When Windows 10 support ends I was planning on transitioning to Linux on my desktop. I just tried CachyOS KDE Plasma and immediately ran into two serious issues:
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I could not figure out how to get audio to come out of my headphones. Everything is connected, and sound totally works on Windows 10 with my Audioengine D3 USB DAC, but not in CachyOS. I messed with all the system audio settings, profiles, and mute control, and nothing worked. No audio at all, not from test sound, not from browser.
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Apparently Wayland is the name of the default/best video compositor for Linux, but it doesn’t seem to support ycbcr subsampling modes. In Windows 10, I use the Nvidia-provided 4:2:0 subsampling mode with my RTX 2060 Super to get 4K120 support over HDMI to my LG C1 (genuinely hard to see the difference unless you’re running a test pattern). It seems you have to use the X11 compositor in Linux to get that feature, but I’ve read that X11 provides a poor experience compared to Wayland.
Not to mention, my first CachyOS install attempt bugged midway through (installing from DVD disc) and I spent a lot of time unsuccessfully trying to restart the install process not realizing something was borked in that session that was preventing partitions from being formatted for the installer. So I rebooted and manually set to load the installer into RAM, and finally was able to get it to install.
Seeing my experience hasn’t improved since the last time I tried Linux (Mint, a few years ago - really bad audio stuttering), now the plan has switched to sticking to W10 until software inevitably stops supporting it (Nvidia is already ending W10 game ready support this year), and then switching to W11. I’ll just have to use mods to improve the usability, specifically for start menu and right click menu.
I would like to use Linux but it really disappointed me seeing all the hype on LTT’s channel, only to see that it’s still user experience hell. It’s either “works but evil” (Windows) or “doesn’t work but not evil” (Linux) and that’s unfortunate.
My 2 cents:
Never, under any circumstances, use CachyOS or any other Arch-based distribution if you’re a Linux newbie. Arch assumes you know your way around the system, know how to fix this or that, and which package you miss to make the sound work. It is, by all means, “move fast and break stuff”.
I found Kubuntu has the same two problems I detailed but I made slightly more progress this time. The USB DAC would’ve likely also worked at 100% volume in CashyOS I just didn’t think to try it because of my ears. I’m sure some manual config edit can fix that but I expect something basic like sound to work by default and knowing it doesn’t makes me assume other basic things will be a pain in the future.
Then I actually tried subsampling in an X11 session this time, but the problem is the Night Light hue becomes green. But 4k120 at ycbcr 4:2:0 does work in principle. And the fact that this is in xorg config rather than a settings GUI, all this config text editing is so slow and sketchy for me.
It’s either “works but evil” (Windows) or “doesn’t work but not evil” (Linux) and that’s unfortunate.
Sorry to be that guy, but Linux does indeed work fine for a lot of folks. Just not for everybody.
I’ve been using for 8 years now without a single major issue, after having been using Apple products since the early 80s. It mostly depends the use case I imagine and, not being a gamer myself, I’m not sure I even understand completely what was your issue with the GPU. But once again it’s obvious it will not work for everyone and I’m sorry you had not experienced that same level of usability as I and many others are.
FYI, for audio output selection I use a little utility called Sound Switcher Indicator, it easily lets me select where I want the audio to play, directly from Mint’s taskbar. Maybe this can help? https://yktoo.com/en/software/sound-switcher-indicator/
That’s a: factually incorrect, and b: 20 years (at least) out of date.
There are a lot of distros that are plug and play now that switching doesn’t have to be hard
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A few things that might save the next attempt, whichever distro you land on:
Audio: USB DACs on PipeWire usually work, but sometimes they aren’t picked as the default output or end up on an “Off”/“Pro Audio” profile.
wpctl statusshows whether the D3 is listed under Sinks, andwpctl set-default <id>makes it the default. If it isn’t listed at all,aplay -ltells you whether the kernel sees it. pavucontrol’s Configuration tab is the easiest place to switch the profile to plain stereo output.4K120: the 2060 Super only has HDMI 2.0, which is why you need 4:2:0 for 4K120 on the C1 in the first place. A common workaround is an active DisplayPort 1.4 to HDMI 2.1 adapter on the card’s DP port. A good one gets the C1 to 4K120 at full RGB, so the subsampling question goes away on Windows and Linux alike (VRR through those adapters is hit or miss, and cheap ones top out at 60Hz, so check that it specifically lists 4K120).
