I have a home built PC that I want to get off Windows 11.

Specs:

  • Ryzen 3700X, upgrading to a 5800X3D soon
  • RTX 2080 Super
  • 500GB NVME for OS, 2TB SATA SSD for files, programs, etc.
  • 1440p Ultrawide monitor
  • an 8bitdo Ultimate controller

Usage:

  • I usually play indie games, emulators, and occasional AAA games. Most of my library is on Steam, with some games on GOG, e.g. Cyberpunk.
  • I have an original Steam Link in my living room, and I use it to play games from my PC on the couch. Does Steam on Linux even support this?
  • I also write game mods, so I need a distro that is a good fit for software development (C++, Python, and Lisp).
  • Random miscellany: I use mullvad VPN, stream movies from a friend’s plex server, and use an SFTP client to back up photos and videos from my phone.

I’ve been an on/off Linux user in the past, so I know my way around basic/intermediate terminal usage and configuration. Buuuut every previous attempt to move to Linux ended in disaster, so I have little patience for asterisks, strings attached, etc. If you’re offering a distro I’ve never heard of before, you’re probably gonna be hard pressed to convince me.

Thanks for the help!

  • Lumisal@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    8 hours ago

    On other comments and what you’ve said in your other comment, I think you’d be just interested in Nobara or CachyOS. At least, if you want an out of box working experience but still have the ability to tinker and develop relatively easy.

    You might prefer Nobara because it’s Fedora based rather than Arch, and your hardware specs aren’t bleeding edge anyway. If you want a bit more stability than that though, and don’t mind doing the set up yourself, plan vanilla Fedora could also work and you just add what you want / need.

    I’d avoid any recommendations for immutable distros like Bazzite because they’re best for beginners that aren’t too tech savvy, or people very familiar with Linux and have no issues mucking about with OS-tree or running a distrobox. Really no in-between.

    I also have 8 bitdo controllers and I do recommend updating them on Windows before you get rid of it, depending which you have - some can be updated via a Chrome based browser but others only through Windows really.