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: 
[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EJvZ68_NB0]

[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.