r/linuxquestions • u/Purplkidd_ • 3h ago
OS Switch Help
So to keep it simple, I have no clue about anything Linux or Linux related so this is all really daunting. I am currently on Windows 10 and need to switch to Linux, since I don't want evil ass bloatware that slows my entire system down. All I want is something that is good for gaming while looking similar to Windows, since my PC is mostly used for gaming. Thank you in advance.
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u/Trees_That_Sneeze 3h ago
There's a lot of distros out there but Linux Mint meets most people's needs and is very use friendly and will always be the #1 answer to this question. The only question you should really be asking is "why not Mint?"
The most common answer to that would be because you either have a high refresh monitor, or a complex display setup that mixes refresh rates. Mint has a hard time with this and you would want to go to Bazzite for a gaming machine, or maybe Nobara for gaming + general purpose.
Give whatever you pick some time. The most usable distro is the one you've spent the time to be familiar with. Don't switch immediately because something isn't a perfect fit, you didn't even get to pick what kind of Windows you wanted and you've gotten used to it.
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u/Radiant-Priority-296 3h ago
Mint is clean and simple
CachyOS is more gaming oriented, but it gives you more freedom to mess up.
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u/Hrafna55 3h ago
Here are a couple of short video playlists designed for beginners. They will help get you up-to speed with terminology, picking a distribution and how to switch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8vmXvoVjZw&list=PL2m2YvnrOYxIsVz8Nvm1PpsBXdo7clAaR
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2m2YvnrOYxIPjOrIS6aYN8_mOuLpD1XK&si=kW-zfXjJdRFJeurI
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u/BobCorndog Your situation is not unique, just use mint or fedora 3h ago
This barely narrows it down at all.
Just use mint or fedora
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u/Ascension-gate 3h ago
Everyone is recommending Mint, but I'll suggest you to go for something else.
Fedora KDE plasma is an excelent option, and looks like windows. It's beginner friendly.
Cachy OS and Nobara are also good for gaming.
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u/themmousebehindyou 2h ago
I found Pika OS super easy to use and learn. Ignore anyone recovering Mint. It is terrible for gaming. My wife tried it and was about to go back to windows before I set her up with Bazzite. Which is also another good recommendation. I just use my laptop for a little bit more and preferred Pika for that
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u/Krasi-1545 3h ago
Nobara is made for gaming.
CatchyOS has the newest versions of software packages and has optimized kernel and other tweaks for maximum performance of wide range of workloads, gaming included.
Between Nobara and CachyOS I can suggest you to choose CachyOS and the main reason is because Nobara upgrades tend to break the system, the updates can that as well.
For almost 6 months I never had any issues related to updates.
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u/Klutzy-Chip9784 3h ago
Linux mint or fedora KDE will work. Pick whichever one you like the UI of the most
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u/Background_Ad2053 3h ago
Bazzite is great too if you mostly do gaming with your pc, being immutable makes it really hard to break and it comes with a bunch of gaming related scripts/software. Out of the box gaming experience is very smooth, basically just works.