I like the idea of switching to Linux to break the strangle of windows on my hardware but I don’t know if all my games on Steam, Wargamings launcher and Automatic1111 will work properly if I made that switch. I installed Mint for a friend because I’m semi-literate and feel like messing with that…cmd window “terminal” to do…literally anything installation wise would get irritating.
I want a Linux that is as easy to use out of the box as windows. Will Mint be that way or will I have to spend 5 hours figuring out special words for commands any time I want to install something?
I’ve been using Linux Mint as a daily driver for ten years now.
I personally find Linux Mint to be easier to use than Windows out of the box. For example, you probably don’t have to worry about drivers at all; AMD Radeon drivers for example are built right into the kernel, they “just work.” In Windows, you have to go out to AMD’s website, download and install them.
Linux has an app-store like system called a package manager. Most–including Linux Mint–have graphical ones that work just like the Play Store on Android does, except everything that’s in there is free. On a Mint machine, you open the App Menu, go to Administration > Software Manager. To install Steam, you search for “steam” in the box in the top right, and you’ll recognize the logo.
This same task can be done from the terminal. You can open the terminal and type sudo apt install steam
I will use both approaches depending on what I’m doing at the time. Like for example, it’s faster to install multiple programs via the terminal. sudo apt install steam obs blender audacity gimp shotcut inkscape would install all those apps in one big thing, no need to sit there clicking through the app store.
Linux Mint won’t require use of the terminal very often, it has GUI menus and utilities for most things you’ll likely want to do. Sometimes, using the terminal is faster, easier, or more convenient, or just more fun. Yeah there’s fun to be had in the terminal. Get on Youtube and look up what “cowsay” does.
You can install Mint alongside Win in a dual-boot configuration … then you can switch to it to figure out the gaming situation. (You just need to learn how to do that dual-boot install carefully. I recommend reading in the LM forums to learn that: https://forums.linuxmint.com/ ) OR you can install LM on a second drive, as many have.
Steam itself works fine on Linux. I don’t think I have a single game in my library that doesn’t work. I’m using Arch (btw) and I’ve found that for my use case (internet browsing and video games) that I haven’t had any major issues.
The two issues I do have are:
If I go too long without updating then package dependencies get screwed and its a headache to fix.
-Downloaded applications need the console to allow them to be run. (This is just a single command I have sticky noted to my monitor.)
I still have my Windows install (dual boot) as a just in case backup, but its been months since I’ve used it.
Not all of your games will work on linux but thats not a linux problem but a game developer fault. You cant do anything about that by switching to a different distro. Especially those fps games with intrusive kernel level anti cheat will never be supported. Go to protondb and look up all the games that you need and see what works. I personally made the switch and simply stopped playing those that doesn’t as for each that doesnt work theres a dozen of them that does. Proton really is a godsend.
And installing anything on linux isnt such voodoo magic that you have to worry about. For example flatpak lets you do “flatpak install something” and everything is done without you opening your browser and downloading stuff, going through a lengthy annoying installer. If you want to completely avoid opening terminal then some have appstore like discover on nobara which is simply microsoft store but actually usable. For those that arent on repo you can still download a package and install like windows. Linux really isnt that hard and i would even say its easier than windows if you get one of stable ready to run distros that simply works without any tweaking. It took you years to get used to windows so everything different looks difficult when it just takes a month or 2 to get used to it. If you dont want to make the jump then dual boot it and use it for a while till youre ready to remove windows completely.
As for stuff in the terminal, if you ever need to use it, you’ll probably be able to find what commands you need online and copy/paste. There are a lot of thing you can do in the terminal, but it isn’t required much. As for installing software, it’s significantly easier and more convenient than in Windows. It works more similar to Android or IPhone, where there’s a shared place to get them from and they will all be updated through that as well, instead of having to launch the application and have it check for updates, download/install them, then relaunch.
