I’ve been working on converting my gaming PC to Linux for a few weeks, but everything is running, but it all is just a little jankier than I would like.
I have an 8th gen Intel i7 and an Rtx 2070, running Arch linux.
Sometimes I boot up and my mouse doesn’t work and I have to restart. Sometimes I launch games and they just don’t launch right.
It feels like I’m doing a lot of work for no benefit. In fact, Elden ring runs way worse on my Linux partition than my Windows partition.
I’ve tried GE proton, gamemode, steam compatibility, everything… I’m sorry but I’m going to have to stick with Windows for gaming.
sounds like your problem is likely a combo of trying bare arch and also an nvidia card. i’d recommend Pop!OS as i hear it’s the best out of the box experience for nvidia owners, and if you want to stay arch based i’d try EndeavourOS as it’s arguably the most mature and stable arch based distro today, it’s what i use but i also have amd not nvidia so i can’t speak for the nvidia experience for endeavour. maybe you want to wait a while before you try again just so you’re not burning out on the frustration, too. good luck!
Seconding pop os for a solid starter Linux distro.
Been daily driving it for about 3 years now i think.
Interesting. What issues are there with Nvidia? I was able to get the kernal drivers installed without issue.
nvidia only very recently opened up their drivers to open source dev, so the open source drivers available right now are still based on reverse engineering and they don’t work super great. there are proprietary drivers from nvidia but they are not easy to install and configure and popos handles that for you on install.
I’m guessing you’re running either the nvidia open source drivers (way worse performance) or you don’t have graphics switching configured and it’s using your GPU’s iGPU (way way worse performance).
Bigger distros like Mint will probably configure that for you.
I use endeavorOS with my 3070 and if runs great. Better than what I could get from Pop and nobara when I evaluated them months ago
Do people not use Manjaro for this?
Just out of curiosity, is the mouse bluetooth?
I heard there are some intermittent problems with them on linux because of proprietary blobs and similar driver issues, but I’ve never had one, so I’ve no direct experience.
It’s a wireless Logitech with a little USB dongle. It works from the bios so I wasn’t sure what was up with that.
For a long time I couldn’t get a stable distro working on my HP laptop with Intel 4 core & Nvidia 1660ti but after numerous successful daily driving on my desktops + steam deck of course I tried Bazzite which did the trick. Everything runs smoother & I haven’t encountered anything unable to run because the steam proton is mature. Lutris is perfect for anything to do with alternative launchers, roms, I even got modded black ops 2 working and I never thought that would be possible.
I wish you the best of luck.
somebody gave you bad advice if you chose arch for your first distro
I wonder if the Arch bros will ever realize they’re doing more harm than good…
Obviously NixOS is the way to go for a gaming OS, just use the right flake and you’re all set!
/s
Nah, use Gentoo, you’ll be hard-pressed to find something simpler.
How about https://www.linuxfromscratch.org/
/s
Even simpler! Nothing to get between you and the kernel. :)
I started using Linux when I was in high school. LFS has been my end goal, my Linux graal ever since. It’s only been 23 years, I’ll take care of it someday soon©.
I’m planning on making Linux from super scratch where I start with the kernel and write every other component myself. ETA: 9000000 years
Why include Linux bloat? Just write the kernel yourself!
Yeah, Arch is not a great choice.
I would suggest PopOS! or Nobara.
Or just good ole reliable Debian.
Linux may very well not be for you, but using Arch first is like jumping into the deep end to learn how to swim. It’s no surprise you’re drowning. I’d recommend you try a gaming-focused distro like Nobara before you go back to Windows for good.
I vouch for Bazzite OS. I have Arch on my main and Nobara on a sibling’s computer for gaming and Nobara works flawlessly with minimal setup. It pretty much works the same as my arch desktop with all the KDE stuff. Highly recommend, even if you’re new or experienced.
Yep give Nobara a shot if you’re going to reinstall anyways. Bet you’ll change your mind
Nobara is great if you’re into Fedora. PopOS! or Linux Mint if you’re into Debian. Those will take you further way faster and with less pain than any Arch based distro.
So for a linux virgin who is planning to jump in - what’s the difference between the two groups?
Linux is really a superfamily of loosely-related OS’s (called distributions). Arch and Debian are 2 of the more common ones. Arch in particular has a reputation of being really beginner un-friendly, particularly in that, to my understanding, you have to build the OS yourself.
