this post was submitted on 18 Oct 2023
620 points (100.0% liked)
linuxmemes
21072 readers
21 users here now
Hint: :q!
Sister communities:
Community rules (click to expand)
1. Follow the site-wide rules
- Instance-wide TOS: https://legal.lemmy.world/tos/
- Lemmy code of conduct: https://join-lemmy.org/docs/code_of_conduct.html
2. Be civil
- Understand the difference between a joke and an insult.
- Do not harrass or attack members of the community for any reason.
- Leave remarks of "peasantry" to the PCMR community. If you dislike an OS/service/application, attack the thing you dislike, not the individuals who use it. Some people may not have a choice.
- Bigotry will not be tolerated.
- These rules are somewhat loosened when the subject is a public figure. Still, do not attack their person or incite harrassment.
3. Post Linux-related content
- Including Unix and BSD.
- Non-Linux content is acceptable as long as it makes a reference to Linux. For example, the poorly made mockery of
sudo in Windows.
- No porn. Even if you watch it on a Linux machine.
4. No recent reposts
- Everybody uses Arch btw, can't quit Vim, and wants to interject for a moment. You can stop now.
Please report posts and comments that break these rules!
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
Why wait for Microsoft when you can just...
Still just a bit worried about everything I use not being compatible. Windows is the normie choice so chances are if it exists there's a Windows version but with Linux I'd start from scratch.
Tell you what, when I replace my motherboard in a couple weeks, I'll slot this M.2 I've got and put a Linux partition on it. Any recommendations on what 'version' to start with for a heavy gamer? The different names of Linux 'versions' are kernels, right?
Not really, the kernel is basically the only thing all distros share in common. The different Linux "distros" (as in distributions) are called that precisely because they have different ways of distributing the software they use to build the OS. They use different means to achieve the same goal.
I am biased towards Fedora since I am a contributor of the project, but you can't go wrong with Ubuntu either. It's more popular so there's a lot more content about it online if you need help.
The only thing I recommend against is using small, niche distros or DIY distros (like Arch) as your first. Stick with big distros with big communities and don't be afraid to ask questions in the forums if there's any doubts or if you face any issues.
It sounds daunting in the beginning, but it's way easier than the internet make it seem.
Ah okay, thank you for clearing the terminology up a bit. So the distros are what have different names and have unique contributions from different people, the kernel is just the common 'core' they expand off? I think I got it.
I hear a lot of people mention Arch to the point it's a meme but I'll take your advice and steer clear. Ubuntu is the one I'm probably most familiar with on a name basis to the point I thought it and 'Linux' meant the same thing. I might start with Ubuntu only for the sake of documentation and once I get a familiar idea of how to do basic commands and troubleshooting, I'll give your Fedora a shot.
The only thing that's kept me from the switch is compatibility concerns. Lots and lots of people harp on about that and until Steam Deck I wasn't even sure I'd be able to game with it. I'm ready to break my Microsoft chains though.
Oh, don't worry, unless you are really into competitive multiplayer games with anti-cheat software, you'll likely have a great experience gaming on Linux! Just don't forget to tick the Proton compatibility layer option on Steam's settings (if they haven't yet made that the default, I'm not sure nowadays).
In any case, if you're wary if a certain game you want to play is playable or not, just check on ProtonDB.