Could be small or big.

My answer has always been that, Linux can’t handle everything I’d ask out of it that I normally can with Windows. I know the games issue has been progressing far from the days when that used to have been an archaic flaw with Linux for the longest time. Games might not be the issue except for some concerns I have for some games.

I was taking some time a few moments ago, to check if a program called Firestorm Viewer would work on Linux Mint which could’ve been my distro of choice. And the description written on the linux page described exactly the kind of concerns I’d have for compatibility and usability from going Windows to Linux.

They said that their viewer was tested and designed to function mostly with Ubuntu and while it could work with other distros, it’s not to be expected to be smooth.

That’s the kind of sentiment and concern I have always had with Linux if I were to go from Windows to it. There are programs and tools on Windows that I have that are used for specific purposes and I know they will not function on Linux. Furthermore, incase anything breaks down, any and all solutions would only be applicable to that thing that would be far easier to solve than just being SOL if I was on Linux.

It is something as a user that I just can’t simply afford to deal with on a regular basis if I made the switch.

So while I may not have too much of an issue running games, I won’t have too much of an issue using alternatives, I won’t have to deal with the Windows ecosystem .etc I will just be running into other walls that would simply make me second guess my decision and make me regret switching to the point where I would dip back into Windows in a hurry.

  • Dragonstaff@leminal.spaceEnglish
    2·
    2 days ago

    Every couple years I decide to switch to Linux, spend few weeks trying to get everything to work right, then give up and go back to Windows.

    I feel like I’m in a “Goldilocks zone” where I’m enough of a power user that doing what I want in Linux takes quite a bit of work to get set up, but not enough of a power user that I enjoy the technical challenge.

    Most recently I was trying to play a couple modded video games, and run a headless HTPC. One thing would work on one distro, another would work on another, but I couldn’t get everything to work at once.

    • other_cat@piefed.zipEnglish
      4·
      5 days ago

      +1

      I did flip my peripheral electronics, it’s just my main computer I haven’t changed yet. I made an attempt a while back ago but ran into enough snags, after already having a rough day, that I gave up and I haven’t tried again since. I’m pretty sure I know what the problem is, I just haven’t found myself wanting to sit down and burn the time it would take to install the new OS and get everything installed and tweaked how I like it etc. The latter part being a most-of-the-day project.

      I will do it eventually though. I am sick of Windows. Now I just need to get over my fatigue and get off my ass.

        • dormedas@lemmy.dormedas.com
          3·
          5 days ago

          If you’re definitely making the hop, copy the whole windows file system to an external NTFS-formatted drive and then mount that and sort the files later haha.

          You won’t be able to boot it as a backup, but the files will be there. If you have drive encryption you have to turn it off

  • variouslegumes@reddthat.com
    32·
    5 days ago

    You’ll find some things are broken and janky in Windows and Linux. Just different jank you’re not used to. I have friends who complain about how they have to do weird workarounds for Linux and then turnaround and fuck with RegEdit. You get used to either given enough time.

    • well5H1T3@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6·
      5 days ago

      then turnaround and fuck with RegEdit.

      LOL, forgot about this. And they say they ain’t tech savvy enough

  • Kagu@lemmy.mlEnglish
    8·
    5 days ago

    Unfortunately I’m addicted to a game that requires kernel level anti cheat. So I dual boot Fedora and Windows, but pretty much the only thing I use the Windows partition for is the game and that rare application that just works ™️ on Windows

    • nizvicious@lemmy.world
      2·
      4 days ago

      Same here, fellow Fedora and Windows dual boot. I have a seperate hard drive for kernel level anti-cheat games: Escape From Tarkov - some PVE maps do run under Linux but PVP and parts of the map require anti-cheat.

      Battlefield games from 5 onwards

      Call of Duty games Coldwar onwards - do not open a call of duty game under Linux, there have been posts where it is an instant ban.

      Ghosts of Tabor

      I do have hope that one day the anti-cheat situation will work out where it doesn’t matter what operating system you are running but for now if I want to play some of the above games with friends for now I dual boot.

  • Whitebrow@lemmy.world
    17·
    5 days ago

    Isn’t mint based on Ubuntu? So that should work without a hitch for you. Worst case just boot into the live usb without installing it directly and just try it there.

    As for me, I dual boot on separate drives because I have specific software that requires windows sometimes. Otherwise it’s primarily Linux on all machines in the house.

    • KazuchijouNo@lemy.lolEnglish
      3·
      5 days ago

      Yeah! Once you get into linux you discover that in reality there are like 3 maybe 4 linux distros. Ubuntu is based on Debian and Mint is based on Ubuntu. And if you are knowledgeable enough then you just compile everything from source and it doesn’t matter if you’re running Fedora or FreeBSD.

      I may be a fool though, don’t listen to me.

      • jaykrown@lemmy.world
        2·
        5 days ago

        The only thing a beginner needs to know is Linux Mint. I think any time anyone shows curiosity in trying Linux, it should be stressed that there’s a really simple and “safe” way to start, which would be through Linux Mint.

  • MarieMarion@literature.cafe
    2·
    4 days ago

    I’m convinced it’s much less straightforward than people here say it is.

