7d ago

"You should probably just throw it away"

491 comments

Time to encourage people to switch to Linux instead
- I can't get the more elaborate functions of my common Logitech mouse to work properly. And Linux systems like to cause my computer to periodically hang for some reason. In Windows, it used to BSOD, and I managed to fix the issue in Windows but it seems impossible for me to fix in Linux because of how vague of an issue it is.
  
  Sounds like a bad piece of hardware if it spans OS’s.
  
  Wouldn't surprise me, but the point was that it's fixable in Windows but not the Linux distros I have tried.
  
  I’d ask which ones you’ve tried but I can tell you already made up your mind.
  
  So far I've tried Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Pop OS. Although I only briefly tried Pop OS. Didn't stick around long enough to see if it would have issues as well. There were other issues with that one that I can't quite remember...I think it was that often the OS would decide not to boot. Something about a weird compatibility issue with the BIOS or something.
  
  Hmm. All Debian based. I wonder if something not Debian based would work.
  
  As much as I dislike Windows, it's incredibly uncommon for it to blue screen unless there's some kind of hardware fault. And if it's happening in Linux too, you've got bad/dying hardware.
  In Linux, if your system is hanging for a bit then coming back, then it's probably a drying hard drive.
  One thing you can check with is Burn In Test on Windows. It will stress all the individual components and tell you what's failing.
  
  Like I said, my computer no longer has BSODs in Windows after some settings I changed. I think I just ended up reducing the max percentage of the processor usage or something and it worked great after.
  I do remember when I first got the laptop, it was frustrating because it would BSOD with relative frequency. I was very frustrated with the manufacturer...because the laptop would always pass hardware benchmark tests and the BSODs were random, so they refused to look at it under warranty. Errors were always super vague but primarily seemed to point toward the video card. The video card is integrated and not its own dedicated card.
  I don't think I have ever tried that particular set of texts before, though. I tried googling it...is it the one by Pass Mark? If so, I'll check it out, thanks.
  Re: hanging in Linux...no, the system would completely freeze up and never recover until I manually powered down the system. Interestingly, I found some other users stating that they had this issue with Firefox because of some resources issue or something. So I planned to try to switch to Chrome, but got frustrated with the features mouse not being compatible anyway. So I left it at that.
  
  Do you remember what you fixed when you fixed it on the window side? Asking because what you're describing almost sounds like you have a bad driver, which would explain why your Linux side would also have a similar problem, IE locking up completely auddenly, if it had the same bad driver and interacted with the hardware the same way causing a similar crash.
  Honestly, if it's fixable in the windows it's definitely fixable Linux. It just might take a little bit more extra work to figure it out.
  
  Just buy a working mouse, stupid
  
  The basic mouse features work, stupid. It's the gesture button/features that don't work, stupid. No one has come up with good support for anything other than basic mouse features on Linux, stupid.
- If Linux had more support for games I would
  
  Games aren't much of an issue anymore, it's the other software that keeps me from switching
  
  Games with kernal anti-cheats sadly are the main issue still
  
  Nah, the real problem is people willing installing rootkits on their computer because anticheat is somehow very important...
  
  I don't believe kernal anti-cheats add enough value for the risk they add but I still enjoy the games.
  
  You're begging to get hacked by installing that garbage
  
  Ahyes, most sensible answer I've gotten on this topic as of yet
  
  glad to help
  
  Me spending 4 hours last night trying to get a repack to install in lutris for it to crash every 5 mins xD
  
  Just play steam games. Then it's only 90 minutes every other night of troubleshooting
  (Mostly satire, proton has gotten incredible. I still have a windows install on my PC for gaming but I honestly don't know the last time I've had an issue on my steam deck)
  
  looks at empty wallet after paying for rent and food for the month :P
  Yeh proton is pretty good and I know things are way better than they ever were before but things still aren't always simple for people with no experience of Linux :)
  
