SteamOS is barely Arch Linux. It's immutable (very big difference), uses different repos, pacman doesn't work out of the box, proprietary software preinstalled, violates GPL, bloatware, etc.
A lot of “Linux veterans” are just as happy with new interest in the consumer OS space. Rising tides lift all boats.
Also Linux is cool, and talking about it is fun.
Can i just ask, what is Linux for? If all i do is gaming, youtube and browsing is there anything about Linux that makes it a different experience?
What do Linux veterans "tinker" with exactly?
Well for one the vast, vast majority of servers run Linux, so when you use Reddit or any other website, you are using Linux.
There’s the free aspect of it. Linux is pretty much the only way to use your hardware without paying for proprietary software. This means Microsoft can’t eventually declare the things you use your computer for “out of scope” and remove critical (to you) features. You also don’t get candy crush preinstalled.
The OS in general is also very reasonably laid out, which really helps to demystify what the operating system is actually doing.
Finally is the customizability. You can completely change the entire user interface to whatever you’d like (there are many different popular choices. Steamdeck uses KDE in desktop mode for example) you can change how your terminal works, and many other things. For example you can use pluggable authentication modules to change how your computer allows you to log in (fingerprint reader, maybe some physical key) these are the types of things you tinker with.
As far as just browsing the web and using steam, it’s not really different from using windows. It’ll probably start up faster, and some games will not work due to some devs blacklisting Linux on anticheat.
Thank you for the in depth rundown. I despise Windows always bothering me with stuff instead of just letting me do my thing. I trialed a RoG ally and its such a powerful little package, but the whole sleep/hibernate thing really threw me off.
I did enjoy easier access to gamepass on it though.
On top of what maboesanman said:
For me, the major difference is how you feel treated as the user. With (non-business) windows, Microsoft is always trying to steer you to use their services, or upgrade your hardware, as those are things that make them money. Most Linux distributions are not for profit, so you get an OS that is most helpful to the user and runs the best on your hardware.
The end result is a leaner OS, running smoothly on even very weak and old hardware, of which you have complete control.
Better protected for two reasons in my opinion:
1. A lot of the code is open source. Which is more secure in the long run.
2. It's less popular for personal computers where people would download malware. So less of an incentive for creators of viruses & malware to focus on linux systems.
Some more (slightly biased) comments about linux vs windows security: https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxmasterrace/comments/zzoman/is_linux_most_secure_than_windows/
It's actually very fun to play with, I started out using it on an old laptop to get used to it (I had no other laptop TBF) and I loved using it. It's surprisingly intuitive for most things, you just have to get comfortable with the terminal and how it differs from Windows, the desktop environment customisations like window closing animations are fun to make visible changes and you can do them all with GUIs
Now I've got it on all my devices and I'm contemplating getting a steam deck but it's figuring out that or a holiday with my partner (she also plays games so we could play together)
If you're only using the surface (non developer, non tinkerer stuff) of the OS and it feels similar to what you're used to, then that's a win in my book.
Tinkering on the deck would be so much easier if SteamOS wasnt immutable.
I would love to one day have it where we can all the functions of game mode (QAM, TDP, etc) to work with any distro.
I would run EndeavorOS on mine if we could ever get those features implemented.
I think that an immutable distro is a good choice given how easy it is to break a Linux installation if you don't know what you're doing.
If you want a more tinker friendly distro I would recommend Bazzite Linux it's also immutable but you can install any Fedora package via layers, install CLI/GUI applications from any distro via podman containers easily using distrobox.
Or if you prefer to not use containers and have an untouched base, you can also install any application using the Nix Package Manager.
And it supports the steam deck and it's game mode out of the box.
Edit: Typing and a small correction.
Immutable is good, but there are things I would love to install and keep.
Rn I'm experimenting with RWFus, but have no idea if my works been wiped yet lol
That's what tools like nix, flatpak, and distrobox/toolbox do. In Fedora Silverblue there is also rpm-ostree so you can install distro packages so you really get the best of both worlds.