    I hate Windows, but I only use my computer for OpenOffice, some liiiiight browsing, and old-school light pirating (light enough TPB fits all my needs), so meh.
    My new neighbor is an old leftist techie though, and when my 9 year old laptop dies, I may ask him to convert me. Maybe.

    • ☂️-@lemmy.ml
      11·
      4 days ago

      it is not, but for the simple use case you mention, it’s actually more intuitive.

      you can try it out straight from the usb.

    • golden_zealot@lemmy.mlEnglish
      2·
      4 days ago

      I’ve found real solutions to pretty much everything but this. For Fusion, I still just have to run it in a windows VM under Linux.

  • Eiri@lemmy.ca
    133·
    5 days ago

    Because my PC is an entertainment box. I don’t want to turn it into a problem to solve.

    Also, Nvidia.

    • well5H1T3@lemmy.worldEnglish
      42·
      5 days ago

      Also, Nvidia.

      Was waiting for this to pop up LOL

      If you are on a market for a Linux-first laptop, AMD is the way. I mean, yes, Nvidia is far better now than half a decade ago, but still, the hoops you have to jump? FUCK YOU NVIDIA

  • thenewred@lemmy.world
    6·
    5 days ago
    • CAD
    • Photo editing

    Gave FreeCAD and darktable a solid try hoping to switch my main desktop, but they have significant usability problems

    • Badabinski@kbin.earth
      5·
      5 days ago

      CAD was a big problem for me as well. I’ve been happy enough with OnShape (coming from Autodesk Inventor), but the extreme SaaS nature of it makes me worry.

    • Mechanite@lemmy.world
      1·
      5 days ago

      I used to dual boot windows just for when I needed to run LR Classic or Photoshop but now I just use winboat which makes them usable in Linux in your desktop environment while under the hood its running through a VM. It works great except not having GPU acceleration hurts, but it was a compromise worth it to me to not have to reboot into and out of windows.

    • Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      1·
      5 days ago

      Have you tried RawTherapee instead of Darktable? They both do pretty much the same thing, but I find RawTherapee much easier to use :)

  • frank@sopuli.xyz
    123·
    5 days ago

    Man i wish Mint worked out of the box as well as virtually everyone on here says it does.

    I am a former software engineer, and don’t want my home PC to be a hobby. I’m like 6 hours into trying to make my (simple) audio setup work on Mint Cinnamon and it’s intermittent at best. Never have even thought about it on Windows.

    It is plug and play compared to Linux of old, it’s clearly come a long way. But it’s nowhere near as easy as Windows still, for anyone who isn’t trying to make this a hobby

    • Fyrnyx@kbin.melroy.orgOP
      6·
      5 days ago

      That’s exactly how I feel about it as well and largely contributes to my hesitation.

      I read and hear how so many people just gush and gush about how Linux Mint or this distro just ‘works out of the box’. What they don’t tell you, is how they must have had to spend hours getting something to work. Like sure, Linux Mint or a more friendlier distro will work out of the box - if you do nothing but just browse online and maybe install/uninstall programs you may want or need from the software package manager.

      But I have had my battles before trying to make things work on linux distros, like getting proprietary functions of a browser to work. Hell, I have even had to fight a little just to get a displaying clock! Like with its formatting from 24hr to 12hr, I’m not saying getting it to display or anything but I don’t get this desire to default to a 24hr format. And I have had to fight at times to switch formats.

      The point is, I or others should not have to spend more time than we need to, to get things to work when there is already an OS that readily does that without question. It doesn’t make us dumb, it doesn’t make us incurious or boring or uninterested in computers and technology. It’s about patience and respect of time and if some Linux distro is not going to respect my time or patience, regardless of how welcoming it appears, then it is not worth swapping to.

      • frank@sopuli.xyz
        1·
        5 days ago

        Nope. Motherboard SPDIF to (“dumb”) speakers. Can’t get the mobo SPDIF out to work in Mint.

        I’m certain if I sink enough hours in I can figure something out but like 6 hours into troubleshooting this I decided I didn’t have the bandwidth to take 100% of my fun time away to do what feels like my job to me.

        • jaykrown@lemmy.world
          2·
          5 days ago

          I’m sure you’ve spent a lot of time trying different things, this is what I found:

          • In Linux Mint’s sound settings (Applications -> Preferences -> Sound), under the Hardware tab, choose a profile that does NOT mention anything digital or IEC. For example, select “Analog Stereo Duplex.” This can help PulseAudio avoid blocking the digital output and allow passthrough to work properly through ALSA.

          • Use alsamixer in a terminal to select the motherboard’s sound device and ensure SPDIF outputs are enabled and not muted. Sometimes SPDIF is muted by default.

          • In terminal, run gstreamer-properties and set Default Output to ALSA with the digital device as the output. This bypasses PulseAudio and can solve passthrough issues.

          Not actually sure if any of that will help, but I tried. 😂

  • i_stole_ur_taco@lemmy.ca
    101·
    5 days ago

    My Windows 10 PC is just as, if not more secure than any Linux machine on the planet.

    But one of these days I’m going to have to actually power it on again and then I guess I’ll have to do something.