  Tbh, the only problems I ever had with gaming on Linux was:
  Nvidia driver bullshit
  Couldn't do multiplayer on one indie game
  Gaming on Linux is like 98% of the way there imo. It was overall a good experience, and we've got plans to switch the big family gaming computer to Linux when MS starts pushing their live service windows 12 crap
  
  looks at empty wallet after paying for rent and food for the month :P
  continues to choose a paid platform over an arguably-superior free alternative
  
  Hi Hawke, I understand your fustration with needing to troubleshoot things. Steam allows you to import any exe as a 'non-steam game' to your library and run it with the proton compatability layer. I sometimes have success getting a GOG game installed by running the install exe through proton or wine. Make sure you are using the most up to date version of lutris many package managers are outdated flatpak will gaurentee its most up to date. Hope it all works out for you
  
  I’ve got no problem myself, just pointing out that it’s silly for people to complain about price but then use a paid platform over a free one.
  
  I may have misunderstood, I was interpreting your comment to say that you were sticking with Windows — a paid commercial platform — while complaining about the cost of software.
  
  Lol wut, my wallet is empty hence why I'm using repacks and my initial post was about the frustration of getting them to run on Linux...... So what are you on about?
  
  DODI repacks are generally better than FitGirl, on Linux
  
  I agree a 100% and immensely faster to install.
  
  I default to DODI but sadly this game wasn't available from them. I'm still very new to Linux and this is my first foray into repacks on there so it is just a learning curve :)
  
  https://isthereanydeal.com/
  
  Oh no! Your pirated game isn't working properly! Let's blame the OS!
  
  When did I once "blame the OS"? Just because I am frustrated with not being able to get it running I never once said it was the fault of the OS. In fact the opposite, I care about continuing to use the OS and that is why I spent so long troubleshooting my issue......
  
  It was a sarcastic jab. I don't agree with software piracy in general, that's all.
  
  I've been gaming on Linux for close to two years now. I believe there have been two games that actually caused some issues in getting them to run. But for the most part Proton does everything out of the box. And especially older games work way better than on Windows. There are no problems with compatibility mode or deprecated WinAPI-Calls. It just works.
  The only thing I would advise is to install Steam and all your other launchers via Lutris. That will save you some hassle.
  
  When’s the last time you tried?
  I’ve been gaming on bazzite and haven’t found a game that doesn’t work. Haven’t had to touch a command line or anything, everything has been stable out of the box
  
  How about Valorant? Its basically the only game (+ rainbow six siege / PUBG potentially, idk if these work) blocking me from switching. I know all my other games will work without issue cause they run on my steam deck as well.
  
  EA’s fancy new kernel level anti-cheat is plaguing battlefield games. Also Rockstar broke GTA:O with their Anti-cheat (even though the Anti-cheat they use supports Linux)
  
  The issue is that the Linux playerbase is so small, but its a self fulfilling prophecy. Players don't play on Linux cause of the issues and the issues are there cause there are not enough players on Linux.
  
  This simply isn't true. Fragpunk, a brand new title, works without a single modification on Linux. It takes a negligible amount of effort for the developers, often just a single toggle in the anticheat config.
  
  Depends on the anti-cheat bud
  
  Which, again, basically all Anti-Cheat works on Linux
  The example given, GTA, uses BattlEye, which according to someone who knows more about using it than me is literally a checkbox for Linux support
  Anti-Cheat not working on Linux is the developers/publishers being assholes almost exclusively
  
  Yes it is and I fully agree with you, but it is *still *the reason I'm not switching
  
  🤡
  
  Same here
  
  Bazzite runs really badly
  
  Funny because I tried 4 different distros before I found one that would load on my laptop... Bazzite.
  
  What games don't work?
  Most of the time, the issue is the drm on games or anticheat.
  
  Ironically SteamOS is based on Arch Linux lol
  
  If yoy have a fairly recent gpu, windows games run fine on linux. The exception is games with agressive anti-cheat.
  
  If yoy have a fairly recent gpu, windows games run fine on linux.
  I've been using my nearly 8-year-old GPU (an AMD Vega 56) in Linux just fine for nearly 8 years (i.e., since the day I bought it). Even in the first few years, before Proton existed, I had been playing Windows games on it using plain old WINE via PlayOnLinux.
  The even older GPU I used to use before that (an AMD Radeon R7 260X) is still installed in my Linux home server, and I would expect to be able to play Windows games on it just fine too (at least in terms of compatibility, if not raw performance of decade-plus-old hardware).
  All that is to say, I'm confused about what you mean by "fairly recent."
  
