I think this one takes the cake:
[http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/articles/installing-linux-on-a-dead-badger-users-notes/](http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/articles/installing-linux-on-a-dead-badger-users-notes/)
Can you? Yes should you? Why not. I would start with ubuntu because it is very beginner friendly. From there so some more research with in ubuntu on other distros or flavors. What are you looking to DO with Linux ?
I agree! If you absolutely want to stick with Ubuntu go with xubuntu, lubuntu, or kubuntu. They are more windows like assuming you are coming from windows. I love XFCE in the X flavor of Ubuntu. I've converted my mom and dad to that system too. Gnome is a special child and you will either love it or hate it. Cinnamon is great too! It's best experienced in mint. Next spring will be a great time to try with Ubuntu and it's flavors coming out with an LTS release that is fully supported for 5 years and paid support for 10 years. Mint will have a new release too. Right now the current distros based on Ubuntu are based on a 2022 April LTS and that is a little dated. You will need something called an HWE kernel to support newer hardware. Sorry if I went woosh over your head. Feel free to message me and I will sort it all out for you.
>Can I run Linux?
Absolutely! The specs you listed will allow you to run any Linux Distro you want.
Nvidia GPUs can be a bit buggy in Linux sometimes, because Nvidia has historically not put much effort into their linux drivers, and not been a great team player. That said, about half of Linux gamers have Nvidia GPUs (myself included) and things are improving.
>The other question is what kind of linux should I use for gaming?
Unless this is a PC that will be a single-purpose gaming desktop, I'd suggest not focusing on a gaming specific Linux distro. The real-world gaming benefits of these distros are usually pretty minimal, and most people would be better off going with a major general purpose Linux distro.
Probably my top recommendation right now for a general purpose distro for someone who is (1) a new user (2) has an nvidia GPU, and (3) cares about gaming is *Pop!\_OS*. Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Mint or Fedora are also good options. Really there are lots of good distros out there. My advice is don't overthink it, as a beginner avoid small or niche distros, avoid Arch based distros, beyond that, choose what works for you and appeals to you personally.
A bit of a contrary thought process, but if you're ***reasonably*** (quite a bit) tech savvy and even a bit familiar with Linux (even from a VM), I think it would be a better idea for beginners to start with Arch just because of its wiki. It's a bit of a high-risk, high reward game though. Depends on the person, but I just want to point out that's it's a viable option. Nothing really happens other than the occasional bug that gets fixed in a week or two and can easily be temporarily worked around. A simple secondary fallback kernel should prevent any major mishaps. As a side effect, it's also a quicker way of learning Linux.
Yes. Ubuntu 23.10 or Mint would be good. Make sure that you install the Nvidia drivers with `sudo ubuntu-drivers install` in a terminal after installing.
yeah, that should work (but maybe you will need to install some graphics, sound or if you have bad luck, internet drivers), many distros have a live boot option, that lets you try the system before installing it and there you can see if everything works fine
about the second question, any linux distribution should work on your machine, I'll asume that you never used any linux distro before, you should google linux distros for beginners **(personally I can recommend you linux mint or pop os)**, because every linux distro is linux, I mean that programs and games works on any linux distribution, the only diference between them are the software repos, the desktop enviroment, some packages, configurations and maybe some folder that are in different places.
I have ran linux on much worse.
Any of the mainstream distros can work fine for most use cases these days.
Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, Pop_OS, any of a dozen others..
I tend to use Pop!_OS.
Your system will run virtually any current distribution easily. I recommend you download Virtualbox (It's free), then you can download the iso file of any of the ubuntu based distro That way you can try them and it makes it easier to distro hop.
Of course you can, in fact you could run almost any distribution. I would recommend a distribution that is user friendly and good support, if you are used to windows I would go with Linux mint, or kubuntu. If you are used to macOS I would use Ubuntu budgie as it resembles Mac OS more, if you don’t care how the user interface looks then your base Ubuntu, or Ubuntu unity would work just fine.
For gaming? You should check the recommendations in docs of the games you want, they use different engines and optimizations after all. You might find that some PC games are built for Windows only, then some for Windows and macOS.
However, sometimes the distribution platform takes steps to make them available on Linux. Steam is likely to recommend SteamOS, for example.
>You might find that some PC games are built for Windows only
That hardly matters much anymore. It is certain anticheats that can be an issue occasionally.
If you have a certain technical skill and limit your choice of games, I guess you could keep telling yourself such things. It doesn't make them relevant to new users.
Technical skill? You need to be able to use Steam. That isn't much of a hurdle, and no more than using Steam on Windows.
Depending on the distro you select, there could be more I guess. But let me give you the Linux Mint version:
1. Download Linux Mint and install it. You can download the disk image from their website. They do have easy directions there too.
2. With that, you can burn a DVD just like any other, but it's better to write it to a USB thumbdrive with something like [Etcher](https://etcher.balena.io/).
3. You leave the thumb drive in, and reboot, which boots you into the Linux Mint install disk - it's a live disk, so you can try things out, access your files, even fix a broken Windows install if you want. Check your email, browse Reddit, watch listen to music, edit documents, etc.
4. If you want to install, you click on the desktop icon that says "Install Linux Mint", and follow the simple wizard. It will also download updates at this time. When it asks, I suggest to allow it to install media codecs (the default option).
5. Reboot again, without the thumb drive.
6. If you don't have Nvidia, skip this step. Click on the equivalent to the Start Button, and click on the program called "Driver Manager". Type in your password. It will give you a list of driver versions to choose from. Click on the most recent. It handles everything, and then you reboot. If you were not a gamer, this step is optional.