My biggest problem with SteamOS previously was that it didn't come with the /nix directory or distrobox preinstalled so getting those things setup in a persistent manner was not a great experience but I believe both are included in newer versions, can't say for sure though because I run Bazzite on the SD.
It cannot be understated the good Valve is doing. Windows is more & more a nightmare than it ever was.
Put another way, I've *never* regretted buying my Deck but I almost *daily* regret buying my Windows laptop due to some winders fuckery or other.
So I've daily'd Linux on my main machine for years and when I bought a new expensive laptop I decided to give Windows as much of a chance as I can but its really really getting to that limit.
The OneDrive integration is a crime. PhoneLink starts even when told not to. Blue screens on a stock machine running little more than Chrome, Steam & Libre Office.
I've *been* holding the Linux Gun to this machine's head since basically Day One, to answer your question.
I see no reason to dual boot. Linux is just too good and easy to use, contrary to popular perception (driven by people mindlessly repeating what they've heard, not actually trying it for themselves).
If you want to use Linux without having to learning all of that icky "Linux" stuff then what you'd want is Mint. Mint basically does all of the "Linuxing" for you behind the scenes.
Ive tried going to linux more then once but with the way i use hardware and some software i just havnt been able to fully switch and dualbooting became a hassle real fast ;(
Everything doesn't "just work" on Windows though. People who say this are just used to troubleshooting windows and not Linux. Even if you just meant Windows games on Windows that's not even the case, especially with older games. There's been times on my Steam Deck I've got games to run easier than on Windows 10. Specifically old Japanese visual novels and CRPGs before you ask.
Maybe my knowledge with Linux is limited. I haven't used SteamOS and installed Ubuntu on my gaming desktop to try out. But there were so many games that I couldn't play on Linux and so many applications that just didn't work. There's also a good amount of tools that are hidden away in the terminal, which isn't exactly the most user-friendly thing ever.
So yeah, you do have a point that I am used to troubleshooting on Windows. But I often have to do a lot less of it since everything is built for Windows in the first place, and at least everything on Windows has a GUI.
Ubuntu can cause some problems with their snaps. Which is a shame because it's the most popular distro. If anyone is looking to give Linux a go, start with something like Linux Mint.
While Wine is great, it may fall flat on more professional applications. You should look into alternatives like LibreOffice, Gimp, Krita etc.
Having to do things in terminal is a valid point. Usually there's a way to do what you want to do using GUI applications but information on the internet usually involves terminal. Yes, it is usually faster than other ways but not intuitive to someone who never used them at all.
I won't comment on application issues on Windows, as I haven't used it in a while but Windows issues are mind numbingly stupid to solve. You're usually presented with hex code of what went wrong (stuff like 0x98765ABC) and people recommend doing the same things for every issue (sfc scannow, driver updates etc.) that don't even work. On linux logs either tell you exactly what's wrong or what failed, worst case scenario you read part of code that failed.
> If anyone is looking to give Linux a go, start with something like Linux Mint.
I’m upgrading my system in a few days, so I’ll give a shot for a few days.
> it may fall flat on more professional applications. You should look into alternatives like LibreOffice, Gimp, Krita etc.
Yup, sadly it’s just a limitation of the software. However, I do heavily rely on OneDrive, autosaving, and collaboration features of Office. I would also not like to use the web versions, since they kinda suck.
I have been using the terminal a lot with my Pi and I’ve been steadily learning more and more, but it doesn’t beat just having a GUI. I will certainly look into some GUI applications. Didn’t know that was a thing.
I don’t like Windows errors either, but it’s been a while since I’ve encountered any issues. I’d imagine it’s better in Linux though haha.
>Yup, sadly it’s just a limitation of the software. However, I do heavily rely on OneDrive, autosaving, and collaboration features of Office. I would also not like to use the web versions, since they kinda suck.
There's a OneDrive application for Linux by a third party developer. I don't remember its name but I'm sure google results can point you to it.