  Isn't that counter to telling people to switch because their computer is too old for win 11?
  
  Yes but it is more “the manufacturer decided not to pay us to test it” rather than “it actually won’t work”
  
  Everyone should try it out by all means. I'd like everyone to use linux. All I'm conveying is my own experience. If you have an ancient GPU, and things are seemingly running fine on windows, you might yet find that it does not run fine on linux. I guess I should have emphasised that I am refering to hardware from a decade ago.
  
  I'm not a huge gamer myself but the handful of games I do like to play every now and then all run on Linux.
  
  Same here
  
  Real, Valorant is the only game really keeping me from Linux at this point. Steam with proton has really improved linux gaming
  
  Dude......c'mon now. Check my history. I am NOT a linux defender. I am more along the lines of a linux user mocker. I find the OS to be confusing, but I find the userbase to just be SO.....SO mockable. Just making fun of linux brings them out in droves. And it's so funny to point out how the whole OS is clearly terminal mandated to enjoy the OS. Just say something like that, and you'll twist somebodies knickers.
  That being said, of all the things that are legitimately awful about linux, you chose the GAME SUPPORT??? My god. Steam is THE storefront on PC. They have a vested interest in helping linux's development, as long as that development goes towards making games work. The steamdeck is literally their financial incentive to make certain that your claim isn't close to being true.
  And sure, you could say you disagree with Steam's practice of LICENSING you a game. Not selling. There is a difference. I get it. That is something that is in itself a problem, but that also doesn't relate to your issue. Because even if you stayed on Windows, you'd still have to buy from Steam. They're just as dominant on Windows, as they are on linux.
  So, you COULD buy from GOG. The issue is, they specialize in retro games. So, their library may have massive gigantic gaps in titles. But again, this would also be true on Windows.
  So.......yeah, I don't know how you would defend linux game support being lackluster.
  
  I actually agree with most of what you're saying but you could try to sound less insane. 😅
  
  I had to check which comment you were referencing. I thought it was going to be the one where I said how hot it would be if Taylor Swift wore a strap-on, and made Mr Feenie (the teacher from boy meets world) her bitch. But about linux gaming? Me? Insane sounding? :O
  
  username checks out.
  
  I don't like how you worded this because you overlook the fact that games with a kernal anti-cheat don't work on Linux. This is the only reason I haven't switched over yet. The only arguments people make is "just play other games" which is not helpful at all and suggesting dual booting which I'd have to do what? Daily? Maybe twice a day? Whats the use of having Linux then?
  
  which game?
  
  Valorant
  
  ew
  no, i'm kidding. that one's completely on riot, their other games worked fine on linux until they turned that feature off. it's shitty behaviour and they're basically the only ones doing it.
  
  100% its just riot being an ahole but its still the reason I'm not switching
  
  nothing new from them unfortunately. i just avoid anything by them.
  
  I appreciate the social time I spend with friends while playing it. I don't really understand the elitism of a lot of people that say "just don't play it" as if my social circle doesn't get impacted by that.
  Like, all the better to you that you are able to avoid it! Wish I could as well, there was a time where I would've. But the people I play this with have been my friends for years and valorant is currently one of the main games we play.
  
  i completely get that. or, rather, i don't, because i've never been in a friend group who just plays the one game. we pick a new one every week, because the social time is the important part, not what we're doing during it.
  but that's just it: if your friends play the one game over and over, and you want to hang, that's where you gotta be. friendship is more important that some nebulous ideological purity.
  
  Unless you use something other than iOS or Android, you’re also a *nix user. Have fun lol
  
  Check out distros like Pop!_OS or Nobara. Linux gaming has come a long way recently due to Valve going all in on linux for the Steam Deck. Frankly even just the standard mainline distros aren't terrible for gaming these days tbh.

491 comments