Linux gaming

[OneStepBack]

Sorry, a bit late to the party. I like the way you can keep your humour.  The amount of reading and researching I have done on Linux is about three times that of my degree.  Saying that most of it was learning how to run a Linux server, a web server and a mail server.  I am self-taught.

As for gaming I haven't tried on Linux.  I nearly tried X-Plane which is the competitor to MSFS and runs on Linux as well as Windows.  I opted for Windows as the scenery is supposed to be better.

Are you joking about mirrors? Anyone can host the ISO files for people to download.  It is mainly universities and tech companies that do this as they have the servers. They are referred to as mirrors.  You pick the closest mirrors to you for speed in downloading.

I use DD as a way of securely erasing disks but not sure about image writing.

Garuda is basically Arch with a GUI installer from what I have heard.  Arch equals cutting edge which equals unforeseen errors. I tried Garuda in Virtualbox last year (I like to distro hop in Virtualbox). The reason I wouldn't use it outside of Virtualbox is due to there not being a GPG signature to check the ISO file or checksum file.  Its a security risk.   The checksum only tells you if the file you are downloading has been altered in any way.  It doesn't guarantee it is the correct file.  You need the GPG signature for that. Linux Mint had a dodgy ISO 8 years ago.

I looked at Nobaro around the same time.  Its a distro based on Fedora (my very first distro).  Its on my list of distros to check out. You mentioned Solus getting a bad rap.  LInux Cast on Youtube reckons its his favourite distro and he checks them all out. Its an immutable distro as well which is good if you mess up.

Another thing are you gaming on Xorg or Wayland  (Xorg's replacement).  I have gone back to Xorg as I was having a lot of problems with some programmes running.  I don't think its there yet development wise.  Linux Mint have only just released a Wayland option and its only preliminary.

I have the same problem with a disk not appearing in the BIOS. After hours of frustration it turns out I had turned UEFI on for Windows 11 and my WD Blue SSD requires a firmware update to play with UEFI.  I remember there was a problem with Garuda and UEFI as well.

Have you tried the Garuda User forums for help with gaming?

[pianopraze]

Yes joking about mirrors.

unplugging and replugging fixed sata drive… glad I tried that before going crazy(er).

did I emphasize Linux fixed the system level problems windows introduced? I’m amazed. I thought I had hardware issue… just turns out it was windows issue. 

garuda has this pop up every time you boot with links to forums, help, and wiki. I went on one of those, searched for how to speed it up, followed the suggested steps… boom much faster. Still not sure what I did… copy paste commands to console mostly.

I really liked solus, if I hadn’t found elementary it would have been my daily driver. But elementary was rock solid and used it for about a year.

garuda is even better so far. Extremely mac like and I’m having easy time navigating. 

just finished first playthrough of Skyrim and it worked flawless… which is odd for Skyrim. 

next… modding Skyrim!

[OneStepBack]

Things are looking up then.  Enjoy your gaming.

I'm itching to get MSFS up and running but not well enough to do it at the moment.

[pianopraze]

Think I’m coming to the end of my patience and all out of crayons for garuda.

steam works. The os is solid. Liberty office and brave browser work great.

would be great daily driver and light gaming.

cannot mod Skyrim. I can through the Bethesda store but that’s not real moding. I need access to vortex or at least modmanager2 and neither will install. Followed all the guides. Have all the dependencies… it just won’t even install much less run. I don’t know if it’s just Arch or what. I previously swore never to mess with arch again. This arch based distro is wonderful, if you play just what they include. Try to instal anything else and it just won’t. 

next I will try Nobara (fedora based) which is made by the guy making proton.

[pianopraze]

Goto Nobara website. Click download. It says to Download balena etcher to be able to make install usb drive and gives link. 

follow link. double click on it in downloads and it’s ready to make installer. Very Impressive (project farm audio insert)

click Nobara official download. Click I agree. 5 minute download indicated.

read about known issues with Xbox controllers and listed fix… have to remember for later.  BY remember I mean read here as I have no memory to speak of. 

ISO downloaded, back to etcher. I guess flash from file since I downloaded iso. Install usb drive. Click mount and open. Go back to installer click select targets a disk, click select 1. Click flash, worry that I have not formatted it and hope the flash does that. Pop up asking for password, enter.

it says flashing 60 seconds to complete. Dolphin gives error but etcher seems fine. Validating… 20 seconds.flash complete, get success message.

restart. Delete to get to bios, set usb as first boot device. Save and exit. Restart.

select: start Nobara 39, click enter.