I like the idea of switching to Linux to break the strangle of windows on my hardware but I don’t know if all my games on Steam, Wargamings launcher and Automatic1111 will work properly if I made that switch. I installed Mint for a friend because I’m semi-literate and feel like messing with that…cmd window “terminal” to do…literally anything installation wise would get irritating.
I want a Linux that is as easy to use out of the box as windows. Will Mint be that way or will I have to spend 5 hours figuring out special words for commands any time I want to install something?
I’ve been using Linux Mint as a daily driver for ten years now.
I personally find Linux Mint to be easier to use than Windows out of the box. For example, you probably don’t have to worry about drivers at all; AMD Radeon drivers for example are built right into the kernel, they “just work.” In Windows, you have to go out to AMD’s website, download and install them.
Linux has an app-store like system called a package manager. Most–including Linux Mint–have graphical ones that work just like the Play Store on Android does, except everything that’s in there is free. On a Mint machine, you open the App Menu, go to Administration > Software Manager. To install Steam, you search for “steam” in the box in the top right, and you’ll recognize the logo.
This same task can be done from the terminal. You can open the terminal and type
sudo apt install steamI will use both approaches depending on what I’m doing at the time. Like for example, it’s faster to install multiple programs via the terminal.
sudo apt install steam obs blender audacity gimp shotcut inkscapewould install all those apps in one big thing, no need to sit there clicking through the app store.Linux Mint won’t require use of the terminal very often, it has GUI menus and utilities for most things you’ll likely want to do. Sometimes, using the terminal is faster, easier, or more convenient, or just more fun. Yeah there’s fun to be had in the terminal. Get on Youtube and look up what “cowsay” does.
You ain’t never going to play all those Steam games anyway.
You can install Mint alongside Win in a dual-boot configuration … then you can switch to it to figure out the gaming situation. (You just need to learn how to do that dual-boot install carefully. I recommend reading in the LM forums to learn that: https://forums.linuxmint.com/ ) OR you can install LM on a second drive, as many have.
I dont want to learn all these new sacred spells to bend the thinking stones to my will.
You just use the same ones. You Google for it and copy paste what you find. 99% of your issues will be solved by that unless you want to go further.
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Steam itself works fine on Linux. I don’t think I have a single game in my library that doesn’t work. I’m using Arch (btw) and I’ve found that for my use case (internet browsing and video games) that I haven’t had any major issues.
The two issues I do have are:
I still have my Windows install (dual boot) as a just in case backup, but its been months since I’ve used it.
Not all of your games will work on linux but thats not a linux problem but a game developer fault. You cant do anything about that by switching to a different distro. Especially those fps games with intrusive kernel level anti cheat will never be supported. Go to protondb and look up all the games that you need and see what works. I personally made the switch and simply stopped playing those that doesn’t as for each that doesnt work theres a dozen of them that does. Proton really is a godsend.
And installing anything on linux isnt such voodoo magic that you have to worry about. For example flatpak lets you do “flatpak install something” and everything is done without you opening your browser and downloading stuff, going through a lengthy annoying installer. If you want to completely avoid opening terminal then some have appstore like discover on nobara which is simply microsoft store but actually usable. For those that arent on repo you can still download a package and install like windows. Linux really isnt that hard and i would even say its easier than windows if you get one of stable ready to run distros that simply works without any tweaking. It took you years to get used to windows so everything different looks difficult when it just takes a month or 2 to get used to it. If you dont want to make the jump then dual boot it and use it for a while till youre ready to remove windows completely.
https://www.protondb.com/
It looks like world of tanks at least works on Linux fine. I haven’t tried it, but it’s rated as gold.
https://www.protondb.com/search?q=World of tanks
As for stuff in the terminal, if you ever need to use it, you’ll probably be able to find what commands you need online and copy/paste. There are a lot of thing you can do in the terminal, but it isn’t required much. As for installing software, it’s significantly easier and more convenient than in Windows. It works more similar to Android or IPhone, where there’s a shared place to get them from and they will all be updated through that as well, instead of having to launch the application and have it check for updates, download/install them, then relaunch.