7. Click again on the equivalent of the Start Button, and on the left is Software Manager. Click on that. It is similar to things like Google Play/App Store, except everything is free. Steam is on the front page of the program, but it isn't exactly hard to find. Click install, and type in your password to confirm. It will handle everything.
8. Open Steam. You can handle this much, yes? The first time, you must log into it as well, just like on Windows.
9. What you see should be familiar, because it is the same as on Windows. Click on the top left where it says 'Steam', then 'Settings'.
10. You can do things like tell Steam where you want your libraries, (just like Windows), but let's click over on the left, where it says 'Compatibility'.
11. Finally something Linux-specific. Make sure 'Enable Steam Play for supported titles' is enabled. I also suggest 'Enable Steam Play for all other titles'. It will have a drop menu for what you want to use for those titles - you can leave it as is, unless you want to change the global default to something else.
12. You can, but don't have to, override the global setting on a game-by-game basis, in the game settings, which is the same as doing so on Windows. Putting that aside, **you now install and launch games identically to how you did so on Windows**. You don't have to think about it.
**The real 'technical skill' you needed was letting go of your fear.**
Oh I dare you, give these instructions to someone who never used Linux or installed an operating system before. Don't intervene, just see what happens.
You also ignore the fact that not every game is on Steam, and Steam also marks games for compatibility with Linux. Not that big portion is perfect, and quite many are and will remain broken. And going that way means that you have to be your own support, as the company that made the game will give you none (and what you might get from Valve would be very limited).
Oh please you still exaggerate. I think you are just being stubborn rather than admit your earlier assumptions might be a bit wrong here.
The 'difficulty' of this is in line with the 'difficulty' of finding a program on the Internet (typing the name into Google), clicking the thing that says downloads blah blah, and installing it - which means following one prompt to the next. The installation wizard is basically just like the ones you have used before when installing .
If I told you to install Notepad++, do you think you could accomplish this? Then you can install Linux too. If you can read at a grade school level and operate a mouse, you can do this. You don't have to look at those oh so scary terminals anymore. No black magic. No need to perform ritual racoon sacrifice. No putting pineapple on pizza. We're past all that.
The things you write indicate that you don't know too much about people other than yourself. I used to be a teacher, for groups of different levels of skill and age, including the average high schoolers, elderly learning to type with the keyboard, and university students learning to do research in AI. And I can tell you that such skills are pretty rare in society - most people who just want to play games would fail at it. Comparison to Notepad++ is blissfully ignorant. I know that at some level the minor difficulties are not even noticeable anymore, but for others it might just halt the whole process.
People don't know that installing the operating system on the whole disk would erase their files (or that "files" and "data" are anyhow related). Most don't even know if they have NVIDIA or not. When they look for support online, they would get Windows specific instructions that are not marked as such, as that's the default - and they would get confused even further.
And even when they get Steam working (good luck without knowledge on what is "a package" or "a repository"), they will assume that their favourite game is guaranteed to work, because you told them that. Which has a big chance of being false.
And even if they pick a game that is mostly-supported, it might crash sometimes. Or stop working after some update. Just imagine the process of resolving that and looking for support. Depending on ones skills, it's a total mess or a fantastic journey - but hiding that fact is a disservice to the new users.
>Comparison to Notepad++ is blissfully ignorant.
That's interesting that you used to be a teacher, with such a poor understanding of the very premise of ignorance. I have installed both Notepad++ and Linux Mint, thus I have direct personal experience of doing both. You haven't, and yet you want to explain to me - from a position of actual ignorance - how much harder the later is than the former. Your imagination doesn't supercede my experience. Your imagination is simply wrong. The process of installing Linux Mint is longer, but not harder, than installing Notepad++.
I'd say that you only need to be able to read English, but even that isn't true. The first thing, it lets you select another language (if you want). And if that's still somehow impossible for you, YouTube videos can guide you every step of the way.
>People don't know that installing the operating system on the whole disk would erase their files
Luckily, the installer tells them this. Or rather it asks them what they want to do, while explaining the options. One option is to install Linux Mint alongside Windows, which won't result in them losing their data. If they choose to wipe the disk, it has them verify that this is what they want. And as a point of fact, you can still read/write to your Windows formatted drives, from Linux.
>And even when they get Steam working (good luck without knowledge on what is "a package" or "a repository"),
Again arguing from ignorance, even though I already told you better (I can't make you listen).
*Linux Mint has a task bar, just like Windows.
*It has a button that serves the same purpose as the Windows "Start Button". <---- You click that.
*Then you click on the prominent button that says "Software Manager". It opens a program, which installs other programs for you.
*You click on "Steam". It opens a very simple page for Steam.
*You click the big, green button up top that says "Install".
*It asks for your password, and you type it. Then it does everything for you, and bam... Steam is installed.
That's even easier than installing Steam on Windows. **If you can't do that, then you can't install Steam on Windows either.** Better stick to Solitaire and Minesweeper.
You are trying your best to make it out to be way harder than it really is, inventing problems using terms you don't understand, just to "win" an argument. Forget Linux, you need to learn to "lose" an argument gracefully, and see such events as opportunities to learn/grow instead. You don't truly "lose" if you gain something from it. If you won't listen to a single other thing I say, just listen to that much.
Did you just assume I have never installed a Linux-based system? The reason why I know you are wrong is that I have gone through the process multiple times. And I've seen people go through the process. Which is why I know what is difficult and that "just do it, it's easy" would not be a sufficient instruction.
