Switching to a Linux distribution...
Switching to a Linux distribution...
It works well with both options. Explore the various visual layouts for each and pick the one that appeals to you most.
If you're facing issues with Windows 10, Linux might not be the best fit for you. Avoiding the terminal isn't going to make your experience better on Linux. Be straightforward—I'm being honest. You seem unfamiliar with computers, and you'll likely struggle a lot with Linux and getting basic tasks done. EDIT: You can definitely try it. Search for "live distributions" and boot from the USB, but switching to Linux without much experience isn't wise.
Can't disagree here, I don't know what happens with Windows that you have to reinstall so often to be honest. You'll probably be fixing Linux just as often. Personally I haven't reinstalled Windows on my desktop since XP but I've been through 4 Linux Distros on my laptop.
You have most options in Mint through its GUI, aside from RAID configuration, which I think the developer doesn’t need. ^^^ This holds especially for gaming. As mentioned before, only Steam initially supports Linux, and even then, only certain titles run smoothly. Those that do work well are limited to a few. The situation is the simplest because Steam has invested heavily in fixing it thanks to their Steam Deck running Linux. Other platforms will perform poorly, and I wouldn’t bother trying to force EA games onto them. They usually block users using emulators or translation layers since those methods connect to the game like cheats do. Since they don’t support Linux, they haven’t updated their anti-cheat systems to handle it. Any anti-cheat that does work typically requires a toggle, which most developers leave off for security reasons. If you just want to play games, switch to Windows 11—there’s no need for version 10, and 11 offers stability and improvements. Once you’re constantly reinstalling, it probably means you’re dealing with unstable hardware or insufficient RAM, but not enough to cause frequent crashes.
They say this, then you encounter an issue that forces you to open the terminal. That's essentially how Linux works at its core. After five years since my last Linux experience, I still prefer other platforms like macOS or Windows. While I could accomplish more on Linux, it wasn't necessary for me. I wanted my tasks to run smoother and require less upkeep.
I'm telling you. Although I didn't run like that for a long time, I managed to handle everything via the GUI. I only needed to open the terminal when setting up RAID. This was a few months back with Linux Mint 21. The terminal remains much quicker for most tasks, but if you dislike typing commands (besides a few I've memorized), the GUI is a solid choice and you probably won't need the command line.
I suggest getting comfortable with Linux and avoiding the pitfalls of jumping in without preparation. Many people rush into it, only to feel frustrated when it doesn’t match Windows expectations. The videos I found really bother me. I’ve picked up a lot from YouTube creators like Chris Titus Tech and TechHut, especially their detailed setup guides for different distros. For choosing a distro, Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) stands out to me. It’s more stable than Ubuntu-based versions, and since it’s built on the latest Debian releases, it should perform well. Mint also offers excellent software and driver tools, reducing reliance on the terminal. Still, keep respecting it as a command-line utility. Once you grasp its functionality, everything becomes much smoother. LMDE uses Apt for package management; to install Steam you’d run "sudo apt install steam". For updates, add wine and winetricks with "sudo apt install wine" and "sudo apt install winetricks". You can batch install several apps at once using the command line. Regarding Wine & Winetricks, past issues have arisen when trying to install both simultaneously. NTFS-3g is a good choice for accessing NTFS drives, which Windows uses. If you’re playing Steam on Linux, be aware that some games don’t recognize NTFS drives by default. Using drives formatted with "EXT4" or "BTRFS" avoids this problem. For gaming, Proton is a solid alternative to Wine, tailored specifically for games. It works well with Steam settings—just enable the compatibility option and relaunch if needed. If you need help, Proton’s documentation at https://www.protondb.com/ is very helpful. You can also use GloriousEggroll’s custom Proton app (https://flathub.org/apps/net.davidotek.pupgui2) for easier setup. When dealing with Proton, consider GloriousEggroll’s custom version, which offers a convenient download. For AMD graphics, drivers are usually pre-installed, but Nvidia drivers often require manual installation. Keep this in mind when choosing your hardware.
@Killjoy_NS kindly avoid letting Linux commands ruin your enthusiasm for learning Linux. I’ll share a beginner tip that doesn’t appear in Windows command lines or PowerShell. First, @Inception9269 is accurate—you must include the mounted folder path in your Windows games directory, as shown in this file. It may feel outdated, but it hasn’t changed in over three decades... Redhat understands: https://www.redhat.com/sysadmin/etc-fstab. Directly from the link above, I’d like to add some extra details. I don’t include the uid and guid values; they’re probably unnecessary. Also, the final two zeros at the end matter a lot. As noted in the article, leave that first zero untouched and ensure your filesystem ends with a 1 for a proper check. Make sure the games folder has a 0x2 at the end so the system runs a filesystem verification. Speaking of filesystems, a new NTFS driver is now built into the Linux kernel starting from version 5.15, and the kernel is in the 6.6 series—so you don’t need to install ntfs-3g anymore. KDE offers a great desktop experience, but it can be heavy with its PIM software. It slows down startup and can be overwhelming. If you prefer lighter options, try LXQT with minimal themes and colors, freeing up memory for games instead of the desktop. Linux provides many choices—some might call them too many mediocre options—so there are roughly eight desktops and a dozen window managers. WindowMaker is useful; it lets you design custom color gradients, including smooth transitions, for menus and wallpapers, making theme creation fun. __ __ I’m still having trouble getting Dirt 2 to launch on Steam in Linux. The installation works, but it keeps refusing to add directX or Games for Windows Live components, which is frustrating. Even after adding xlive.dll for local saves, the process stalls. You can check compatibility at https://protondb.com. The commandline can feel tedious, but updating your system might take over 20 seconds just to open the update manager. In Linux, you can craft your own commands instead of relying on defaults. For example, instead of typing `sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade`, you could create a custom alias like `alias update-steam='sudo apt install steam'`. You can also define aliases in /home/.bashrc or /home/.bash_aliases. Open the file with nano and edit it as needed. At the bottom, there’s a section for aliases—you can place your new ones there. If you scroll to the end, you’ll find a command like `alias install-steam='sudo apt install steam'`. It’s important to note that running such commands requires editing files in /home/.bashrc or creating a dedicated alias file. The bottom line is, you can manage your environment more precisely. If you’re curious about aliases, I’ve posted about them on the forum today. There’s also a helpful post about customizing the command prompt. ___ ___ While the install process can be slow—sometimes taking over 20 seconds to refresh—the Linux way lets you tailor commands exactly how you want. Just remember, editing /etc/profile or similar files is safe if you’re careful.