My Experience Using Linux for Over 5 Years
Reply via email: me@absurdpirate.com
Back in 2020, I had the idea in my head of being a software engineer. This was back when the tech industry was booming. Around this time, I had been using windows primarily for gaming and for my coding bootcamp.
I came across this video from the youtube channel SomeOrdinaryGamers, essentially giving a guide and argument for installing Linux over windows. So, I gave it a try.
I looked through a couple of distros (distributions) and landed on Pop_Os!, its an Ubuntu fork, but I really liked the desktop environment.
Growing More Competent With Computers
I always heard the phrase "don't be intimidated by the command line", but it didn't seem foreign to me at all. I've programmed terminal apps, so this was no different.
However, I was growing more competent with troubleshooting, fixing issues, tinkering, etc.
I started feeling like I really OWNED my machine, and wasn't having daddy microsoft hold my hand and annoying the shit out of me.
Gaming on Linux
I realized I forgot to write out this section, thankfully Kami from Kami's Corner emailed me and gave me a heads up. Damn ADHD.
Gaming on linux is honestly great. Sometimes it performs even better than it would on windows. Glorious Eggroll's proton compatibility patch is a must have for adding just little extra compatibility to Steam's already fleshed-out proton compatibility. Pretty much every game I play from the Oblivion Remaster, to Cyberpunk 2077, to Minecraft, to Morrowind all work flawlessly.
Some Downsides
It's not all sunshine and rainbows unfortunately. One of the major downsides to linux gaming is some minor graphical issues. I don't notice it often, but it comes up in AAA games, most notably Red Dead Redemption 2.
Sometimes the Native version blows as is the case with games like Postal 2, but you'll likely just use proton for everything so this is more of a nitpick.
Modding can also be a bit of a pain, its not so bad if you do manual installations, but if you use Vortex mod manager, it can be a bit of a pain in the neck.
AAA multiplayer games with anti-cheat however are the bain of any Linux gamer's existence. Since many of them outright block you. I circumvent this with using a Kernel Virtual Machine that lets me get native-level performance within a virtual machine and passing through a graphics card. Games like Space Marine 2 will still detect that you have a VM, but thanks to this post in the VR Chat docs, I was able to circumvent this. This isn't an option for people with lower-powered PCs, or if you don't have 2 GPUs. So, I generally recommend dual booting as an alternative.
Overall though, I do see support getting greater attention thanks to the Steam Deck and with so many popular youtubers making the switch. The minor inconveniences aren't enough for me to completely nix (pun intended) Linux all together as 90% of my library runs just fine. If all you play is older games (10+ years) and indie games, you'll have 0 issues.
Distro Hopping
I feel like distro hopping is a bit of a dirty word in the linux community. As people will tell you "its all the same under the hood, you're just basically choosing a Debian/Arch fork and using a different desktop environment and pre-installed packages", and they're right. However, they can also shut up and let people have fun.
I've distro-hopped quite a bit with my time on linux. Here's my complete journey:
Pop_Os! -> Manjaro -> Arch -> Mint -> Artix -> Gentoo -> Arch
I like seeing what each distro had to "offer", the installation process is pretty seamless. However, there are two that are pretty different in terms of installation and user experience. These are considered the "hard" distros.
The "Hard" Distros
The so-called "hard" distros aren't really that hard if you sit and read through the installation documentation. However, they can be challenging even for total Linux newbies.
Arch Linux
Installing Arch is sorta a rite of passage. It's kinda the ultimate goal for people trying to master Linux. The installation isn't hard if you just pay attention to the documentation. It's even easier now with the arch-install command basically streamlining the whole process. There's some elitists out there that will scoff at people who use arch-install, but those people are dorks and who wants to listen to some unwashed-ass's opinion?
Pacman is a powerful package manager, and the Arch User Repository is fantastic, it's like rule34, but instead of NSFW its packages.
The Arch documentation is probably the most concise documentation out there for Linux. Even people using non-arch distros can find very helpful information with the Arch docs.
Arch is my distro of choice even today. I even have "I Use Arch BTW" embroidered in the collar of my wedding suit jacket.
Gentoo
I switched to Gentoo for a bit because I wanted a "challenge". Gentoo kinda stumped me at first, the installation on older PCs takes forever because you are compiling everything from source. Configuration of your kernel can be confusing if you're not exactly certain of what you're needing. The documentation could be a little more clearer (
While I do like the 100% control you can have with a Gentoo install, it can be A LOT of maintenance. And Portage (Gentoo's package manager) can be a pain in the ass sometimes.
This was when I was in a full-on poweruser phase. I had a tiling window manager and programmed it to my specifications, my kernel was as minimal as I could make it with my use-case, I was using neovim, everything.
After a quarter-life crisis, I realized I didn't care to be a professional programmer anymore. I hate the corporate environment. So, after switching my degree from CS to Psychology, I also switched back to Arch for its ease-of-use.
The Perks of Linux
With Linux you have FULL control of your system, it treats you with intelligence and lets you shoot yourself in the foot if you're not paying attention.
Customization is AMAZING, you have so many options from your desktop environment, to your package manager, to (if you use Gentoo) your kernel. Ricing is a big thing in the Linux community, with each person having their own "flavor".
For me, I stick to good ol' Arch Linux, with a customized KDE desktop to look a bit like Windows 7. It works well for me.
You can be as complex or simple as you want. My machine has a virtual machine that utilizes my secondary graphics card so I can use a windows VM with near-native performance.
The Downsides of Linux
Sometimes there are quirks with Linux, that can be a bit irksome. For example, more recently I was playing Minecraft, and realized it was having a lot of graphical issues, freezing, main menu wasn't scaling so the background would just be grey. Come to find out, using Wayland was the culprit, once I launched with X11 it worked flawlessly. So, that's annoying.
UI/UX can be a bit clunky with open source apps, there's plenty of apps with great UI/UX but they are often super bloated with 3rd party libraries like Electron.
Gaming on Linux is generally better thanks to Steam's proton. Games are more performant. The downside is there may be SOME minor/major graphical issues however depending on the game and if you're playing online you will likely have issues with anti-cheat software if the game devs don't enable support. Rainbow 6 Seige is particularly notorious for this. Which I never understood the stigma of Linux users by game devs. Cheaters are more likely going to use windows anyway since that is what the game and hacking software is built on/for.
Final thought
Overall, I use Linux almost exclusively on my main computer (outside of my aforementioned windows VM for the odd anti-cheat game). I love having complete control over my system and having an operating system that gets out of my way.
If you want to switch to Linux yourself, here is my guide to switching to Linux