Linux mint and pop os are winner so far
this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2025
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I tried Linux Mint, and enjoyed my experience and even setup everything and then when I booted up Factorio Steam didn't use my 3080 somehow. Pop OS worked but I didn't like the experience. I'll have to give Linux Mint a shot again.
That is almost certainly because Factorio has a native Linux version and Steam installed that instead of the Windows version. It was trying to use OpenGL and defaulting to CPU rendering because you likely haven't altered the default configuration.
If you force Steam to use steam play, it will download the Windows version and run it through Proton which will use the right hardware.
I've not played Factorio but I've seen a vidjeo about it. How is the Windows version on Proton better than a Linux native version?
Wouldn't the correct answer be to fix the graphics driver or configuration? And why doesn't OpenGL just work? Or better yet, Vulkan?
It's this nonsense that keeps people locked in to Windows.
Running the native version requires the user to configure their system correctly and then it would work. Most people who are coming to Linux from Windows are not interested in editing config files or using the terminal and, in any case, the vast majority of Linux gaming is done by running Windows games via WINE.
Proton is WINE packaged with the software and configuration scripts so that it 'just works' without user intervention. If you're on Linux, you can install Steam and Go to Settings -> Compatibility and check 'Allow Steam Play for all other titles' and, from that point on, it will install the Windows version of the game and run it with Proton with no user interaction (other than clicking 'Play').
It’s this nonsense that keeps people locked in to Windows.
It isn't nonsense, it makes perfect sense.
You can follow the error messages (which it prints to stdout when the game launches) and determine what the problem is so that you can fix it. The problem is completely understandable, the game logs would show exactly what device it was using and you could see what piece of software is responsible and go and look at the online documentation for that project to determine the exact configuration change that you need to make.
That's how you should be troubleshooting problems, but you can't do that on Windows because everything is a black box and provides little to no logs. If you're lucky you'll get an error message.
If you have a problem on Windows you first reboot and pray. Or, if that doesn't fix it, you search random social media or forum posts, apply arbitrary registry changes recommended by Reddit comments, upgrade drivers, downgrade drivers, install motherboard firmware and dig through the various Windows GUI menus, which are change completely between Windows 8, 10 and 11 (but not 9, which doesn't exist for some arbitrary reason), to locate a switch or checkbox that you can flip (and reboot again) until finally the problem resolves itself seemingly on its own. To me, this is the nonsense.
I swapped from Windows 10 specifically because I didn't want to be in the Windows 11 and forward environment. (I use Arch btw)
I really don't regret it, the set up was really painful but once that was done, the KDE had so many good features that I immediately felt at home. I'm floored by how good Proton/Steam is at handling games, I don't think I've had to skip on any game due to my OS (so far).
CachyOS?
I'm on good ol' Arch Linux with plasma KDE
You're a better man than I. I just dipped my toes in Arch by going with CachyOS.
Hey chad, I hadn't heard of CachyOS until you brought it up, good on you for finding an OS that matches your needs and going for it
It tweaked my interest when the forums said steam works great with it. And it does! Been playing RDR2 on it and my laptop only has the built-in graphics chip.
This is gonna be an unpopular opinion here but telling people who have used Windows their entire lives to just switch to Linux as if it's that easy is entirely unhelpful and makes the Linux community look elitist and out of touch.
I think I understand your broader point as saying that a switch to Linux being as simple as switching from Coors to Miller is underselling the fact that Linux is a fairly different environment/ecosystem. You’re right on that. But as someone who’s made a switch to Linux (Ubuntu) after a lifetime of other OS use, I have to say that I think it’s worth it, even with the learning curve.
I have been exclusively a Mac user and Apple cultist for at least twenty years now and only knew Windows (3.0-ME) prior to that. I have a few 2011 Intel Macs that I use for work and home exclusively (two of which were hand-me-downs) and have not been receiving updates for awhile now. I’m not in the financial position to buy a new computer and I randomly read that Ubuntu runs great on these old Macs. So I decided to give it a try. It was a bit of work that was bolstered by the fact that I do have a bit more computer know-how than the average person (but nowhere near most of the people I see on the Fediverse). But I’ve come to love it and am now working my way over to this being a permanent change.
I’m only sharing this as an example that even deeply entrenched people can learn to use this stuff. And I was a Mac guy! Apple holds your hands and does so much thinking for you! I’d think with Windows, the switch over to something like Mint would be fairly easy, given the GUI (I specifically chose Ubuntu over Mint because Mint’s GUI is described as “Windows-like” and I personally hate all things Microsoft—which is definitely a “me problem” lol—but I’m probably going to load it onto an older ThinkPad of my wife’s that we want to set up for our son).
I mean... they are out of touch. I'm sure its possible to have a pain free switch over but when I had trouble the advice was interspersed with quite a few caveats. In essence Linux is 'easy to setup but...' Still gonna try again though, also guys that laptop you all said was dying because linux made it crash is still working fine on windows with no sign of trouble.
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Id run Linux if it could run the apps I need efficiently
use alternatives if possible
It's not possible
What apps?
Ableton, FL Studio plus all the vsts I use. Plus all the adobe I use plus all the games I play that are windows only
All the games that I play are Windows-only too and they run just fine via Proton.
Yeah I don't feel like running an emulation or a script to just play a game though. If I want to use Linux. I'll use it on a laptop for web browsing. It's a useless OS for me personally for every day life that has very little support from other companies.
Yeah I don’t feel like running an emulation or a script to just play a game though.
You open Steam, click Play, and the game launches.
The same as it does on Windows.
You left out the part where you have to install wine though.
Install Wine in the Terminal using "sudo apt install wine64" (64-bit computers) or "sudo apt install wine32" (32-bit computers). Download a Windows ".exe" or ". msi" program and go to the download location by typing "cd ~/Downloads" in the Terminal and pressing "Enter." Type "wine <name of ".exe" or "
Yeah. Sounds way more fun that just getting whatever game I want and having supported drivers right away.
Just fave it man. Linux knst a boss OS like you want people to believe. And why be so pushy about it in the first place? Windows works great for me. Linux is fine when I want to use it. What does my OS preference trigger you so hard?
Linux has great DAWs, bridges for vsts, alternatives for Adobe software and tons of games. The issue is your unwillingness to try something new, which is fine, but that's not a knock to Linux.
Name a real alternative to Adobe Acrobat. Especially Pro. Adobe has their crap on lockdown. And they know it, and they rape your wallet for it.
GIMP is good enough for me, and it may be a good cheaper alternative for budget minded professionals. But GIMP's UI and workflow design pale in comparison to Photoshop. I haven't used GIMP 3 yet though, maybe it's gotten better.
I've used gimp. I pay for Adobe. I paid for FL and Ableton and used them for over 10 years. Why would I switch?
This is very realistic and fair, I don't subscribe to the ideologist out of touch bs personally even though I first compiled Gentoo 20 years ago.
I run Mac as my daily driver for convenience and stability but use the terminal for a ton of things and SSH into various Linux servers for my work. I run a VM in Parallels for the handful of apps which only work on windows, and generally avoid them unless they're the only option.
Basically, what I'm saying is even if you're dependent on some Windows only apps, you might find you have a better quality of life by making those the exception (running them in a VM) but using a more stable OS as the underlying OS.
I stopped using windows while using Win XP, maybe 16 or 17 years ago. When I try using current windows I become useless, I can barely figure out how to use it.
That's how I feel when I use Linux or MacOS
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try mas for activiating ESU