Bazzite is the perfect first distro because it protects you from making huge beginner mistakes because the system partition is read only from userspace. If you ever run into something that requires root, move to a different distro at that point.
As an aside, Linux is super awesome because all your user files are kept in your home folder, so as long as you don’t format your home folder, you never lose anything important. Part of the benefit of Bazzite is that it forces you to keep all your files in your home folder, because system files are normally locked.
I would only recommend not starting with Ubuntu, there is a cultural idea that it’s the easiest, but it really isn’t, and has some very unique “features” that aren’t for everyone.
The bigger question is not what distro to get, but what desktop environment to chose, because that will be your interface and that’s where the first point of tension will come from. I highly recommend KDE.
Other than that, every modern distro will be basically the same, you install steam and it just works.
I would say try Manjaro with the KDE desktop. It’s based on Arch so it will update indefinitely, it’s one of the few distros out there that has system recovery snapshots enabled by default, and it was designed to work best the less you tinker with it (it really wants you to leave it alone so it can manage things for you).
I’ve been using Bazzite on an HTPC that also does some light gaming for a couple of months, and I like it. I’m still on W10 on my main gaming rig, though. (not because of any specific deficiency with Bazzite, just have a couple of games I play that have anticheat issues under Linux)
I’m seeing this is a hard no for Linux. Seems dumb since they support cross play on multiple other platforms. Is Linux just too open for them to feel like they can handle anti-cheat?
It’s a bit easier to know someone doesn’t do drugs if you require they hand over keys to the cops for regular surprise inspections and searches of their home, but at what point have we made the fix far worse than the problem?
Similarly, rootkit anticheat gives advanced low-level access to anyone who can crack the anticheat program, all to make it a bit less likely that you’ll cheat. It’s a bit easier to program than server-side anticheat, but at what cost?
There is probably loads, I use mint. Installing stuff can be a lot becuase there are different methods and results. There might be a bit of terminal work there but when you look for software look for ones with a gui so you can skip the terminal when using them.
Onve you get your head around installing, you will be absolutely fine, it is just that hurdle for me on mint. After that, like a less shit windows.
Others have mentioned Bazzite and Mint. I have used both. Bazzite is gaming focused, but, in my opinion, slightly harder to administrate due to the whole immutable/atomic thing. I went over to a buddy’s recently who is running Mint. It’s been a few years since I used Mint, but it was a great all around Linux system, doesn’t have any of the Bazzite weirdness, and it was exciting to see it used by someone out in the wild (not in my own home).
If you weren’t a gamer, I would almost certainly recommend Mint. In your case, I would say try them both out, break them, push them to the limit and throw weird scenarios at them, maybe shut the computer down incorrectly a few times. See if you feel more comfortable with one or the other, then do a reinstall of the one you liked best after breaking them both. It is more work up front, but it’s worth knowing you can maintain your system when it very occasionally breaks or has an issue. Above all, make sure you take regular backups. That way you can mess with stuff and not worry about whether or not you’ll break something.
As another commentor said, Bazzite is a good bet. It’s an atomic OS based on fedora silverblue, so it’s very difficult to accidentally fuck up your system, and if anything does go wrong you are able to revert to the previous bootable state.
It also supports the popular patent-encumbered video codecs, as well as Nvidia drivers (with the Nvidia edition), out of the box.
You shouldn’t need to mess with the command line at all. It’s set up for (non-game) software distribution via Flathub, so you are unlikely to run into software compatibility issues and you don’t need to use a command line software package manager.
It does come with basically all the popular Linux gaming software already installed, which is a pro or con depending on your preference.
I reccommend the GNOME version, not KDE, for the smoothest and most straightforward/convenient user experience. (don’t come for me)
Yes there’s a difference between atomic and immutable but Bazzite (and Fedora atomic which it is based on) is both atomic and immutable. Immutable means much of the system is normally read-only at runtime (the system libraries and software, but not your user software and home folder), and should only be modified under certain circumstances, if at all. In Fedora Atomic/Bazzite, updates to system software either 1) update the upstream system image, or 2) are “layered” by you on top of the base image. When a new package is layered, it is added to the system at startup.
Immutable doesn’t truly mean immutable though, as you can switch the filesystem from readonly if you want to. It’s just not recommended.
99% of the time though, you shouldn’t need to layer any packages. The only packages I’ve ever needed to layer have been the codecs on fedora atomic that fedora isn’t willing to package in its own repos for patent/legal reasons. Bazzite has all of these by default. So on my bazzite PC, I’ve not had to modify the base system at all for any gaming, office, creative, or coding activities I’ve done.
I personally recommend Fedora KDE. It’s polished and set up reasonably for the average person so you should never need to even open the terminal (you might need to fiddle with some stuff like enabling flatpacks but thats all sone in a GUI application), and it’s reasonably up to date withour shipping broken packages.
I am a convenience oriented PC gamer who doesn’t enjoy fiddling with the command line. What’s the Linux distro for me?
Bazzite is the perfect first distro because it protects you from making huge beginner mistakes because the system partition is read only from userspace. If you ever run into something that requires root, move to a different distro at that point.
As an aside, Linux is super awesome because all your user files are kept in your home folder, so as long as you don’t format your home folder, you never lose anything important. Part of the benefit of Bazzite is that it forces you to keep all your files in your home folder, because system files are normally locked.