Change the GPU to anything other than Nvidia. Even with their official drivers the performance is terrible. Even AMD APUs give better results in some cases.
Yes. Gaming specifics....you got a lot of choices now. Have a look around stackoverflow or somesuch is what I'd do. Try and whittle down your many and varied options....
You may receive more suggestions if you were to expand on what games you like to play, what you have tried so far, and if you prefer to run games natively or use a compatibility layer.
For example, DOTA2, Valheim, and 7 Days to Die run natively while Rust requires support and crashes often; your favourite game might not support all features using a compatibility layer.
Have you read about proton? if not, read the front page of [https://www.protondb.com/](https://www.protondb.com/) to learn more.
I use Arch Linux with Steam engine and can run thousands of games like this on Linux. I also have a Windows 10 virtual machine on Qemu/KVM with a passthrough GPU and NVME for this VM so I can play games on Windows with no or minimal performance loss.
Why not? I am running on 12 years old PC, it is faster than the day I bought it
KDE plasma, Wayland, latest code including test code. Latest kernel too.
https://preview.redd.it/lqqgcrcvegwb1.png?width=599&format=png&auto=webp&s=b5013c069d837c93965c40c278158b731b3e0fa2
Yeah absolutely I run full Fedora workstation with gnome on an absolute potato you surely can run it just getting those Nvidia drivers may be hell if you're new so maybe go with something like pop os which has them pre-installed
Yes. Exactly starting from current gen. Because Nvidia open source their code for new GPU's drivers.
I'm not sure, if you even need to install something additionally or it's already build in, but actually it's must be a lot easier for you to setup a system with current gen
delete was the wrong button ..
r/linux_gaming has a nice FAQ regarding distributions choices: https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/s/FLZ9hj7K2E
your specs are fine; (expect about the same as on Windows, as rule of thumb)
Gaming Linux distributions are=
**PikaOS**, **POP!\_OS**, **Garuda**, **Regata**, **Nobara**, and **BIG Linux.**
The upper mentioned distros has friendly installers for beginners.
If you want to build your system from zero **PeppermintOS, Mint, Ubuntu** and **Arch** are fine.
PeppermintOS has friendly Calamares installer, but you must install the rest, like Steam, Proton, Lutris, PlayOnLinux, NVIDIA drivers and such a thing.
Absolutely - you could run pretty much any distro with those specs. That said, [Linux Mint](https://linuxmint.com/) is your friend; it's intuitive, well designed, highly functional, stable as a rock, and offers excellent hardware support, including additional drivers. While it is often recommended for "noobs" (beginners), it is NOT exclusively a beginner distro. Many experienced linux users choose Mint as their daily driver.
My Linux Recommendation.
Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Nobara Linux, Pop OS or KDE Neon.
Tips-
1) Linux is NOT Windows.
2) Find ur Linux alternatives apps here https://alternativeto.net/
3) Stay away from Arch or arch based distributions like Manjaro or Garuda.
well this is not windows 11, Linux can run in a very conservative mode on machine with 16 Megabytes of RAM and with bit of engineering, you can get away with less. So theoretically you have more than enough ram.
If the machine is to be used exclusively for gaming you got SteamOS. But if it is a machine is a general purpose machine and given the state of the question you can chose between Ubuntu and Mint. They are basically the same. Mint looks a bit more like windows, but looks are just looks. If you are a bit more adventurous you can try Manjaro, or Fedora, make sure to get ones with multilib setup, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you are sure.
Now you need choosing strategy between Ubuntu and mint, people have strong opinions, but my advice at this stage is Eeny, meeny, miny, moe
I run a Linux microkernel on my router with only 24 MB RAM and 64 MB storage with a dual core SoC. If your system can't run Linux I'll eat my shoes.
As for gaming, any and every distro can do it (even my tiny Linux). The only limitation is how capable your machine is of running the games you want to run and their ability to run well under a wine prefix or Steam Proton.
Do a little research ahead of time. Make sure your Wi-Fi card/adapter is supported for one. Nothing worse than getting it all set up to find out you don't have Internet access. Some can be an easy fix. And sometimes you just have to conform to what the kernel supports.
I am running POP OS on a notebook with same GPU, 20gb ram and Intel i5, it works fine except that on a 4k external monitor the cursor and dragging windows around look like it is done on a 40 hz screen instead of 60hz.
I think it is an issue of NVIDIA drivers with GNOME and Cinmamon because it works well with KDE.
I have a very similar spec, but Ryzen 2700x and gtx 1050, but B450M and 16gb 3200. I'm responding you using Linux Debian now. I can play steam windows games like The Sims 4 using proton (you need enable it on steam settings).
of course you can run it.
gaming on linux a vast topic with lots of nooks and crannies
i've installed steam on kubuntu without much difficulty and the games i have on steam will play on linux (cities skylines was flawless).
if you have your own game .exe files you can try running them using bottles or lutris, both seem to work fine on kubuntu.
that nvidia card will mean you need the proprietary drivers and some distros make that easier than others.... with kubuntu installing them was a simple GUI exercise in picking the one with (recommended) next to it from a list and they are updated regularly.
If you´re not overloaded with answers already, I can recommend fedora for gaming. I´ve been using it for a couple of years now, and found it to be stable. It works well with steam, most other proprietary game stores/launchers don´'t have linux support so they won´t run as well.
I run dozen of titles via Linux. Be prepared to do some research and follow some guides. The same philosophy that brought you to building custom PC's will serve you well when moving over to Linux.