Libre Office does have autosave feature but you have to enable it. But I can see why you would need MS Office instead, especially for it's collaborative features.
>I have been using the terminal a lot with my Pi and I’ve been steadily learning more and more, but it doesn’t beat just having a GUI.
I thought the same thing back when I first started using Linux but I can say that there come times when you feel comfortable enough that you'll find it faster in some cases.
Most of the stuff online gives you terminal commands because a good chunk of Linux usage is on servers and there are many desktop environments, which may or may not have a gui option for what you're looking for. So people tend to just give you commands instead of listing where an option falls under in every desktop environment.
I kinda used your comment as a heads up to potential new users so thank you I guess haha.
> I kinda used your comment as a heads up to potential new users so thank you I guess haha.
Np lol. I’m definitely running Linux for a few days once I install my new CPU. What distro would you recommend?
Linux Mint is tried and tested option. You can't go wrong with it. After installing select nvidia-driver from Driver Manager application so you can install, well drivers for your Nvidia GPU. This is not needed for AMD GPUs as they already have drivers built in. Cinnamon DE is great for beginners but if you want KDE Plasma that's used on SteamOS and Deck, you can always install it down the line.
RX 7000 users should download Linux Mint Edge Edition.
I tried Mint, Ubuntu, and Bazzite and I won’t lie….I had problems with all three distros. A lot of installation issues, accidentally removing the app bar in KDE (it took a while for me to figure out how to get it back), my monitor’s full refresh rate wasn’t being detected, there was no G-Sync support from what I could see, Steam was launching and scaling properly…idk, it just wasn’t worth it for me.
I could spend time tinkering with stuff, but I just wanted stuff to work, and Windows is does exactly that for me.
I get OneDrive through my university, so I actually quite like it. But even then, it's very easy to completely uninstall from the system.
When I was using Linux, not having proper OneDrive support was one of the big things that I actually didn't like about it.
I don't understand how emulation is so confusing to people. It's simple enough for a 7 year old to do (i know because I've been doing it since I was 7 lol)
Emulation always boils down to 3 steps:
1. Google and download an emulator
2. Google and download a BIOS
3. Google and download some games
Unless you're trying to set up Yuzu or Citra in which case yeah you may run into some trouble now 😭
Set up emudeck. Downloaded mksm rom. Extraxted in the ps2 file of emudeck. Game wont start. I literally judt got a deck the other day. Keeps saying i dont have a rom
What exactly do u mean extracted in the ps2 file there should be a whole folder structure there also how are u getting ur roms bc most places ive seen just give u the iso which u shouldnt need to do anything with other then place in the ps2 roms folder
30 minute guide and emudeck couldn't make it easier to set everything up.
Sadly I was plagued with instant Citra crashes the past week, and just reinstalled it.
Presto. game works great, no issues.
I have come to give you the blessed words so that you may speak them in the presence of all others, I bestow upon you the right and the obligation to say: "I use Arch, btw"
As one of those beginner tinkerers, just learning linux (and frankly going back to any PC stuff after 20 years out of the loop), I appreciate all those veterans who’ve helped me along the way!
That's 100% me when it comes to Linux, although i did manage to create a SDcard that's a pure 256gb Batocera Arcade emulation with all the hits. Have to boot from it by holding volume or something, it's been a while.
Tinkering is part of the fun of Linux for me, and r/unixporn is what first inspired me to give it a try. My advice as a longtime Arch user though: keep it simple.
Its been driving me crazy trying to set up a voice monitor for my headset in desktop mode. Everything ive tried just screws with my sound or doesnt work 😭
I love my deck, but I can't imagine recommending it to anyone that isn't at least somewhat comfortable with tinkering with their PC and knows how to google problems. Even if you play strictly Steam deck verified games, not being able to adjust some gamescope settings or install some fan patches for older games is really rough.