Installer: writing the ISO to a USB stick is much more reliable than a DVD, and checking the ISO checksum first rules out a bad download.
For the video issues, IIRC that’s an issue with HDMI. If that is the issue then switching to Displayport should help. Something about the HDMI forum not playing ball with the Linux driver devs.
Something about the HDMI forum not playing ball with the Linux driver devs.
The reason is, the HDMI forum (those who have the rights on HDMI) doesn’t like Open Source their drivers, even by reverse engineering. They want to sell the licenses and anything that is Open Source would affect their business. So its purely a money driven decision. And any driver in the Linux Kernel needs to be Open Source. But recently this has changed, because some magic by Valve happened (presumably because of the Steam Machine) and now everyone can use the full extend of the HDMI specs. Probably also because the next HDMI specs are about to release too… so the next catch up starts again.
However I never understood why its not possible to do it like the proprietary graphics drivers of Nvidia, to add it as a module.
Can they theoretically implement the subsampling mode into Wayland if they wanted to, but they haven’t gotten to it, or is it actually locked out?
They could, but the HDMI forum just had a recent history with not allowing even AMD to make their hdmi 2.1 compliant drivers open source, so progress on open drivers efforts across the entire open source community slowed down almost to a halt due fear of critical open projects being sued due to patent infringement and copyright.
Refer to the news: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/hdmi-forum-rejects-amds-hdmi-21-open-source-driver
The history of Linux hardware incompatibility is paved by hardware and software monopolies holding the line via legal/economic interference, lobbying and malicious compliance such as the infamous: Embrace, extended and extinguish.
Refer to the history:
Embrace, extend and extinguish: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend,_and_extinguish
Widespread efforts by Microsoft and at&t to smother the image of open source legal stability by patent trolling:
BSD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNIX_System_Laboratories,_Inc._v._Berkeley_Software_Design,_Inc.
Linux: https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsofts-ballmer-steps-up-linux-infringement-suit-rhetoric/
Summaries of the situation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_patents_and_free_software
As seen above, these sort of interventions are nothing new, standard desktop Linux could not only be theoretically capable of doing many of the things it currently can’t, it already does those things in: closed, out of Linux kernel tree repositories that companies refuse to open source and merge into the main kernel due a protectionist stance on artificial scarcity and upholding of existing monopolies.
Refer to infamous Linus middle finger to nvidia: https://www.techspot.com/news/49025-torvalds-blasts-nvidia-over-linux-support-gives-them-the-middle-finger-during-speech.html
If a massive company like nvidia is like this, imagine the thousands of hardware companies out there, with varying levels of competency and “ethics”, now put into perspective how low the bar is for profit first companies, ie. All of them is set, where would your DAC manufacturer stand exactly between them? How many inches above the crust of the seventh layer of hell, exactly?
Post like these sting because people have no ideia just how much effort it takes to make Linux work in spite of the unwillingness of hardware companies, which are not only awful, have been awful, they are also getting exponentially more awful by the dollar. The future of open general computing is grim, man, we’re in the trenches with AI slop now even.
Sorry for the rant, but I felt compelled to, please be reasonable given the circumstances. Again, my bad.
OP has an Nvidia GPU, presumably running their proprietary drivers. AMDs open source drivers vs the hemi forum have nothing to do with this.
That’s OK. Maybe sticking with Windows is what’s best for you.
Yes. I might at least try Ubuntu on the Linux partition I have before I wipe it. But I did find out StartAllBack is sick for Windows 11 so usability wise it will be fine.
Burning an ISO to a DVD in 2026 as a way to test out Linux is crazy…
Sometimes I think people just want to justify their choice to stay in Windows and try to have a bad experience.
I wasn’t aware DVDs were incompatible with Linux. Things being old does not = bad.
Things being old does not = bad.