Nobara installer:
American English, east coast, us english, erase disk (makes 3 portions vs garuda one - don’t like).

install.

realize the n in Nobara is weird shaped because it has a penguin in it.

install taking longer than garuda…

watch YouTube video while waiting.

done, restart 

question: detected new install, want to update? Yes. Nobara will update. Accept. Installing type password. No Pac-Man, just lines and %.no mirrors involved. 

popup: media codex not installed or missing, fix? Yes.

flatpack has been detected, update all flat packs? Yes.

reboot? Yes.

installed.  No error messages or warnings like gauruda scrolling by so fast I can’t see them.  

impressive! (Insert project farm audio).

so I’m on welcome, click first steps, update? Did that. Nvidia drivers? Launch. We have detected Nvidia drivers. Accept. Password. installing drivers for 2080ti…. It says complete, nothing happening, but still showing installing on bottom… I wait. Reboot? Yes.

wish I had some crayons to eat. This is going too smooth. no croton eating required. Worried.

install more software?
Brave. Installed.
Xbox controller drivers…. Taking forever… maybe first problem? Rescale monitor to 150% see there was a window waiting for my password. Have a v8. Add pkg builder permission to my user? Yes. Password. Error your user is added to pkg build but haven’t taken affect until restart. Have more v8. This is Linux for you. Linux realizes it and says reboot required to install. Click yes. Reboot.

Very impressive (insert project farm audio)

Nothing showing if it installed or not,  hankerin’ for some crayons.


install proton ge… not enough crayons in the store to figure this thing out and no directions.

install Bluetooth keyboard… 

it works…

Very impressive: 

[pianopraze]

Now to do gaming.

Steam is already on the desktop. Very impressive (insert project farm audio).

installs no problem.

Change desktop, update mouse settings - recognized and installed drivers for it already.

reboot. Install skyrim. Won’t install. Settings compatibility, enable steam play for all titles. Restart required. Restart. Now steam is not following the 150% scaling so it’s too small to read. Sigh. Linux. Squint. Settings run with proton 9. Restart required. Restart, install skyrim. Install to: leave default /home.

start Skyrim.  Launches. Very sluggish. Unplayable.  Will try restart. Switch to proton experimental. Restart.

Inspiration Rightclick on Skyrim …properties… force compatibility proton 9

still horrible. Unplayable. 


everything seems to be working but some small weird-nesses. Mouse stutters, was smooth on windows 10/11 and garuda. nobara sometimes doesn’t recognize number pad on keyboard. Banging on keyboard for a bit and it recognizes it’s there… useually.  Windows scaling works in os, but steam keeps messing it up, even when I check application does scaling or windows does scaling.  I went to settings in steam turned application scaling off (it was on), then back on, and rebooted and it seems ok for now.

miss my Mac like interface in garuda. Don’t like that the strip at bottom doesn’t go all way to bottom of desktop. Wastes space and has strip of wallpaper under the task bar thingie. Windows users will like this.  Very windows 7. Easy to navigate. Things where you expect.  

everything’s seems… sluggish. Garuda was much more snappy/responsive.

everything except Skyrim works… sigh. Initial install better than garuda… except the one thing I am doing this for. Skyrim.


update. 

updated everything, restarted a million times.  Skyrim working good.

now onto modding, first step vortex mod manager.


update 2.

dowloaded vortex, not working right but it is installed. I was able to download mods

installed mod manager 2 and it can’t download mods but it can instal the mods I dowloaded from vortex.

I have installed my first mod and it’s working.  

yay!

*throws crayons in the air*

[pianopraze]

Skyrim is not as fast as windows, as it has to run through a compatibility layer (proton), but most mods are working.

can’t install mods directly through vortex or mod manager, but can download them manually and install/ control them via mod manager 2.

os is stable.

all computer function working (Bluetooth etc) which don’t in windows now. It is the windows driver apparently, not the hardware.

Linux has come a long way.

I’ve presented the good and bad of two installs as unbiased as I can.

Hope this helps someone sometime.

[broccoli]

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Installed all the propriety drivers (Garuda made it easy).

calibrated joystick (can’t even do that in windows that I know of).

adjusted audio drivers/devices. (Easier than windows 10/11) the dang real tech software audio software (not the drivers) in windows is hidden away in an inaccessible place that would never show up and necessary to access.

