comes out, reinstall the OS is the official guidance. The most elementary task in the world, even for technically minded people. Ironically, that Linux distribution is the ultimate example of form over function, more than any other OS.

threetonesun 2y ago

I use a Mac as my primary computer but I run a Linux VM on Unraid just for gaming or other odd tasks I want a VM for. The setup and out of the box support for gaming was actually easier than Windows 10, which was what I tried first.

Aardwolf 2y ago

Never have that problem with Archlinux, 'pacman -Syu' to update everything almost never gives problems (it's actually over 5 years ago it gave a real problem for me). You can control yourself when you run it too, no forced updates. > get frustrated with lack of compatible games I have no issue playing whichever modern game I want in Linux on Steam (I don't play competitive games with anticheat features though, but things like Cyberpunk 2077, Satisfactory, Age of Mythology, ... all work. Haven't tried Starfield yet but it's 'gold' on protondb)

lawn 2y ago
Same experience but with Void Linux here.

progx 2y ago

I am a heavy linux user (it is my work machine os), forget games on linux, it is still crap. For gaming i still use Windows.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

Beijinger 2y ago

I hate windows. I don't play any games besides https://play-cs.com/ https://play-cs.com/ But AFAIK Linux users use something called Steam to play games? No?

stonemetal12 2y ago
Steam is a video game app store for PCs. Back when MS added their app store to windows, the people who make steam (Valve) started working on Proton (wine based?) to get windows video games to work on Linux. Originally Valve said Ubuntu was the only Linux distro they officially supported. Then they started their own distro based on Debian. then they switched to their distro to arch. TLDR Valve, the company that makes Steam, works on getting games to work on Linux, but they have been kind of all over the place.

RIMR 2y ago

Your major complaint is the lack of compatible games, but then you say you like your Mac better? There are WAY more Linux-compatible games than Mac-compatible games, and that's just talking about native builds. With Proton, you basically only won't be able to play games with kernel-level anticheat. Everything else works great. I'm not doubting that you have had some bad experiences with Linux, but the lack of gaming options is really not a modern issue. Just don't use Wayland (for now) if that is a priority.

lccerina 2y ago

There are distros slightly optimized for games (e.g. Garuda is based on Arch) and the support from Valve and Proton is quite good at the moment. Problems appear only for games launcher that insist on being Windows-only (anything from EA and Ubisoft, Epic games launcher etc...)

yndoendo 2y ago

I have been Linux desktop user for over 15 years, Gentoo to Arch. Currently being paid to develop on Windows and have more problems with Windows than Linux when it comes to the desktop and OS stability. Any issue that comes up has been a means to fix with Linux with downgrading a package or editing a config file. Problem with Windows often requires a re-install with the tight integration with registry and buggy drivers that lock up development VMs. My work laptop has become a space heater controlled by Microsoft Compatibility Telemetry, consumes 1/3 of the CPU, and their Antimalware Service Executable, consumes 4/5 of the CPU for days. No way will I let Windows bare metal on my personal computers and you have to pay me to use such bad quality software. PS. Any that says Windows has good backwards capability, that capability is subjective. Still cannot run "Slave Zero" on NT kernel, only Win32.

dcminter 2y ago
Another Linux guy here to report that the corporate experience on Macs can suck balls too. Not just Windows. At $dayjob the corporate issued Macs are locked down (for good solid compliance reasons so there's no point fighting that) but run a variety of incredibly shitty DLP and virus-checking borderline-malware. The developer experience is horrible. Worse, because they're locked down so tight you can't install any of those myriad utilities that Mac people tell you about whenever you complain how poor the desktop experience is compared to Linux! - I'm not even able to install uBlock Origin on my browser so any web browsing is eye-opening. Don't get me started on the MITM SSL certs that the DLP software requires us to have set up for everything - it's pretty amazing how terrible the devX is at times.

nsingh2 2y ago

Complete opposite experience for me. With Linux I pare down my system to the bare minimum I need, less software running -> less potential problems -> more stability.

yjftsjthsd-h 2y ago

> then something blows up after a week so it won't boot ... What on earth. What are you doing to the poor machine?