No, but the older they get, the less compatible they are with a “modern” system. This is inherent in any technology as time moves on. I would have similarly judged anyone trying to install Windows XP from a stack of floppy disks 20 years ago…
Well, Windows can install fine from DVDs afaik. I don’t do W11 on it because it got too large for single layer. But I own a bluray drive and blank discs which are cheaper to use as permanent OS install sources than USB drives. The drive also helps if I want to run emulators that can play discs.
At the same time I’m not even sure the disc was the reason the original install bugged. I was just looking through settings to get acquainted then it quit.
CachyOS might be a bit too ambitious for a transition like that. Tinkering and optimizing is a given on arch-based system.
Don’t get discouraged though and give Fedora, Ubuntu or even Bazzite a go I’d say. You can try out the sound in their live environment without having to install anything.
Doubling that. Fedora/OpenSUSE if you expect to mess with system files and do all sorts of obscure stuff, Bazzite if you don’t.
If you go Fedora, I also recommend familiarizing yourself with snapper and BTRFS. Use btrfs-assistant to make it easy. You’ll thank me later, the hacky one.
OpenSUSE has it out of the box, and Bazzite doesn’t need it.
As much as I’m a fanboy and Windows hater, I hate it much more that people downvote their bad experience with Linux.
- In general if you use Linux, you need to be aware of what hardware you have and what is supported and what needs extra work. Looks like your Audioengine DAC is troublesome on Linux since years: https://alriklubbers.com/2020/12/29/fix-audioengine-d3-volume-control-on-linux/
- X11 doesn’t provide a poor experience compared to Wayland. If anything, its the other way around, because Wayland has still some missing features and support from all applications that are established standards on X11. But to me this tradeoff is worth it, because Wayland is more secure by design and is the future, while X11 is abandoned. You can run most X11 games on Wayland with the integrated XWayland bridge (it does it for you automatically). – Also Nvidia is a removed in Linux, so maybe its an issue with their proprietary driver, rather than Linux (which does not invalidate your issue BTW, I’m not discounting the problem you have, just move the blame). Since the RTX 2060 series, there are also Open Source drivers built into the Kernel. But they are not as good as the proprietary drivers directly from Nvidia yet.
Overall Linux is not just a single operating system or vendor, and that’s one of the beauty compared to locked down Windows and what Microsoft allows you to do. In Linux you can switch and change graphics system like X11 or Wayland, you can choose the entire desktop environment like KDE or Gnome or build you own by using a Window manager directly. And that’s just a few points I listed. When installing first and learning, this is a lot off course. Let alone the customization you are able to do once you are familiar with the system.
Windows 11 can be used with an online account online, that needs to be registered and activated by Microsoft. You have ads in your startmenu, Microsoft is tracking everything, even if you change settings it will revert at some point. Updates are horrendous in Windows. Ai integrated deeply in the system (if you like that, there is even a Linux distribution for you too…).
It’s unfortunate that you didn’t have much luck when trying Linux out. I’m not sugar coating it here, some hardware setups, and some use cases are just not well suited on Linux. You have to weight what you gain and loose with the switch and if its worth it for you. Maybe there is a distribution out there that fits you well, but its hard to say what exactly caused your issues. I just wish people would not downvote you for sharing your experience and frustration.
X11 doesn’t provide a poor experience compared to Wayland. If anything, its the other way around, because Wayland has still some missing features and support from all applications that are established standards on X11.
Hard disagree in 2026. On KDE, Wayland is now perfectly stable on my old-ass Nvidia GPU (noting that because it wasn’t nearly stable a few years ago). Wayland to me feels smoother and faster (144 Hz display), fractional scaling exists for high-DPI displays, there’s no screen tearing, and there’s HDR support.
I’ve recently had no problem with things like screen recording, although I can’t speak to screen sharing/remote desktop or accessibility. KDE maintains a list of significant issues.
The only issues I actually have that are regressions from X11 are that 1) picture-in-picture in Firefox doesn’t automatically stay above other windows and 2) session restore doesn’t keep my windows where they were. Given there’s a quick, just slightly annoying, workaround for PiP and given I’m not restoring my session that often (one to maybe a few times per day), these hardly outweigh how much worse X11 feels constantly due to its poor frame presentation.