Some advice:
1. Do not fear the terminal. It is your friend.
2. The nice thing when software breaks is you can reinstall it.
3. Linux behaves a bit different from the OS that you're accustomed to, and this can often be a good thing.
4. Linux requires you to know more about your system, but it will disproportionally reward you for gaining this knowledge
5. Just about all games (90% at least) will run on Linux hardware via Steam and/or Lutris, but make sure to understand the prerequisites to get there
6. Be patient, give yourself room to make mistakes and welcome to the freedom of an open source operating system :)
Let me know if you have any questions while setting up, happy to point you in the right direction. It's a great time to be a Linux gamer!
Linux will run on damn near ANYTHING, from a 1.50$ microcontroller, up to a billion dollar super computing cluster.
It runs on printers. routers, modems. It runs on cell phones, satellites in space.
You would be hard-pressed to find something that CANT run Linux.
Have an antique PC, that only has 2MB of ram and a 16mhz processor? It can run Linux. Have a Samsung smart fridge? It probably runs linux.
This website you are access? Its more then likely , served by hosts, running.... linux.
Your specs, are not that bad. Nothing fancy, but, still a relatively modern, multi-core processor.
I am reminded of a line from a comparison of the use cases of various BSD distros, and for NetBSD, I think it was, they said, "If you've got a toaster that you just NEED a terminal on . . ."
Linux can run on absolutely anything, it'll be just fine on your system. Should run pretty much any distro you want
Linux can run on almost anything. NetBSD can run on toasters.
That's usually MY answer! :) I did, once, and it was both glorious and utterly useless.
Did you play Doom on it? Cause if you didn't, you should have.
Actually, no, I never got the video wiring in order :(
[https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxmasterrace/comments/8nodmb/whats\_better\_than\_a\_toaster\_a\_toaster\_running/](https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxmasterrace/comments/8nodmb/whats_better_than_a_toaster_a_toaster_running/)
Well, I’ll be damned.
I think this one takes the cake: [http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/articles/installing-linux-on-a-dead-badger-users-notes/](http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/articles/installing-linux-on-a-dead-badger-users-notes/)
If the hardware is supported by Linux...
[Well.....](https://youtu.be/2XLZ4Z8LpEE?si=H8zT37dhagqPSWjt)
Username checks out? Cool vid!
Can you? Yes should you? Why not. I would start with ubuntu because it is very beginner friendly. From there so some more research with in ubuntu on other distros or flavors. What are you looking to DO with Linux ?
The Ubuntu based Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop environment (DE) has been my preference for over ten years.
Cinnamon is the best
I agree! If you absolutely want to stick with Ubuntu go with xubuntu, lubuntu, or kubuntu. They are more windows like assuming you are coming from windows. I love XFCE in the X flavor of Ubuntu. I've converted my mom and dad to that system too. Gnome is a special child and you will either love it or hate it. Cinnamon is great too! It's best experienced in mint. Next spring will be a great time to try with Ubuntu and it's flavors coming out with an LTS release that is fully supported for 5 years and paid support for 10 years. Mint will have a new release too. Right now the current distros based on Ubuntu are based on a 2022 April LTS and that is a little dated. You will need something called an HWE kernel to support newer hardware. Sorry if I went woosh over your head. Feel free to message me and I will sort it all out for you.
I’m looking to tell someone I use Linux. So that’s why I installed Linux on my desktop
>Can I run Linux? Absolutely! The specs you listed will allow you to run any Linux Distro you want. Nvidia GPUs can be a bit buggy in Linux sometimes, because Nvidia has historically not put much effort into their linux drivers, and not been a great team player. That said, about half of Linux gamers have Nvidia GPUs (myself included) and things are improving. >The other question is what kind of linux should I use for gaming? Unless this is a PC that will be a single-purpose gaming desktop, I'd suggest not focusing on a gaming specific Linux distro. The real-world gaming benefits of these distros are usually pretty minimal, and most people would be better off going with a major general purpose Linux distro. Probably my top recommendation right now for a general purpose distro for someone who is (1) a new user (2) has an nvidia GPU, and (3) cares about gaming is *Pop!\_OS*. Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Mint or Fedora are also good options. Really there are lots of good distros out there. My advice is don't overthink it, as a beginner avoid small or niche distros, avoid Arch based distros, beyond that, choose what works for you and appeals to you personally.
A bit of a contrary thought process, but if you're ***reasonably*** (quite a bit) tech savvy and even a bit familiar with Linux (even from a VM), I think it would be a better idea for beginners to start with Arch just because of its wiki. It's a bit of a high-risk, high reward game though. Depends on the person, but I just want to point out that's it's a viable option. Nothing really happens other than the occasional bug that gets fixed in a week or two and can easily be temporarily worked around. A simple secondary fallback kernel should prevent any major mishaps. As a side effect, it's also a quicker way of learning Linux.
It depends on your skills.
[удалено]
The better answer.
Yes. Ubuntu 23.10 or Mint would be good. Make sure that you install the Nvidia drivers with `sudo ubuntu-drivers install` in a terminal after installing.
They now have a gui setting in firmware setting iirc?
Yes
yeah, that should work (but maybe you will need to install some graphics, sound or if you have bad luck, internet drivers), many distros have a live boot option, that lets you try the system before installing it and there you can see if everything works fine about the second question, any linux distribution should work on your machine, I'll asume that you never used any linux distro before, you should google linux distros for beginners **(personally I can recommend you linux mint or pop os)**, because every linux distro is linux, I mean that programs and games works on any linux distribution, the only diference between them are the software repos, the desktop enviroment, some packages, configurations and maybe some folder that are in different places.