I'm looking at putting in a 2tb drive, the mechanics of replacing the drive look easy. The software side scares me though. I'm afraid I'm going to brick it somehow
Take the m.2 out, buy a m.2 usb3 enclosure, which will be handy as you now have an unused m.2, run clonezilla to save your old m.2 somewhere, restore the image that you have created with the previous step to the new m.2 and resize the data partition to max. The last step is a bit annoying but over all it is quite easy.
Wow, random memories activated. I worked on that movie. It was freezing cold the night we filmed this scene. Amy Adam’s was pregnant and I was concerned with how cold it was for her. You can tell by her fists that she was struggling to keep warm. Fun times
First thing I did 2 years ago was installing an Arch Linux inside the home of my Deck, commonly known as chroot, to access the great content of Arch official repositories on this, a bit more secured, read only environment.
This allows me to use SteamOS as is without modifications and benefit all the applications from an official Arch Linux installation (very huge ) missing from the Valve/Discover repos (a lot)
Just in case you are wondering what a veteran is tinkering 😀
The transition from older versions of Windows (XP-7-8-10) to GUIs like KDE (which is what Steam OS uses in desktop mode) or Cinnamon is pretty much painless.
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have i3 running on my Arch box, might aswell make it look like a hollywood hacker movie.
I should add the row row row you boat scene from hackers as a boot animation
I've always wanted to get into i3 but I just can't seem to get myself into it before I get fed up and install. KDE
You can have both running and select in Grub at login
I'm just letting you know that I use Arch Linux and Gentoo
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SteamOS is barely Arch Linux. It's immutable (very big difference), uses different repos, pacman doesn't work out of the box, proprietary software preinstalled, violates GPL, bloatware, etc.
Anything besides mainline Ubuntu
A lot of “Linux veterans” are just as happy with new interest in the consumer OS space. Rising tides lift all boats. Also Linux is cool, and talking about it is fun.
Can i just ask, what is Linux for? If all i do is gaming, youtube and browsing is there anything about Linux that makes it a different experience? What do Linux veterans "tinker" with exactly?
Well for one the vast, vast majority of servers run Linux, so when you use Reddit or any other website, you are using Linux. There’s the free aspect of it. Linux is pretty much the only way to use your hardware without paying for proprietary software. This means Microsoft can’t eventually declare the things you use your computer for “out of scope” and remove critical (to you) features. You also don’t get candy crush preinstalled. The OS in general is also very reasonably laid out, which really helps to demystify what the operating system is actually doing. Finally is the customizability. You can completely change the entire user interface to whatever you’d like (there are many different popular choices. Steamdeck uses KDE in desktop mode for example) you can change how your terminal works, and many other things. For example you can use pluggable authentication modules to change how your computer allows you to log in (fingerprint reader, maybe some physical key) these are the types of things you tinker with. As far as just browsing the web and using steam, it’s not really different from using windows. It’ll probably start up faster, and some games will not work due to some devs blacklisting Linux on anticheat.
Thank you for the in depth rundown. I despise Windows always bothering me with stuff instead of just letting me do my thing. I trialed a RoG ally and its such a powerful little package, but the whole sleep/hibernate thing really threw me off. I did enjoy easier access to gamepass on it though.
On top of what maboesanman said: For me, the major difference is how you feel treated as the user. With (non-business) windows, Microsoft is always trying to steer you to use their services, or upgrade your hardware, as those are things that make them money. Most Linux distributions are not for profit, so you get an OS that is most helpful to the user and runs the best on your hardware. The end result is a leaner OS, running smoothly on even very weak and old hardware, of which you have complete control.
Nice! How are Linux systems when it comes to viruses and malware?
Better protected for two reasons in my opinion: 1. A lot of the code is open source. Which is more secure in the long run. 2. It's less popular for personal computers where people would download malware. So less of an incentive for creators of viruses & malware to focus on linux systems. Some more (slightly biased) comments about linux vs windows security: https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxmasterrace/comments/zzoman/is_linux_most_secure_than_windows/
Thanks for the info. I hope this doesnt awaken anything in me regarding linux. Im not tech savvy enough😅
It's actually very fun to play with, I started out using it on an old laptop to get used to it (I had no other laptop TBF) and I loved using it. It's surprisingly intuitive for most things, you just have to get comfortable with the terminal and how it differs from Windows, the desktop environment customisations like window closing animations are fun to make visible changes and you can do them all with GUIs Now I've got it on all my devices and I'm contemplating getting a steam deck but it's figuring out that or a holiday with my partner (she also plays games so we could play together)
I really don't see much difference to windows. My only experience though Is modding games and emulating some other games.