There’s also the caveat that many Linux distributions end up sharing/copying code from each other, so you end up with a kind of “OS lineage.” The most common distribution, Ubuntu, is copied from Debian. And then the most beginner-friendly distribution, Linux Mint, is copied from Ubuntu. Arch, to my knowledge, doesn’t copy code from elsewhere, so much of the advice given from users of other distributions won’t apply to Arch (hence the meme, “I use Arch btw”)
Anyways, the real advice for a Linux beginner is to stick with a beginner-friendly distribution: either Ubuntu or Linux Mint or Pop!_OS. Most or all distributions have various “flavors,” which are basically like how the OS looks. I think the real difficulty is picking a flavor that you like. I personally like the look of KDE Plasma (IMO resembles Windows 10 the most), so my personal recommendation is Kubuntu, which is the KDE Plasma flavor of Ubuntu
Thanks. For a second it sounded like there are different “types” of linux that are fundamentally different, but it’s just endless chain on what specific OS is based on which specific different OS and some of them are used as a reference point for how stuff feels - I think? :D
What are the differences between Fedora and Debian, since those were used as major reference points?
All distro’s differences come down to how the chain of utilities is stringed up together. You have:
- Bootloader
- Kernel
- Init and service daemons
- Package manager
- Display server
- Window manager
- Widget toolkit
- Desktop environment
- User applications
And a whole lot of in-between. Essentially Fedora and Debian each have defined and originated a set of core software that work as standards for the first 4 parts of this chain. Arch is another, even on pure Arch a wizard installer has to deal with those in order to set up a properly working system. For some, those are the most technical and difficult parts of setting up and designing an OS. Then every distro is a variation on the rest of the chain or customizations on the first few parts, but almost always based on one of the —current— three standards.
There are also philosophical differences that drive technical decisions in the background. Favoring one way of doing things over the other. Debian is usually focused on stability, reliability, security, function over form. Arch is usually about the bleeding edge, speed, max efficiency, innovation, customization, user freedom. Fedora is pragmatic and down to earth, compromising between the two and focused on smooth user experience. Usually different distros will provide some variation or adaptation on those themes. Like making Debian more corporate, or updated, or making Arch easier to install, or making Fedora but optimized for gaming, etc.
Thanks for the in depth answer! While most of it is lost on me, but the last paragraf is dumbed down just enough to make sense of things.
No point in forcing it upon itself, you’ll just hate it Just if you are to try again, remember you can always ask about recommendations, maybe there will be a setup for you which works smoothly and out of the box
Who the hell recommended Arch to you? Arch is for when you’ve been using Linux for a few years and have gotten bored waiting for the latest updates to hit your repos.
I use Linux at work, so I am a least familiar with how to tinker with it, but it just can’t seem to find the right settings to get things running smoothly. I can’t imagine a different distro would be any different.
A different distro like Pop is completely different. My Pop gaming computer runs better than Windows on the same computer and didn’t require any fiddling at all. It even comes with the latest stable Nvidia driver right out of the box, and you can upgrade it with the click of a button.
I can’t imagine a different distro would be any different.
BZZZZZZZZZZZT I’m sorry but that answer was not correct. Next player!
Seriously try some of the other distros and you’ll have a much more pleasant experience. I already recommended Tumbleweed in another reply but man, anything but Arch is gonna be an improvement for somebody trying to make the switch from Windows gaming for the first time.
Idk, I think Gentoo and Void would be worse for a new user. But yeah, most other distros will be more new user friendly. Bazzite has a great new user experience, for instance
Yeah, I use TW and it just works. I game on it with no issues.
Indeed. I haven’t run into a modern game that it can’t handle. The only thing it has struggled with that I play is old Command & Conquer titles, but that’s a Proton issue.
Try Bazzite.
Seconded. Also, Garuda “Dr4g0nized” is gaming focused and Arch under the hood, for a more traditional option.
Bazzite is a good tinkering distro to get your feet wet into atomic distros, but in my experience, it’s only a matter of time before it breaks. I’ve tried it in 3 different devices, including my steam deck, and they all broke by the 3rd or 4th update.
How? It’s pretty solid on my PC. Breaking an immutable distribution isn’t so easy, also Bazzite has a pretty easy install procedure.
Apparently this one of those YMMV deals. Installation is painless and quick, for sure. And it does work fine (albeit a bit slower than Fedora Workstation when loading and firing up software). But after a few updates, Wayland stops working for some reason and I have to log into x11 instead.