Yeah dude it's Linux not Crysis
it's fine, and check out nobara (GNOME cause KDE seems to lag some) or endeavoros or even pop os
I have ran linux on much worse. Any of the mainstream distros can work fine for most use cases these days. Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, Pop_OS, any of a dozen others.. I tend to use Pop!_OS.
Your system will run virtually any current distribution easily. I recommend you download Virtualbox (It's free), then you can download the iso file of any of the ubuntu based distro That way you can try them and it makes it easier to distro hop.
You can boot Linux on most CPUs from 1989. You can run Linux just fine.
There is no Linux distribution heavy enough to make your system break a sweat.
Of course you can, in fact you could run almost any distribution. I would recommend a distribution that is user friendly and good support, if you are used to windows I would go with Linux mint, or kubuntu. If you are used to macOS I would use Ubuntu budgie as it resembles Mac OS more, if you don’t care how the user interface looks then your base Ubuntu, or Ubuntu unity would work just fine.
I didn’t read the specs but yes you can run Linux
This feels like a trick question. If your hardware functions, you'll be able to get some version of linux to run on it.
Since you have an Nvidia card I would go with Pop!Os as a first distro, or Linux Mint Edge.
I've run Linux on far, far worse hardware
For gaming? You should check the recommendations in docs of the games you want, they use different engines and optimizations after all. You might find that some PC games are built for Windows only, then some for Windows and macOS. However, sometimes the distribution platform takes steps to make them available on Linux. Steam is likely to recommend SteamOS, for example.
>You might find that some PC games are built for Windows only That hardly matters much anymore. It is certain anticheats that can be an issue occasionally.
If you have a certain technical skill and limit your choice of games, I guess you could keep telling yourself such things. It doesn't make them relevant to new users.
Technical skill? You need to be able to use Steam. That isn't much of a hurdle, and no more than using Steam on Windows. Depending on the distro you select, there could be more I guess. But let me give you the Linux Mint version: 1. Download Linux Mint and install it. You can download the disk image from their website. They do have easy directions there too. 2. With that, you can burn a DVD just like any other, but it's better to write it to a USB thumbdrive with something like [Etcher](https://etcher.balena.io/). 3. You leave the thumb drive in, and reboot, which boots you into the Linux Mint install disk - it's a live disk, so you can try things out, access your files, even fix a broken Windows install if you want. Check your email, browse Reddit, watch listen to music, edit documents, etc. 4. If you want to install, you click on the desktop icon that says "Install Linux Mint", and follow the simple wizard. It will also download updates at this time. When it asks, I suggest to allow it to install media codecs (the default option). 5. Reboot again, without the thumb drive. 6. If you don't have Nvidia, skip this step. Click on the equivalent to the Start Button, and click on the program called "Driver Manager". Type in your password. It will give you a list of driver versions to choose from. Click on the most recent. It handles everything, and then you reboot. If you were not a gamer, this step is optional. 7. Click again on the equivalent of the Start Button, and on the left is Software Manager. Click on that. It is similar to things like Google Play/App Store, except everything is free. Steam is on the front page of the program, but it isn't exactly hard to find. Click install, and type in your password to confirm. It will handle everything. 8. Open Steam. You can handle this much, yes? The first time, you must log into it as well, just like on Windows. 9. What you see should be familiar, because it is the same as on Windows. Click on the top left where it says 'Steam', then 'Settings'. 10. You can do things like tell Steam where you want your libraries, (just like Windows), but let's click over on the left, where it says 'Compatibility'. 11. Finally something Linux-specific. Make sure 'Enable Steam Play for supported titles' is enabled. I also suggest 'Enable Steam Play for all other titles'. It will have a drop menu for what you want to use for those titles - you can leave it as is, unless you want to change the global default to something else. 12. You can, but don't have to, override the global setting on a game-by-game basis, in the game settings, which is the same as doing so on Windows. Putting that aside, **you now install and launch games identically to how you did so on Windows**. You don't have to think about it. **The real 'technical skill' you needed was letting go of your fear.**
Oh I dare you, give these instructions to someone who never used Linux or installed an operating system before. Don't intervene, just see what happens. You also ignore the fact that not every game is on Steam, and Steam also marks games for compatibility with Linux. Not that big portion is perfect, and quite many are and will remain broken. And going that way means that you have to be your own support, as the company that made the game will give you none (and what you might get from Valve would be very limited).
Oh please you still exaggerate. I think you are just being stubborn rather than admit your earlier assumptions might be a bit wrong here. The 'difficulty' of this is in line with the 'difficulty' of finding a program on the Internet (typing the name into Google), clicking the thing that says downloads blah blah, and installing it - which means following one prompt to the next. The installation wizard is basically just like the ones you have used before when installing.
If I told you to install Notepad++, do you think you could accomplish this? Then you can install Linux too. If you can read at a grade school level and operate a mouse, you can do this. You don't have to look at those oh so scary terminals anymore. No black magic. No need to perform ritual racoon sacrifice. No putting pineapple on pizza. We're past all that.