To that end, I think you’re wrong on “if anything”, because for most typical users, Wayland is going to feel better to use.
Moreover, I imagine finally dropping X11 support will allow KDE more room to improve the Wayland experience.
Otherwise, though, I agree about not downvoting poor Linux experiences.
It depends what you do. I’m on KDE too with Wayland, and one can experience a lot of issues. In example global shortcuts are not figured out in Wayland. KDE has some hacks that are specific to KDE, not a Wayland solution. Window position are also not remembered or cannot be forced, unless off course you use KDE, and use specific window recognition and saving their position as special settings and so on. But those solutions are specific to KDE and not a global solution for every user and environment.
For the PiP (picture in picture) mode in Firefox, it does stay above other windows for me. But that is probably because I use an extension on KDE that manages the windows (name Krohnkite).
I also love it to be on Wayland for multi monitor support. Mixing up 120 Hz (or 144) with 60 Hz monitors is great, and this even works if individual monitors have some sort of VRR that does not affect the other. Overall I was not saying that Wayland sucks, otherwise I wouldn’t stay on it. But I was saying that Wayland sucks in some points, and some of those are solved with workarounds in KDE specifically. So that’s why I can’t say its okay in Wayland, its just okay in KDE (sorry I repeat myself).
Try Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian, Mint as LiveUSB’s to see if you like the experience. Installing different DE’s can be done, and there are also versions of distros with KDE as the default. Giving one distro a shot really does yourself a disservice, especially if your answer is to go back to an OS that has reached EOL.
All run the same kernel. I’d just choose by the repos and whether I can trust the project to still be there in a month and build a reliable OS and that’s where Debian wins for me.
Other distros might be fine, too. I just don’t know them as well.
I could not figure out how to get audio to come out of my headphones.
That’s probably an Audioengine D3 USB DAC problem and not a Linux problem. Almost all audio systems are supported in Linux, but maybe this one isn’t. It is up to the hardware vendor to ensure quality support, that’s also how it works with Windows. It’s not Microsoft that writes all those drivers, they are written by the OEM vendor.
Only with Linux sometimes users of the hardware implement the support that should have been provided by the vendor.
over HDMI to my LG C1
Don’t use HDMI, HDMI is inferior to display port and only serves the purpose to work as a DRM mechanism, something we absolutely do not want.
but I’ve read that X11 provides a poor experience compared to Wayland.
I have no idea what bad user-experience X11 should be the cause of. X11 works absolutely fine, and has features you won’t find anywhere else.
But apart from that I’ve heard Windows is utter crap proprietary spyware, so compared to that you are obviously way better off with Linux.
You should complain to the maker of that audio system about it not working, your complaint here is completely irrelevant, and achieves nothing.I use Linux since the 90’s, I have nothing Microsoft at my home, not a Windows fan at all.
That being said, “Linux is not the problem, XYZ is” is totally an unacceptable answer for people coming to Linux.
The guy doesn’t want a list of finger pointers, blames, good-or-bad reasons – he wants sound!
Linux strong point isn’t multimedia / customer hardware support, and that’s totally fine.
“Skill issues”, "Work on my machine “, and " Not Linux fault, but EvilCorp fault” never helped anyone, nor “don’t use HDMI” …
So, before telling OP that his “complaint” achieves nothing, take a good long look at yourself.
Moreover, OP seems telling us their experience in hope to get help more than complaining…
Damn straight. It’s been said that the biggest obstacle for Linux on desktop is other Linux users.
Moreover, OP seems telling us their experience in hope to get help more than complaining…
No I never saw a question there.
he wants sound!
Then use something that is Linux compatible.
That being said, “Linux is not the problem, XYZ is” is totally an unacceptable answer for people coming to Linux.
If it’s a piece of hardware that is known for not getting along with Linux, this is literally just a factual statement.
Look, I get it, Linux isn’t at fault for all the issues he’s experiencing, but it is what it is. It not being Linux’s fault won’t magically make OP’s DAC work, and who knows why OP is using HDMi - there may be a good reason for that, too (maybe the TV doesn’t have Displayport?). You will never be in a 100% FOSS environment if you need certain functionality, at least not in this day and age. OP tried, I’m assuming gave it his best, and is frustrated that it didn’t work, since he would have liked to switch. That’s 100% legitimate.