I’ve no idea what the issue is, but I was only trying it, so I just went back to my trusty Fedora.
The hell? This is precisely what atomic desktops were supposed to save us from!
Atomic distros are still fairly new, so I expected issues and was not surprised. There’s been a lot of progress done, sure, but I don’t think we’re “there” yet.
Linux at work and Linux for gaming are two very different beasts. For example, you didn’t mention which drivers and DE (or WM) you’re using which are the most crucial part to how games run, and both of which need to be manually configured on Arch but come pre-configured or are a couple clicks away in other distros.
The problem with Arch is that it’s philosophy includes having to set up everything correctly yourself rather than each package you install already being set up and preconfigured the way you’d expect it to be in other distros. You shouldn’t need to be fiddling with system stuff at all with something user focused like Pop!OS since I believe it even handles nvidia drivers for you. I wouldn’t be using arch myself if I didn’t have significant amounts of free time to invest into chasing down every little problem I encountered using it in college.
Linux is in a weird spot right now where the two ends of the user spectrum seem to be handled well while the middle still has issues since they’re not already experts or just need an internet browser to be completely happy.
Wrong distro. Start again.
Popos
I’m sorry but I’m going to have to stick with Windows for gaming.
That’s ok, I forgive you.
Seriously, Windows works better for a lot of people, and that’s fine. I went back to Windows several times before I made the switch permanently to Linux. You just gotta do what works for you.
If you decide to try Linux again, I would recommend a distro like chimera OS, nobara, or just vanilla fedora. I’ve personally had a lot of luck with those distros.
I went back to Windows several times before I made the switch permanently to Linux. You just gotta do what works for you.
This is the way.
I went back and forth for years. Tuning and tweaking to find what works for me. Spoiler - the fully open source options are what worked best for me, eventually.
For awhile gaming was the only place I put up with non-Linux anymore. And now with my SteamDeck, I have an easy way to avoid buying games that aren’t Linux ready.
Hi there, whoever suggested linux for your switch played a mean joke on you. Granted, arch works well if you know what you‘re doing, apparently. But no way it is a good starting distro.
I‘m not sure how eldenring works on linux but most games run without problems.
One little caveat is this: you need to understand that windows is a billion dollar product while linux is mostly community driven. It costs nothing, except many people donating their time. So I‘d suggest adopting a „its insane that hobbyists are able to build something like this“ view. Otherwise you‘ll get frustrated and will end up im privacy invasive windows territory again.
If you want a more gaming ready distro, try pop os or bazzite. Good luck
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Exactly my point. I tried installing it and it was great fun but under no circumstances is that “beginner ready”.
If you’re not having a good time, stop. Life is too short.
If you’re still interested in using linux, LinuxMint or PopOs! are what most people would recommend to a new user, not Arch.
Arch can be perfect for users with the time, knowledge, and effort to perfectly tailor things to suit their needs. They can make it perfectly efficient, without any excess.
I just want to use my computer whenever I want it to work. I am fine with it having a few extra packages/applications that I might never use. I’ve being using linux as main (or only) operating system on/off for about 20 years, and I currently use Mint.I had to practice in a VM before even considering vanilla Arch. No way am I going to fiddle around with getting everything right on bare metal.
This may seem odd, but check if your mobo has a bios update. Often bios break uefi standards to appease Microsofts non-standard requirements.
These get fixed overtime as ACPI bugs are fixed.
To use (and enjoy) Linux properly, you’ve got to “unlearn” several things including the bad habit of expect everything to “just werk”. If you are expecting to “double click your cares away” on Linux, then it’s (very) likely you’ll be disappointed.
With that aside, your best bet is to go for Linux Mint and not Arch Linux.
Arch Linux is great for people that want to do nothing but Arch Linux.
True. It’s also good for people who want to get stuff done. I used it for 5-ish years, and it was an incredibly productive, low-maintenance distro. I only switched because I wanted to run brtfs on root, so I figured I’d give openSUSE a shot since they do that by default.
Eh, it has a lot of powerful tools for computing stuff. Like today I wondered if I can download the songs from a playlist on YouTube, checked the wiki, and within 5 minutes I was doing it. It worked perfectly. The AUR also saves a lot of time building packages that aren’t available through pacman, which means they’re probably not available through other distros either. So you can definitely do more than just fiddle with the OS. But getting it working stable with Nvidia cards right now is like a full time job.