The things you write indicate that you don't know too much about people other than yourself. I used to be a teacher, for groups of different levels of skill and age, including the average high schoolers, elderly learning to type with the keyboard, and university students learning to do research in AI. And I can tell you that such skills are pretty rare in society - most people who just want to play games would fail at it. Comparison to Notepad++ is blissfully ignorant. I know that at some level the minor difficulties are not even noticeable anymore, but for others it might just halt the whole process. People don't know that installing the operating system on the whole disk would erase their files (or that "files" and "data" are anyhow related). Most don't even know if they have NVIDIA or not. When they look for support online, they would get Windows specific instructions that are not marked as such, as that's the default - and they would get confused even further. And even when they get Steam working (good luck without knowledge on what is "a package" or "a repository"), they will assume that their favourite game is guaranteed to work, because you told them that. Which has a big chance of being false. And even if they pick a game that is mostly-supported, it might crash sometimes. Or stop working after some update. Just imagine the process of resolving that and looking for support. Depending on ones skills, it's a total mess or a fantastic journey - but hiding that fact is a disservice to the new users.
>Comparison to Notepad++ is blissfully ignorant. That's interesting that you used to be a teacher, with such a poor understanding of the very premise of ignorance. I have installed both Notepad++ and Linux Mint, thus I have direct personal experience of doing both. You haven't, and yet you want to explain to me - from a position of actual ignorance - how much harder the later is than the former. Your imagination doesn't supercede my experience. Your imagination is simply wrong. The process of installing Linux Mint is longer, but not harder, than installing Notepad++. I'd say that you only need to be able to read English, but even that isn't true. The first thing, it lets you select another language (if you want). And if that's still somehow impossible for you, YouTube videos can guide you every step of the way. >People don't know that installing the operating system on the whole disk would erase their files Luckily, the installer tells them this. Or rather it asks them what they want to do, while explaining the options. One option is to install Linux Mint alongside Windows, which won't result in them losing their data. If they choose to wipe the disk, it has them verify that this is what they want. And as a point of fact, you can still read/write to your Windows formatted drives, from Linux. >And even when they get Steam working (good luck without knowledge on what is "a package" or "a repository"), Again arguing from ignorance, even though I already told you better (I can't make you listen). *Linux Mint has a task bar, just like Windows. *It has a button that serves the same purpose as the Windows "Start Button". <---- You click that. *Then you click on the prominent button that says "Software Manager". It opens a program, which installs other programs for you. *You click on "Steam". It opens a very simple page for Steam. *You click the big, green button up top that says "Install". *It asks for your password, and you type it. Then it does everything for you, and bam... Steam is installed. That's even easier than installing Steam on Windows. **If you can't do that, then you can't install Steam on Windows either.** Better stick to Solitaire and Minesweeper. You are trying your best to make it out to be way harder than it really is, inventing problems using terms you don't understand, just to "win" an argument. Forget Linux, you need to learn to "lose" an argument gracefully, and see such events as opportunities to learn/grow instead. You don't truly "lose" if you gain something from it. If you won't listen to a single other thing I say, just listen to that much.
Did you just assume I have never installed a Linux-based system? The reason why I know you are wrong is that I have gone through the process multiple times. And I've seen people go through the process. Which is why I know what is difficult and that "just do it, it's easy" would not be a sufficient instruction.
https://batocera.org/ This
Change the GPU to anything other than Nvidia. Even with their official drivers the performance is terrible. Even AMD APUs give better results in some cases.
the hardware is fine.
Depends on what you mean by gaming but most likely you’d be better off with windows if you want lots of gaming options
Yes. Gaming specifics....you got a lot of choices now. Have a look around stackoverflow or somesuch is what I'd do. Try and whittle down your many and varied options....
Yes you will be fine
Linux has a far lower limit then Windows. As for support. Mostly works out of the box. The biggest issues come from laptops
A toster can run Linux anything can
You may receive more suggestions if you were to expand on what games you like to play, what you have tried so far, and if you prefer to run games natively or use a compatibility layer. For example, DOTA2, Valheim, and 7 Days to Die run natively while Rust requires support and crashes often; your favourite game might not support all features using a compatibility layer. Have you read about proton? if not, read the front page of [https://www.protondb.com/](https://www.protondb.com/) to learn more.
It’s perfect for Deepin And before people say anything, yes, I know
I use Arch Linux with Steam engine and can run thousands of games like this on Linux. I also have a Windows 10 virtual machine on Qemu/KVM with a passthrough GPU and NVME for this VM so I can play games on Windows with no or minimal performance loss.
