Linux? How hard to learn, how user friendly? (Gaming talk, too).

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I'm considering building a computer to play games on, my budget would bet about $1,200.

First question, is that enough to build a good rig, assuming it doesn't include keyboard, mouse, and monitor?

Second question, I absolutely hate Windows and would rather run Linux, but, if the user experience is bad and there's a learning curve, I'm out.

Does linux command line work the same as mac? Both unix based, right?
 
I think Raspberry uses Linux and based on the very little I know, it's a pain in the ass. I prefer drag and drop.
 
I dual boot windows 10 and linux (both are on separate SSDs to reduce any issues with boot)

- any OS is user friendly when you get used to it
- linux has many distributions (check them out at distrowatch.com - top 100 most popular distros are listed on the right)
- large majority of popular linux distros are based on either: debian/ubuntu, fedora, arch linux (so for your first linux distro choose one based on those, they have good support and have plenty of available software)
- most linux distros come in several flavors, by flavors I mean preinstalled packages (programs) and graphical interfaces (KDE, gnome, xfce, cinnamon, etc)
- linux is not the same as unix so command lines arent identical (but they should be easy to learn - just watch some youtube linux tutorials or find a cheat sheet online)
- steam client is available on linux, but do note that not all games work natively on linux, for more info check out:


In the past 2 weeks I have tried at least 10 various linux distributions, they install in like 3 minutes from USB 2.0 stick - just download the linux image you are interested in and using a windows program called etcher you make a bootable USB drive out of that image
you dont even have to install it to try it out, once the USB is in (and you set in BIOS to boot from that USB instead of SSD) it will automatically boot into linux (as if it was installed) so you can try it out

most popular linux distros are easy to get into and share same interface (gnome, KDE) which is similar to Windows / MacOS

biggest issue with linux is proper driver support for printers/wifi/bluetooth/nvidia GPU - but things are getting better and popular distros come with everything necessary preinstalled

Popular distros I would recommend: Linux Mint, Manjaro, Ubuntu/Kubuntu - most of these come in 2 flavors, LTS (long term support - support for over 2 years in most cases) and short term support (support for 1 year tops but you are on bleeding edge updates and kernel versions - so you get new features as they come out)

1200usd is real good money for new PC

for that money I would recommend:

AMD Ryzen 1600X or 2600/X (its a 6 core CPU, that comes with a good CPU cooler so you dont have to buy one)
X470/X370/B450 motherboard - if you dont plan on OCing, any decent B450 motherboard will do (go with MSI or Asus)
2x8GB DDR4 3000MHz (or higher clocked, depending how much budget you have left - Ryzen CPUs work faster the faster frequency/timings of RAM)
1tb SSD (I wouldnt go with HDDs anymore, unless you plan on installing shitload of games and need more space)
550W (you dont need more than 650W) power supply (go either with corsair, EVGA, be quiet, seasonic)

regarding graphics card - this depends on the monitor you are going to buy
AMD graphics cards offer great value at mid range (they have 2 high end GPUs> Vega56/64 but they arent faster than nvidia gtx1080/rtx2070) paired with a freesync monitor (AMDs version of Gsync)

nvidia makes faster graphics cards but they are more expensive and gsync monitors add a massive premium (100+usd on a monitor)

of course you can always skip freesync and gsync entirely and go with a monitor that has neither (but freesync monitors shouldnt add any additional cost)

if you arent a hardcore gamer I would recommend going with AMD RX580 8GB GPU paired with a 27" 1440p 144Hz Freesync monitor - with this combo you will be able to play latest games on that resolution with at least 60fps
freesync will make that whole experience tear free and smooth as butter

but be sure to get a monitor that is over 60Hz as that alone makes a staggering difference in gaming (and is noticeable even in windows - just moving the mouse will look smooth as hell)
 
About 10 years ago I had a computer that had gotten too slow to run anything in windows. My son cleaned it up and installed Ubuntu on it, and it gave me an extra 3 years worry free instead of buying a new one. The learning curve wasn't too steep as he customized Ubuntu to keep it simple. I am fairly clueless with most things IT, so the fact that I could use it means most people can.
 
I'm considering building a computer to play games on, my budget would bet about $1,200.

First question, is that enough to build a good rig, assuming it doesn't include keyboard, mouse, and monitor?

Second question, I absolutely hate Windows and would rather run Linux, but, if the user experience is bad and there's a learning curve, I'm out.

Does linux command line work the same as mac? Both unix based, right?
The nature of the computer's purpose is the most important criterion towards deciding your OS.

