Back in 2020 I pointed out what were the best Linux distributions for gaming, so here's the current state and what you should go for in 2023.
The thing is: not a lot has changed since my last article. Linux is still a minefield of many different distributions for people, and it can be very confusing. There's a lot of articles out there recommending really random and outdated distributions in lists too, so here's the real thing.
Without getting bogged down into packaging issues, and just giving you the basics of "this will work just fine" — go and install Ubuntu. People will (and I expect them to) argue for others, and people are free to, but a lot of people suggest other distributions for the wrong reasons. Manjaro has too many problems both technical and management, Arch can and will break things if you don't know exactly what you're doing, Fedora is messy with NVIDIA drivers and SELinux on Fedora is a nuisance and so on. Ubuntu is still to this day, the most simple distribution of Linux to install and get gaming.
Ubuntu isn't perfect by a long shot, but it remains as my number 1 choice to suggest to people both new and old to get into Linux and get gaming. It's one of the most used on desktop by any statistic you can find, which also means troubleshooting it is generally easier too.
With the Ubuntu LTS (long term support) releases, you also get support for at least 5 years, so you don't have the hassle and potential breakage of major system internal updates for quite a long time.
Valve's own stats show Ubuntu as one of the most popular too and it has been the same since Steam came to Linux.
As a user of Fedora myself, take it from me if you're in any way new to Linux: just go with Ubuntu. If you ever decide you "really know Linux now", then you can think about using something else. Don't make it difficult for yourself.
How might this change in future?
Well, Valve are here with the Steam Deck and SteamOS. Eventually, Valve will release SteamOS 3 so anyone can download it and install it. That might end up being a good pick, but right now it's not on the table as it's not released and anyone making their own version of it (like HoloISO and others) are too small to recommend serious use of them.
If you need help and support, specifically for Linux and also Steam Deck gaming, you can try asking in our Forum, Discord, IRC and Telegram.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Quoting: kaktuspalmeIf Ubuntu did Mesa and Kernel updates, I would put it on top. But without it I wouldn't recommend it, at least to AMD GPU users.They do.
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/LTSEnablementStack
kaktuspalme 3 Dec, 2022
Quoting: CatKillerQuoting: kaktuspalmeIf Ubuntu did Mesa and Kernel updates, I would put it on top. But without it I wouldn't recommend it, at least to AMD GPU users.They do.
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/LTSEnablementStack
Yes, but a user has to enable it. That's too much for a regular computer user to ask for.
Quoting: kaktuspalmeYes, but a user has to enable it. That's too much for a regular computer user to ask for.No they don't. Installs that come with a desktop environment are on HWE by default. Headless server installs are not on HWE by default.
kaktuspalme 3 Dec, 2022
Quoting: CatKillerOh I just see that since 20.04 they enable it by default. That's nice!Quoting: kaktuspalmeYes, but a user has to enable it. That's too much for a regular computer user to ask for.No they don't. Installs that come with a desktop environment are on HWE by default. Headless server installs are not on HWE by default.
Sorry, I just saw that also non LTS-Ubuntu Kernels and Mesa will be used. I have to rethink the recommendation for distributions then.
But 7000 Series User will probably still have to wait until April 2023. But for sure a big improvement to how they handled it before.
Last edited by kaktuspalme on 3 December 2022 at 9:11 am UTC
Obviously users can manually choose to use mainline kernels and new Mesa from a PPA if they want stuff faster than it comes through the Hardware Enablement process, but they'll get them in time, regardless.
It would obviously be easier if AMD could get their support lined up ready before they release their hardware, like Intel (and Nvidia) do. I understand they're not quite as bad at this as they used to be, but still not as good as their competitors.
Last edited by CatKiller on 3 December 2022 at 9:24 am UTC
omeganebula 3 Dec, 2022
Quoting: pleasereadthemanualAs for why ffmpeg's x264/x265 can be freely used by free software media players that distribute their software to users like VLC, it has been suggested that France cares less about software patents than other countries (I don't know how true this is).It's true. France couldn't care less, since there are no software patents in the European Union. This is not country-specific or a softer attitude, but an explicit rejection of the entire concept of software patents. Nobody pays software patent fees here.
Kuduzkehpan 3 Dec, 2022
Quoting: CyborgZetaI would recommend a flavor like Kubuntu over Ubuntu, especially for a new user. Plasma is going to look more "sane" than GNOME, which is something I can attest to from back when I first tried Linux.
I think it depends on where you are coming from. I guess KDE/Plasma feels more familiar for Windows users, whereas Gnome is much closer to macOS.
Quoting: CyborgZetaI would recommend a flavor like Kubuntu over Ubuntu, especially for a new user. Plasma is going to look more "sane" than GNOME, which is something I can attest to from back when I first tried Linux.
I wholeheartedly agree. I denied the Plasma bandwagon for a bit (the first time I tried KDE desktop, several years ago, I didn't like it too much), but switched a few months ago on my desktop. On my laptop, I use Fedora with Cinnamon desktop. I like them both so much better than the stock Ubuntu desktop. Nowadays, everytime I use that on my gf's laptop, I'm appalled. I might like it less than the Windows DE.
GNOME does appear to have improved a lot, but Plasma and Cinnamon are going to be much more recognizable coming from Windows.
pleasereadthemanual 3 Dec, 2022
Quoting: omeganebulaI researched this at the time but could not find a clear-cut answer. See, for example, this page on the End Software Patents wiki: https://wiki.endsoftwarepatents.org/wiki/Software_patents_exist_in_Europe,_kindaQuoting: pleasereadthemanualAs for why ffmpeg's x264/x265 can be freely used by free software media players that distribute their software to users like VLC, it has been suggested that France cares less about software patents than other countries (I don't know how true this is).It's true. France couldn't care less, since there are no software patents in the European Union. This is not country-specific or a softer attitude, but an explicit rejection of the entire concept of software patents. Nobody pays software patent fees here.
And this page: https://wiki.endsoftwarepatents.org/wiki/Do_software_patents_exist_in_my_area
Quoting: endsoftwarepatentsFor example, the European Patent Office grants software patents. Courts in Germany have mostly rejected them, but courts in the UK have upheld some. This uncertainty reduces the problem: although there are 70,000 EPO granted software patents, the patent holders rarely go to court because they're afraid their patent will be invalidated.
This doesn't prevent the harm. Software patent holders in the EU can still threaten software developers, and they can demand sums of money. If the victim doesn't have enough money to defend themselves in court, then the patent holder might "win" and thus get money or market control even though their patent is probably invalid.
For France specifically, it's listed as part of a patent pool for H.264/AVC: https://web.archive.org/web/20110114054025/http://www.mpegla.com/main/programs/AVC/Pages/PatentList.aspx
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