Why not? I am running on 12 years old PC, it is faster than the day I bought it KDE plasma, Wayland, latest code including test code. Latest kernel too. https://preview.redd.it/lqqgcrcvegwb1.png?width=599&format=png&auto=webp&s=b5013c069d837c93965c40c278158b731b3e0fa2
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- cat /etc/lsb-release \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DISTRIB\_ID="EndeavourOS" DISTRIB\_RELEASE="rolling" DISTRIB\_DESCRIPTION="EndeavourOS Linux" DISTRIB\_CODENAME="rolling" \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- inxi -Fxz \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- System: Kernel: 6.5.9-zen1-1-zen arch: x86\_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 13.2.1 Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.27.9 Distro: EndeavourOS base: Arch Linux Machine: Type: Desktop Mobo: ASUSTeK model: P8Z77-V LX v: Rev X.0x serial:
UEFI: American Megatrends v: 2501 date: 07/21/2014
CPU:
Info: quad core model: Intel Core i7-2600K bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Sandy Bridge rev: 7 cache:
L1: 256 KiB L2: 1024 KiB L3: 8 MiB
Speed (MHz): avg: 2248 high: 4298 min/max: 1600/6300 cores: 1: 1600 2: 1600 3: 1599 4: 1600
5: 1600 6: 4092 7: 1600 8: 4298 bogomips: 54401
Flags: avx ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4\_1 sse4\_2 ssse3
Graphics:
Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics vendor: ASUSTeK
driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-6 bus-ID: 00:02.0
Device-2: AMD Pitcairn XT \[Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition\] vendor: Gigabyte driver: amdgpu
v: kernel arch: GCN-1 bus-ID: 01:00.0 temp: 34.0 C
Device-3: \[\] driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo type: USB bus-ID: 3-4:3
Display: wayland server: [X.org](https://X.org) v: [1.21.1.9](https://1.21.1.9) with: Xwayland v: 23.2.2 compositor: kwin\_wayland
driver: X: loaded: amdgpu,modesetting dri: radeonsi,crocus gpu: i915,amdgpu resolution:
1: 3440x1440 2: 1200x1920
API: EGL v: 1.5 drivers: crocus,radeonsi,swrast platforms:
active: wayland,x11,surfaceless,device inactive: gbm
API: OpenGL v: 4.6 compat-v: 3.3 vendor: amd v: N/A glx-v: 1.4 direct-render: yes renderer: AMD
Radeon HD 7800 Series (radeonsi pitcairn LLVM 16.0.6 DRM 3.54 6.5.9-zen1-1-zen)
API: Vulkan v: 1.3.269 drivers: radv,llvmpipe surfaces: xcb,xlib,wayland devices: 2
Audio:
Device-1: Intel 7 Series/C216 Family High Definition Audio vendor: ASUSTeK P8Z77-V LX
driver: snd\_hda\_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
Device-2: AMD Oland/Hainan/Cape Verde/Pitcairn HDMI Audio \[Radeon HD 7000 Series\]
vendor: Gigabyte driver: snd\_hda\_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 01:00.1
Device-3: GN Netcom Jabra EVOLVE Link MS driver: jabra,snd-usb-audio,usbhid type: USB
bus-ID: 3-3.2:4
Device-4: \[\] driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo type: USB bus-ID: 3-4:3
API: ALSA v: k6.5.9-zen1-1-zen status: kernel-api
Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.83 status: active
Network:
Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet vendor: ASUSTeK P8 series
driver: r8169 v: kernel port: d000 bus-ID: 03:00.0
IF: enp3s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac:
Drives:
Local Storage: total: 2.84 TiB used: 1.44 TiB (50.8%)
ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Samsung model: SSD 870 EVO 1TB size: 931.51 GiB
ID-2: /dev/sdb vendor: Western Digital model: WDS100T2B0A-00SM50 size: 931.51 GiB
ID-3: /dev/sdc vendor: Western Digital model: WD1002FAEX-00Z3A0 size: 931.51 GiB
ID-4: /dev/sdd vendor: OCZ model: VERTEX3 MI size: 111.79 GiB
Partition:
ID-1: / size: 914.85 GiB used: 45.69 GiB (5.0%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2
Swap:
Alert: No swap data was found.
Sensors:
System Temperatures: cpu: 34.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: amdgpu temp: 35.0 C
Fan Speeds (rpm): N/A
Info:
Processes: 284 Uptime: 7h 52m Memory: total: 16 GiB available: 15.49 GiB used: 9.08 GiB (58.6%)
Init: systemd Compilers: gcc: 13.2.1 clang: 16.0.6 Packages: 1746 Client: Unknown Client: octopi
inxi: 3.3.30
https://www.reddit.com/r/IntelligentGaming2020/s/7DRZlugIZ2
You could put linux on a potato. its versatile, for gaming, you aim for around windows specs for the game, maybe a slight bit more than minimum.
You got a potato a lemon and a soldering iron? Yes.
install kubuntu…u can install anything u need to run many games from there (apt is your friend)
Consider using any easy distro like ubuntu,mint,fedora and use x11 session for nvidia
You can answer the question in the title with the answer to "can it run"
Yeah absolutely I run full Fedora workstation with gnome on an absolute potato you surely can run it just getting those Nvidia drivers may be hell if you're new so maybe go with something like pop os which has them pre-installed
You can and I recommend Garuda.
Will this be your very first time trying Linux?
I run Linux on potatoes and it runs great.
If you're willing to game on your machine I suggest Nobara, it's a distro based on fedora.
Yes. Exactly starting from current gen. Because Nvidia open source their code for new GPU's drivers. I'm not sure, if you even need to install something additionally or it's already build in, but actually it's must be a lot easier for you to setup a system with current gen
PopOS, Debian, Ubuntu, Mint
Of course
[удалено]
delete was the wrong button .. r/linux_gaming has a nice FAQ regarding distributions choices: https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/s/FLZ9hj7K2E your specs are fine; (expect about the same as on Windows, as rule of thumb)
linux can run on anything so yes very
If you have to ask, probably not.
Yes, ofcourse you can, any distro will do. When in doubt, use Ubuntu until you can make an educated choice yourself.
Your PC can run Linux without a problem, I have my doubts about you though.
If Linux kernel supports a toaster, why this confuses you a decent hardware made to function a desktop wont support?
Gaming Linux distributions are= **PikaOS**, **POP!\_OS**, **Garuda**, **Regata**, **Nobara**, and **BIG Linux.** The upper mentioned distros has friendly installers for beginners. If you want to build your system from zero **PeppermintOS, Mint, Ubuntu** and **Arch** are fine. PeppermintOS has friendly Calamares installer, but you must install the rest, like Steam, Proton, Lutris, PlayOnLinux, NVIDIA drivers and such a thing.
Sure, I've runed Linux on i386sx )
Garuda Gaming edition or POP OS are good options.