If you are building a gaming comp unfortunately it is still a terrible idea in 2018 to use any OS other than Microsoft Windows. The only people for whom this isn't true are gamers who have a specific game (or games) they love to play available on Linux, and who only play that game. For example, Dota 2 players may not bother with any other games. They are hardcore into that one game, and it's available on Linux.

Evidence is the Steam store which is the greatest games depot for PC games:
https://store.steampowered.com/search/?category1=998&os=win
(29,310 listed Windows games)
vs.
https://store.steampowered.com/search/?category1=998&os=linux
(5,564 listed Linux games)

Three more glaring examples of this truth that don't show up in that store are League of Legends, Fortnite, and World of Warcraft. The first two are the most popular games in the world. The last is the most popular enduring subscription-based game in history. None of them is natively supported by Linux. Even MacOS has them, and in the case of Fortnite also iOS/Android & the Nintendo Switch, but still not Linux.

Furthermore, even for games that do support Linux, when it comes to maintaining things like driver stability and delivering patches, you are simply a second class citizen due to the truths above. You are not what butters developer bread. You are not a priority. Pro-Linux users will try to cajole you with lingo about amazing solutions like WINE, which is cool, but these are digital jerry-rigged solutions, creating more potential issues, and their additional layer of virtualization also adds to the processing overhead. This means you need more powerful hardware to run games at the same level of performance. It's effectively emulation. I strongly recommend you read this brief, honest article:
Gaming On Linux: 2 Ridiculous Myths And 2 Brutal Truths
Forbes said:
Two Brutal Truths About Gaming On Linux
As Dawe mentioned above and I can confirm, playing games native to Linux is effortless. What's wonderful about Linux is the possibility of playing literally anything that was not developed for the platform. But now it's time for a dose of reality.


1) Playing Windows Games Might Be Disappointing

"When it comes to playing Windows games on Linux, the first thing to remember is: it's never going to be a perfect experience. Don't go into it expecting something to work," Dawe explains. "Go in like that and you won't be too disappointed. There's software called Wine (https://www.winehq.org/) which you can try. PlayOnLinux and Lutris are essentially user interfaces to work with Wine to manage multiple titles with it, each with their own special script to set it all up for you."

Dawe stresses that native gaming is generally a better choice than Wine, which is leveraged through tools like Lutris or PlayOnLinux, or whether it's using Valve's Proton compatibility solution on Steam.

"Wine is a stop-gap solution for certain games that aren't on Linux until you either find a replacement for it that is Linux-native or they put out a Linux release," Dawe says. Wine can be great for old releases that are no longer supported though and there are plenty of Windows-only games that do work fine with it. Some developers have even packaged their older games with Wine for Linux users and put them on Steam."


2) Steam Play Isn't Ready For Prime Time

If you've heard about Linux recently in larger outlets like this one, it's probably because of Steam Play. It's why I see an endless deluge of posts on Reddit and Twitter from people ready to make the switch from Windows to Linux.

So as a newcomer to Linux and someone who's becoming a staunch advocate for the platform, this one is tough to admit. While the technical possibility of playing the thousands upon thousands of Windows-only Steam games on Linux is a revolutionary leap forward, it's far from perfect. When it works it's amazing. When it doesn't it's an exercise in frustration.

https%3A%2F%2Fblogs-images.forbes.com%2Fjasonevangelho%2Ffiles%2F2018%2F09%2FScreenshot-from-2018-09-04-13-26-39-1200x530.jpg

Though whitelisted by Valve, DOOM isn't perfect for everyone and may require tweaking.Steam Play Compatibility Reports

I've spent the past two weeks downloading dozens of games to test, and many of the ones Valve has whitelisted do indeed perform well without any hiccups. But some, like 2016's DOOM, simply won't launch. The game works for the majority of people who've submitted their experience to the Steam Play Compatibility Reports website, but for many others, it does not.

