Tired of Windows? It's time to give Linux a try.

Ubuntu on Windows 10 Source: Windows Central

It's been a total two years since I wrote about how Linux is now a viable Bone for PC gaming and in that time a lot has changed. The open-source desktop Bone isn't merely for gaming. Information technology's too peachy for a agglomeration of other computing tasks one commonly does on Windows or even macOS. Afterward using Windows for more than two decades, I observe myself no longer able to put up with information technology.

Windows XP was the celebrity days of Microsoft's OS. I wouldn't be able to guess the number of hours spent in IRC apps and games like Unreal Tournament 99/2004 with friends. So came Windows Vista and it was a hot mess with hardware being nowhere most prepare to run such a package. Windows 7 changed the game and was unfortunately followed past Windows 8.

Windows 10 wasn't terrible and remained my go-to Bone for gaming, but that's inverse over the last two years with the advancements made to Valve's Proton compatibility layer. I can now pretty much do everything on Linux I could with Windows and that forced Microsoft's OS to take a backseat in 2022 on my main PC.

At that place's and so much freedom

Ubuntu 19.10 Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central

I of the about enticing parts of Linux is choice. Even down to the distribution (or distro) you lot'd prefer to use, be it Ubuntu, Curvation, or Manjaro. There'due south a distro for everyone and even after choosing 1, it'south possible to customize information technology to your heart's content. Don't similar the new snap bundle manager in Ubuntu? Go alee and completely remove it with a few Terminal commands.

Using Linux twenty-four hours-to-day with the latest distros is nothing simply a joy.

It's incredibly user-friendly too. You could install a distro like Linux Mint that attempts to replicate the look and experience of Windows and help bridge the gap between the two platforms. Once upward and running (which takes effectually 5 minutes) yous're adept to become. At that place aren't any pop-ups asking for the Os to send data to servers, nor will you have to have targeted advertising.

Using Linux day-to-day with the latest distros is nothing but a joy. Everything merely works out of the box. Some distros tin fifty-fifty come with the latest drives from NVIDIA already included, but it's just as easy to install them on other distros. There are some software suites that aren't supported on Linux, but there are plenty of alternatives and are usually free of charge.

Desire to employ Microsoft Office? In that location's Libre Role fix to go. Fan of Adobe Photoshop? GIMP is your new all-time friend. The most popular apps similar Slack, Discord, Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Thunderbird, Steam, VLC player, Plex, and more are all available for Linux. Some distros even take an app store that tin handle installing and updating each app.

Valve's Proton is literal software magic

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Source: Windows Primal

Proton is Valve'south answer to getting more people to utilise Linux for gaming. Information technology'south a compatibility layer that works with other open-source tools to make Windows games run on Linux. I noted in my previous gaming on Linux piece that performance in games was usually backside Windows, but this isn't the instance in more and more PC titles.

Even when using Proton, you tin can frequently discover performance on par with what you'd observe with a Microsoft-powered PC. The best function is the whole process of downloading, installing, and playing Windows games on Linux is as straightforward equally Microsoft's Os. Proton works with Vino and DXVK, among others, and everything is handled past the Steam client.

ProtonDB is a website that tracks how well games perform using Proton on Linux. The list of supported games that run at least well plenty to play is constantly growing with each update. Even the likes of Mount & Blade Two: Bannerlord runs exceptionally well, aside from a pocket-sized stutter here and there.

ProtonDB Source: Windows Central

Online games that brand employ of anti-cheat software didn't play brawl with Proton, but Valve has been working with the developers to add back up for its set of tools. Now, yous can install and savor games that use tools like BattleEye and not need to fire up a Windows install to merely play one game every so oft.

Microsoft notwithstanding doesn't quite know how to approach PC gaming. Subsequently what happened with Windows Live and the still mediocre Microsoft Shop, Steam and other distribution platforms are where gamers flock to. Linux is only going to go better with each community-driven release and distro maintainers are working difficult to improve the user feel to entice more people to make the switch.

Gaming is no longer ane of those reasons to choose Windows over Linux unless information technology's a specific game that simply isn't native or supported by tools like Proton.

Windows 11 became a living nightmare

Windows 11 Setup install now option Source: Windows Central

I'm a fan of what Microsoft finally brought to the desktop with Windows 11. Our resident Windows practiced Zac Bowden gave the Os a positive score in his incredible in-depth review and I agree with the majority of what was written. Where Windows 11 falls flat for me, however, is with the installation process. It's an absolute mess.

I have a few examination rigs configured for various PC components we review here at Windows Central and installing fresh copies of Windows for Intel'southward twelfth Gen launch was riddled with bug from the first. The installer would either refuse to load or fail to see drives. In fact, one install required a 2.5-inch SATA SSD to be connected to the lath in society for Windows 11 to successfully boot from the Thousand.2 NVMe drive.

Interestingly, I never had an result with the latest security measures that require trusted platform modules (or TPM) since most motherboards and processors released in the past few years support it out of the box. It was more than Windows having trouble with SSDs, sometimes even outright refusing to install Windows on specific drives.

For a laugh, I installed Linux Mint on all the machines and didn't see a single problem. Not one. This is a billion-dollar visitor going up against average Joe and losing in my anecdotal experiences.

But Windows isn't completely out of my life. I still utilize it regularly to remain in the loop with all the latest news and because we proceed to criterion products using the Os. For my main PC, Windows isn't even installed on a secondary drive anymore.

Where are all the guns in Dying Light 2?

Shooty bang blindside

Where are all the guns in Dying Light two?

It'southward by design, sure, simply there's a distinct lack of firearms in Dying Low-cal 2. For better or worse, modern medieval Villedor is a place to build your own weapons. Merely what happened to the guns and ammo and might it ever make a comeback?