Like perhaps many others I am debating what to do with my PC at the end of support for windows 10 later this year. I have read a lot of discussions here about switching to Linux, and a lot of commentary that though it has gotten a lot more plug and play it maybe still has some weaknesses. I just want to know what those are, and if it can support what I currently do with my computer.
Basically my computer is just for gaming. I play a plethora of games both major titles and small indy games. I also use mods on my games sometimes. Beyond gaming it’s just basic web browsing.
More specific questions:
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I think I need to pick a “distro”, right? Based on the above, which distro may work best for me?
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what am I most likely to NOT be able to do, if anything? I have heard modding in particular can be challenging with Linux. Like Skyrim mods that use a script extender or rely on various Windows programs. Is that true? Are there some smaller indy games that don’t have Linux support (thinking back to the early mac days)?
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I would rate my computer technical ability at like… A 4/10. I haven’t done anything too crazy but can Google most issues and willing to learn. Is this realistically enough to get me up and running with Linux? I don’t have any programming experience or anything of the sort.
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if the final answer here involves running a windows partition, is it possible to safely still use a windows 10 partition, even after the end of support? Or does it need to be a windows 11 partition? Best case is no partition, but curious if it comes to that.
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anything else I might run into that I’m not expecting? Words of encouragement?
I don’t do any of the games listed here as problematic with the anticheat stuff so I don’t think it will be an issue for me. Some of the tweaks listed as needed on the protondb seem slightly intimidating at the moment but I am hoping that once I have better context for what those are it won’t be an issue anymore.
Most tweaks on protondb are either copy pasting a few settings to a Steam dialog box, or picking a particular option in the compatibility list on the GUI. Mostly old games take a bit more effort, yet it won’t be any harder than what you used to do to make mods run on Windows. Really, the only reason anything Linux could be intimidating is because it is unfamiliar. As soon as you start seeing the parallels with tinkering and tweaking on windows, you’ll realize that it is actually easier, more intuitive, and more stable than on Windows.