I would only recommend not starting with Ubuntu, there is a cultural idea that it’s the easiest, but it really isn’t, and has some very unique “features” that aren’t for everyone.
The bigger question is not what distro to get, but what desktop environment to chose, because that will be your interface and that’s where the first point of tension will come from. I highly recommend KDE.
Other than that, every modern distro will be basically the same, you install steam and it just works.
I would say try Manjaro with the KDE desktop. It’s based on Arch so it will update indefinitely, it’s one of the few distros out there that has system recovery snapshots enabled by default, and it was designed to work best the less you tinker with it (it really wants you to leave it alone so it can manage things for you).
I like the sound of that. I don’t even know what I would ever want to manage. Turn on,connect to the internet, launch games. That’s all I need.
I’ve been using Bazzite on an HTPC that also does some light gaming for a couple of months, and I like it. I’m still on W10 on my main gaming rig, though. (not because of any specific deficiency with Bazzite, just have a couple of games I play that have anticheat issues under Linux)
Competitive shooters from mega-corporate publishers are generally the only ones who have a cow if they can’t rootkit anti-cheat your rig.
So whether you’re against oligarchs or against setting up a backdoor into your PC, you shouldn’t be playing those titles anyway.
Well, I do like Destiny :(
I’m seeing this is a hard no for Linux. Seems dumb since they support cross play on multiple other platforms. Is Linux just too open for them to feel like they can handle anti-cheat?
Basically, yeah.
It’s a bit easier to know someone doesn’t do drugs if you require they hand over keys to the cops for regular surprise inspections and searches of their home, but at what point have we made the fix far worse than the problem?
Similarly, rootkit anticheat gives advanced low-level access to anyone who can crack the anticheat program, all to make it a bit less likely that you’ll cheat. It’s a bit easier to program than server-side anticheat, but at what cost?
i think bazzite works with that on
As a non-expert, I switched to Linux Mint and have had zero issues. If you have any questions let me know.
There is probably loads, I use mint. Installing stuff can be a lot becuase there are different methods and results. There might be a bit of terminal work there but when you look for software look for ones with a gui so you can skip the terminal when using them.
Onve you get your head around installing, you will be absolutely fine, it is just that hurdle for me on mint. After that, like a less shit windows.
Others have mentioned Bazzite and Mint. I have used both. Bazzite is gaming focused, but, in my opinion, slightly harder to administrate due to the whole immutable/atomic thing. I went over to a buddy’s recently who is running Mint. It’s been a few years since I used Mint, but it was a great all around Linux system, doesn’t have any of the Bazzite weirdness, and it was exciting to see it used by someone out in the wild (not in my own home).
If you weren’t a gamer, I would almost certainly recommend Mint. In your case, I would say try them both out, break them, push them to the limit and throw weird scenarios at them, maybe shut the computer down incorrectly a few times. See if you feel more comfortable with one or the other, then do a reinstall of the one you liked best after breaking them both. It is more work up front, but it’s worth knowing you can maintain your system when it very occasionally breaks or has an issue. Above all, make sure you take regular backups. That way you can mess with stuff and not worry about whether or not you’ll break something.
As another commentor said, Bazzite is a good bet. It’s an atomic OS based on fedora silverblue, so it’s very difficult to accidentally fuck up your system, and if anything does go wrong you are able to revert to the previous bootable state.
It also supports the popular patent-encumbered video codecs, as well as Nvidia drivers (with the Nvidia edition), out of the box.
You shouldn’t need to mess with the command line at all. It’s set up for (non-game) software distribution via Flathub, so you are unlikely to run into software compatibility issues and you don’t need to use a command line software package manager.
It does come with basically all the popular Linux gaming software already installed, which is a pro or con depending on your preference.
I reccommend the GNOME version, not KDE, for the smoothest and most straightforward/convenient user experience. (don’t come for me)
Thanks - I think I read once about “immutable” distros… is this the same as what you mentioned about being able to revert to previous bootable state?
Yes there’s a difference between atomic and immutable but Bazzite (and Fedora atomic which it is based on) is both atomic and immutable. Immutable means much of the system is normally read-only at runtime (the system libraries and software, but not your user software and home folder), and should only be modified under certain circumstances, if at all. In Fedora Atomic/Bazzite, updates to system software either 1) update the upstream system image, or 2) are “layered” by you on top of the base image. When a new package is layered, it is added to the system at startup.
Immutable doesn’t truly mean immutable though, as you can switch the filesystem from readonly if you want to. It’s just not recommended.
99% of the time though, you shouldn’t need to layer any packages. The only packages I’ve ever needed to layer have been the codecs on fedora atomic that fedora isn’t willing to package in its own repos for patent/legal reasons. Bazzite has all of these by default. So on my bazzite PC, I’ve not had to modify the base system at all for any gaming, office, creative, or coding activities I’ve done.
Bazzite. Game ready right after OS installs.
I personally recommend Fedora KDE. It’s polished and set up reasonably for the average person so you should never need to even open the terminal (you might need to fiddle with some stuff like enabling flatpacks but thats all sone in a GUI application), and it’s reasonably up to date withour shipping broken packages.