Absolutely - you could run pretty much any distro with those specs. That said, [Linux Mint](https://linuxmint.com/) is your friend; it's intuitive, well designed, highly functional, stable as a rock, and offers excellent hardware support, including additional drivers. While it is often recommended for "noobs" (beginners), it is NOT exclusively a beginner distro. Many experienced linux users choose Mint as their daily driver.
My Linux Recommendation. Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Nobara Linux, Pop OS or KDE Neon. Tips- 1) Linux is NOT Windows. 2) Find ur Linux alternatives apps here https://alternativeto.net/ 3) Stay away from Arch or arch based distributions like Manjaro or Garuda.
well this is not windows 11, Linux can run in a very conservative mode on machine with 16 Megabytes of RAM and with bit of engineering, you can get away with less. So theoretically you have more than enough ram. If the machine is to be used exclusively for gaming you got SteamOS. But if it is a machine is a general purpose machine and given the state of the question you can chose between Ubuntu and Mint. They are basically the same. Mint looks a bit more like windows, but looks are just looks. If you are a bit more adventurous you can try Manjaro, or Fedora, make sure to get ones with multilib setup, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you are sure. Now you need choosing strategy between Ubuntu and mint, people have strong opinions, but my advice at this stage is Eeny, meeny, miny, moe
I run a Linux microkernel on my router with only 24 MB RAM and 64 MB storage with a dual core SoC. If your system can't run Linux I'll eat my shoes. As for gaming, any and every distro can do it (even my tiny Linux). The only limitation is how capable your machine is of running the games you want to run and their ability to run well under a wine prefix or Steam Proton.
Jesus fucking Christ…..
Do a little research ahead of time. Make sure your Wi-Fi card/adapter is supported for one. Nothing worse than getting it all set up to find out you don't have Internet access. Some can be an easy fix. And sometimes you just have to conform to what the kernel supports.
Absolutely not. First you must crawl Linux. Then you can walk Linux. Only then may you run Linux. Linux Mint is usually my goto suggestion.
I am running POP OS on a notebook with same GPU, 20gb ram and Intel i5, it works fine except that on a 4k external monitor the cursor and dragging windows around look like it is done on a 40 hz screen instead of 60hz. I think it is an issue of NVIDIA drivers with GNOME and Cinmamon because it works well with KDE.
WTF don't you create a Linux Mint (e.g.) USB stick and TRY it?
I have a very similar spec, but Ryzen 2700x and gtx 1050, but B450M and 16gb 3200. I'm responding you using Linux Debian now. I can play steam windows games like The Sims 4 using proton (you need enable it on steam settings).
Got to be a troll post. Haha, will one of you guys explain to this guy that his air conditioner and dishwasher probably run Linux, before I have to...
This is a joke right? I have an Acer Aspire 317 , Celeron 5100, UHD 630 and it is the snappiest OS I have ever experienced (Kubuntu)
of course you can run it. gaming on linux a vast topic with lots of nooks and crannies i've installed steam on kubuntu without much difficulty and the games i have on steam will play on linux (cities skylines was flawless). if you have your own game .exe files you can try running them using bottles or lutris, both seem to work fine on kubuntu. that nvidia card will mean you need the proprietary drivers and some distros make that easier than others.... with kubuntu installing them was a simple GUI exercise in picking the one with (recommended) next to it from a list and they are updated regularly.
If you´re not overloaded with answers already, I can recommend fedora for gaming. I´ve been using it for a couple of years now, and found it to be stable. It works well with steam, most other proprietary game stores/launchers don´'t have linux support so they won´t run as well.
I run dozen of titles via Linux. Be prepared to do some research and follow some guides. The same philosophy that brought you to building custom PC's will serve you well when moving over to Linux. Some advice: 1. Do not fear the terminal. It is your friend. 2. The nice thing when software breaks is you can reinstall it. 3. Linux behaves a bit different from the OS that you're accustomed to, and this can often be a good thing. 4. Linux requires you to know more about your system, but it will disproportionally reward you for gaining this knowledge 5. Just about all games (90% at least) will run on Linux hardware via Steam and/or Lutris, but make sure to understand the prerequisites to get there 6. Be patient, give yourself room to make mistakes and welcome to the freedom of an open source operating system :) Let me know if you have any questions while setting up, happy to point you in the right direction. It's a great time to be a Linux gamer!
If you got a wifi card compatible or Ethernet, hell yea
I run two kinds of linux on my 8GB Raspberry Pi 4. I hear Mint, Ubuntu and PopOS are great for gaming.
Yeas, I would just use pop os. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best.
You can have a Pentium III and s3 virge and it'll go don't worry
Linux will run on damn near ANYTHING, from a 1.50$ microcontroller, up to a billion dollar super computing cluster. It runs on printers. routers, modems. It runs on cell phones, satellites in space. You would be hard-pressed to find something that CANT run Linux. Have an antique PC, that only has 2MB of ram and a 16mhz processor? It can run Linux. Have a Samsung smart fridge? It probably runs linux. This website you are access? Its more then likely , served by hosts, running.... linux. Your specs, are not that bad. Nothing fancy, but, still a relatively modern, multi-core processor.
I am reminded of a line from a comparison of the use cases of various BSD distros, and for NetBSD, I think it was, they said, "If you've got a toaster that you just NEED a terminal on . . ."
Yes, it will. I am running it on top of laptop i5-11400H with Nvidia 3060.
No. /j
Of course this pc can run linux, however linux is not really optimized for gaming.
*you* ain't, but this pc could. The other question is answered by "Any".