My journey to daily driving Linux
As a self-proclaimed “power user” (even though I cringe at the term), my relationship with Linux has always been somewhat of a side affair. While I extensively used Linux on every other machine I owned, my main rig stubbornly ran Windows. Why? Well, gaming, my friends. The gaming scene on Linux used to be a bit rough around the edges. But with the rise of Proton, DXVK, and Wine, the landscape has significantly improved. So, I decided it was finally time to make the leap.
Choosing the Right Distribution
Now, Despite my affinity for Void Linux and my inclination towards window managers, I settled on OpenSUSE with KDE6. Why? Well, I wanted to test-drive the new Plasma Wayland session, knowing full well I might eventually switch. OpenSUSE seemed like a safe bet, being systemd-based and well-supported, which is crucial for troubleshooting potential gaming issues and not wonder if it’s the game, proton, or something weird related to not using SystemD.
The Transition
Transitioning felt surprisingly seamless. Sure, most of the software I used on Windows was open source to begin with, but I had my concerns. RTSS (RivaTuner Statistics Server) was a staple for me, used to cap my game framerates at 60 FPS globally. However, MangoHUD swooped in as a worthy replacement.
Proton behaved admirably and Gamescope deserves a special shoutout. This nifty tool works wonders for older games, particularly those that force fullscreen and are finicky about resolutions. Those games (and honestly most of the rest too) performed even better than they did on Windows, which was a pleasant surprise, considering i’m running a Wayland session and pretty much every game through Gamescope, so there is kinda a “translation” between Wayland and XWayland, then another one for the Proton/DXVK stuff.
And then there are those guilty pleasures - 2 gacha games made by a chinese company that starts with H. While not officially supported on Linux, the community behind certain unofficial launchers for the anime game, and the honker railway made the experience buttery smooth.
Productivity and Workflow
As someone already well-versed in “power using” Linux, adapting to KDE Plasma was a breeze. However, I must commend the KDE team for their exceptional work in polishing the desktop environment. It’s intuitive and user-friendly, reminiscent of navigating Windows 10. Though, I must admit, on OpenSUSE Tumbleweed, the average Joe might struggle with tasks like installing codecs and Vulkan drivers when faced with issues like YouTube not working.
What’s Next?
While my experience with OpenSUSE was commendable, I have my sights set on Void Linux next. Paired with either Sway, LabWC, or River, I anticipate a more minimalist and efficient setup that aligns better with my preferences.