Yeah, you’ll hear a lot of Wayland fanboying, but X11 is still more reliable and full featured IME. Someday þat may not be true, but over 10 years in and Wayland can still not support global keybindings unless you are willing to accept DE bloat.
Wayland is cool, but I had to revert to X11, but with KDE Wayland didn’t support the keybindings I wanted. It might be a KDE problem, but nonetheless I chose to go back to KDE for the overall better experience. And I never had a problem with X11.
AFAIK Wayland is as much about developers wanting a fresh slate and a clean start. Not that that there was anything wrong with X11.
I fully understand that, and I expect that in time I will switch to Wayland, it’s not actually a huge issue either way IMO.PS:
Thanks to to the coders who are putting in the hours for both projects to be great. 👍 😎 😀
It really was only one minor issue that made me stay with X11.
In Kubuntu, I was able to get my HT Omega Fenix sound card to work (switching profile to the correct spdif output), but the Audioengine D3 only works at 100% volume. This is the kind of thing that it’s like cool if it’s a one time thing. But you just know if it can’t work out of the box for something like a USB DAC, it’s not gonna be all fun down the line for other more specialized hardware I try to use.
I also tried getting 4:2:0 subsampling to work in an X11 session in Kubuntu. I was able to get there editing xorg.conf (which is annoying having to edit a config file - no option for it in the Nvidia X Server settings). 4K120 over HDMI works in principle, but then Night Light’s hue becomes green instead of red.
Additionally, Kubuntu (KDE Plasma) was the best looking and functional desktop I found when browsing various ones (it has the taskbar customization settings I want built in), but it still just feels kind of cheap to me. The early 2000s looking pngs everywhere, the transparency and jiggling in window dragging, very basic looking UI icons. It feels more cute and amateurish rather than serious, visuals and design wise.
The need for editing configs to get to basic functions I expect in Windows really went against my expectations this time around trying Linux. I really bought into the LTT Linux hype. But it genuinely surprised me just how sketchy the experience was for my needs.
I understand it’s free software which is awesome, and that Linux is necessary for the world and a solid backup against Windows, but all of this is not working for me. Gonna stop my search for now after trying CachyOS and Kubuntu. Maybe when SteamOS is in full wide-release mode I will try that.
Thank you everyone.
Those kind of hardware incompatibilities do happen. I think the audio one can be troubleshooted but I have absolutely no idea about the nvidia one.
Hopefully your hardware gets supported on Linux one day.
Dude, I wanna tell you that success is possible.
On this one daily driver of a 6-year-old machine. I installed proxmox. Then a desktop on top of that. Then I made the USB keyboard, mouse, and sound, go into that internal machine with the video card. Then I plugged all that shit into a USB KVM, then a 20ft set of USB and video cables to my desk, where the USB is hubbed to the ends of sanity itself before it comes out to a USB mouse, keyboard, and sound dongle. Video goes to the panels clamped onto this desk.
Works. It defies logic, threatens one spec and probably breaks a low of nature and more than one of decency, but it works.
Your way-better gear should really work like gangbusters. Please keep at it in case the solution is right there.
I also noticed sound wasn’t working from my pcie sound card either (HT Omega Fenix). So sound just wasn’t working in general.
Buy Linux-compatible hardware. NOT NVidia.
You do realize how expensive hardware is right?
Think before you buy?
Nvidia is linux compatible hardware and telling someone on a 2060 to buy new hardware is a dickmove.
Nvidia is linux compatible hardware
Then why keep people complaining it doesn’t work?
People complain wrongly about a lot of things. Historically nvidia support was worse than AMD and their 2 release per year cycle didnt keep up with the speed of wayland development. But now their drivers are good.
works for me three years ago now when I switched, I use Mint, no issues. AMD CPU and integrated GPU, dual booted for a month and stopped using windows, formatted the NVME and installed LDME from a USB thumb drive, using that ever since.