Valve can't whitelist a game and take Steam Play out of beta (it's now available to everyone using the Steam for Linux client) until every title they've put their seal of approval on works for everyone who launches it -- provided they meet the software and hardware requirements. I think the worst possible outcome is to see reports of gamers who've wiped out their Windows partition and parked themselves gleefully in the Linux camp, only to be frustrated that the experience they expected isn't happening.
Per the learning curve, even this recent, exuberant convert will admit Linux ends up being more work on the user-end. That's just baked into the cake. There will be more reading and troubleshooting involved. With greater power comes greater responsibility, and all that:
I switched from Windows to Linux. Here are the lessons I learned along the way.
Medium said:
Not everything is perfect, though
  • There is a learning curve if you switch to Ubuntu. Some things you didn’t need help with when you used Windows, you might need help when you use Linux. You can use AskUbuntu.com for assistance, though. Expect to experience issues if you have special hardware installed on your computer, for example GPUs.
As Fanu noted $1200 is plenty for a gaming PC, and you have picked a spectacular time to build. Component pricing is the best it has been in 2 1/2 years. Head over to the PC gaming thread to seek advice for a build:
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/s...r-supply-burned-down-my-house.3514139/page-45
 
Agree what said above and dual boot Windows 10 and Linux, try Mint as its a user friendly distro. Gaming on Linux has always been a sticking point with PC fans.
 
Currently running Ubuntu through Windows 10 (WSL) and used to be a Mint user. If you want user friendly stay away from the Arch Linuxs of the world and go with Ubuntu or Mint, also if you want a mac or Windows look and feel a few distros offer that ex Elementary OS is mac inspired etc.

I suggest booting a live USB to play around that way you don't have to commit to anything.

Disclaimer: I don't usually suggest Linux for non developer type people, half the time you might spend trying to find drivers to fix broken shit etc
 
If gaming is a priority, maybe you should stick to Windows. I switched to Linux years ago and never looked back, but I never play games. Even the most popular distros could be problematic at the beginning, but I love the stability and control Linux offers. You learn a lot while using it, and that's a plus compared to Win, which is absolutely keen to take over decision making from the user. As other have said, Mint is probably the best option right now.
 
I still find it a bit clunky to navigate Linux file systems, but that's just a personal preference.

You'll almost certainly end up running Windows 10 if you want to play games, though.
 
Strictly speaking about the command line, it's very powerful but you have to know what you're doing. Also, if you're new to Linux, small problems can become a major pain in the ass. For example if permissions are not set correctly on a file it can make whatever application your using unusable. Then not only do you need to know how to find the file but you also need to know how to change permissions.
 
I have no idea if that's something I should be excited about or not.
Steam Link allows you to stream your games from your main gaming computer to another device.
For example, you have a gaming computer in your den but you'd like to play Witcher 3 on your couch in your living room. With some software configuration you'll be able to hook your Raspberry Pi up to the TV in your living room, grab a controller, and play.
Android devices, which include Amazon devices if side loaded, can do this as well.
 
I used to manage the slaves on our network run by the IT guy. It ended a few years ago and I did for about 10 years. I was just thrust into it and knew nothing about Linux having used Windows my whole life. Boy was it a PIA... all the stupid dependencies to install anything drove me absolutely nuts. And using Flash in a browser was just a nightmare.

Anyhow, haven't touched it since.
 
Steam Link allows you to stream your games from your main gaming computer to another device.
For example, you have a gaming computer in your den but you'd like to play Witcher 3 on your couch in your living room. With some software configuration you'll be able to hook your Raspberry Pi up to the TV in your living room, grab a controller, and play.
Android devices, which include Amazon devices if side loaded, can do this as well.
They have stopped producing Steam Link. I know they were like 90% out of stock a couple of weeks ago so you may not be able to get one anymore.
 
They have stopped producing Steam Link. I know they were like 90% out of stock a couple of weeks ago so you may not be able to get one anymore.
With the update, you can use the Raspberry Pi just like you would that Steam Link hardware they discontinued.
Steam Link can refer to the piece of hardware they made or the software. Valve didn't go a good job at naming it.
https://store.steampowered.com/steamlink/about
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.valvesoftware.steamlink
 
I have Lubuntu in dual boot and the only time I had to use the terminal was to change the color temperature of Redshift (a program like flux that dims the blue light at night), I could only set the values manually in the terminal. As for gaming, there are a lot of games that work natively now on Linux, but for most of them you will need to install wine (it's very easy to use).
 
Forget about linux unless you just want to dual boot for a hobby or something.

For $1200, you can get a pretty solid gaming PC. Just at a quick glance, you could probably build a rig with a GTX 1070 ti and i7 9700k and run pretty much any game in HD for the price range.
 
Almost every popular Linux distribution is easy to use, exceptions being Gentoo and Slack. Just a warning using wine, yes it often works well but when it doesn't work, it is a huge pain in the ass.

I just dual boot. I use linux(Fedora) for everything besides games. As far as which distro you should use, I would play around with them. Exploring is part of the fun.
 
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