Updated/restarted everything I could.

switched versions of proton (watch op video for explanation) the software translating the game to windows.

banged everything with a wrench until it seems better.

ate some more crayons.

it’s now running much better. I don’t know fps, but it is now smooth with audio synched. I think I can install mods. It’s might not  be 100 percent as fast as window install but vanilla Skyrim is running same in Linux as it was in windows.

Will move on to modding - after i finish this quick playthrough.

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Necessity is my mother. Windows flat out borked itself a second (third) time. Could not play my game. 

I tried to (humorously?) present an absolute real step by step experience as opposed to Linux evangelist installs. They really do skip a lot. 

Elementary OS is the only Linux distro/OS that installed perfect and worked first time. An A . All others had this much or a lot more problems. I would give Garuda an A-.

Windows a c-

I’m really just floundering in the dark and googling my way past difficulties. That’s 99% of computer repair even in windows. I know a lot more about windows and it was more difficult. They went and hid all the real systems tools you need. It seems nice and smooth until you need to fix xomething then you realize your dealing with an operating system with multiple personality disorder (I can relate). One brain is hidden away. One is up front and easy access . And a third hidden brain (the real tools) is all but inaccessible. Eg the real tech software for the audio. There is absolutely no way to bring it up other than find about it on google search, dig deep into windows operating systems folder, find the software and run it. 

to make clearer?: 
First brain you just click setting and it’s there.
second brain you know it’s there and type in search in setting/windows bar thingie to find… device manager, dxdiag, etc…
third you have to manually go find knowing it’s there, it will not come up in any search in settings… real tech software.

And this system fully works. I installed Garuda Linux and my wired keyboard, wireless mouse, Bluetooth keyboard, and Wired Xbox game pad we’re recognized. Nothing bluetooth works in windows, I had to manually disable the driver to keep it from constant,y refreshing in device manager and causing a beep. Apparently a flaw that’s persisted for many since windows 10 for some.

Garuda Linux seems to be actively fixing itself and getting better with each reboot. Windows ate itself and broke itself three times. 

forgive my horrible typing dyslexia and autocorrect are taking their toll trying to type on an iPad. 

this os is objectively night and day better, even though I know almost nothing.

my system now fully works where I literally could not get it to work on windows.


I will update as I have problems and then I think at some point I will try Nobara Linux by the proton writer.

Linux has many types but could be summarize by two: quick updates and long updates. This is a quick update and might break itself like windows. I will watch and see.

would love to hear from the Linux people on here, please do chime in, feel free to rant about Linux, make fun of me, etc… I have crayons to share…

I'm glad you got Garuda working, arch linux is still kind of a new area for me as i've always used debian. I believe your package manager is pacman and it seems just as easy as debian to use I just havent spent time learning it's shell commands the way I have debian. I believe
 

Code:

sudo pacman -S lutris is the command to install Lutris, for those that don't know, Lutris will automatically configure WINE for you. It's like a gaming library database that remembers all your configurations and autoconfigures it for you. It comes pre-installed in

Nobara Linux as well.

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give Lutris a try piano and see if it helps with your compatibility problems

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idk why my post is throwing errors I brokeded DI

[pianopraze]

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give Lutris a try piano and see if it helps with your compatibility problems

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idk why my post is throwing errors I brokeded DI

lol. I thought I was only one who used "brokeded".

speaking of… so I went back to windows, installed with no internet to avoid Microsoft account, turned on no updates for as long as possible.

it forced update after a month and broke my system again.

i stumbled along with game crashes/ system hard locks for a few months.

just reinstalled windows 11 last night without ms account and have one month before it force updates again and it’s working fine.

absolutely sucks that ms basically force bricks my computer every 4 weeks.

also have to reformat the drive every time as it says it can’t install windows 11 due to not being mbr. How insane is that. It says that on a computer with win 11 and correct format… oh, and the installer can’t format the drive to mbr! Have to boot to command line, erase hard drive, format it all via command line then reboot and instal. 

ms is absolute crap now.

[broccoli]

yeah because I believe you're using grub now as an operating system loader lol I believe windows 11 also doesn't use master boot record anymore if I recall It's been a very long time since I've used windows but I may have read that recently.

I don't see a reason to ever install windows. Libreoffice easily replaces microsoft office, Lutris for gaming, everything is open source and free, what more could anyone ask for really.

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throw it away and come to debian or something man

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Also you can easily just make a live persistent USB version of Linux using rufus and like a 30gb usb easily

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or if for some reason you need to bloat your resources with windows, run it as a virtual machine iso with vmware