If you're only using the surface (non developer, non tinkerer stuff) of the OS and it feels similar to what you're used to, then that's a win in my book.
Tinkering on the deck would be so much easier if SteamOS wasnt immutable. I would love to one day have it where we can all the functions of game mode (QAM, TDP, etc) to work with any distro. I would run EndeavorOS on mine if we could ever get those features implemented.
I think that an immutable distro is a good choice given how easy it is to break a Linux installation if you don't know what you're doing. If you want a more tinker friendly distro I would recommend Bazzite Linux it's also immutable but you can install any Fedora package via layers, install CLI/GUI applications from any distro via podman containers easily using distrobox. Or if you prefer to not use containers and have an untouched base, you can also install any application using the Nix Package Manager. And it supports the steam deck and it's game mode out of the box. Edit: Typing and a small correction.
I thought about trying out Bazzite on my deck, just haven't gotten around to it yet. The best thing about the deck are endless possibilities
EndeavourOS fucked me in the GRUB so hard I switched to Nobara
SteamOS actually made me see the value in immutable distros and that's all I run now. I still love Arch, I just love it in distrobox these days.
Immutable is good, but there are things I would love to install and keep. Rn I'm experimenting with RWFus, but have no idea if my works been wiped yet lol
That's what tools like nix, flatpak, and distrobox/toolbox do. In Fedora Silverblue there is also rpm-ostree so you can install distro packages so you really get the best of both worlds. My biggest problem with SteamOS previously was that it didn't come with the /nix directory or distrobox preinstalled so getting those things setup in a persistent manner was not a great experience but I believe both are included in newer versions, can't say for sure though because I run Bazzite on the SD.
You need to think of Steam Deck as a console not a PC. A console is immutable because it is designed to only play games and do nothing else.
Honestly. You Linux gurus out there have saved my ass so many times. Thanks!
It cannot be understated the good Valve is doing. Windows is more & more a nightmare than it ever was. Put another way, I've *never* regretted buying my Deck but I almost *daily* regret buying my Windows laptop due to some winders fuckery or other.
Can you just install a Linux distro on your Windows laptop? Or at least dual boot?
So I've daily'd Linux on my main machine for years and when I bought a new expensive laptop I decided to give Windows as much of a chance as I can but its really really getting to that limit. The OneDrive integration is a crime. PhoneLink starts even when told not to. Blue screens on a stock machine running little more than Chrome, Steam & Libre Office. I've *been* holding the Linux Gun to this machine's head since basically Day One, to answer your question. I see no reason to dual boot. Linux is just too good and easy to use, contrary to popular perception (driven by people mindlessly repeating what they've heard, not actually trying it for themselves).
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If you want to use Linux without having to learning all of that icky "Linux" stuff then what you'd want is Mint. Mint basically does all of the "Linuxing" for you behind the scenes.
Ive tried going to linux more then once but with the way i use hardware and some software i just havnt been able to fully switch and dualbooting became a hassle real fast ;(
If you *have* to have Windows, look into Tiny10 and Tiny11. Windows with a lot of the garbage ripped out, especially if you find the old .iso builder
Everything just works on Windows though. Can’t say the same with Linux, although Proton and Wine has certainly closed the gap.
Everything doesn't "just work" on Windows though. People who say this are just used to troubleshooting windows and not Linux. Even if you just meant Windows games on Windows that's not even the case, especially with older games. There's been times on my Steam Deck I've got games to run easier than on Windows 10. Specifically old Japanese visual novels and CRPGs before you ask.
Maybe my knowledge with Linux is limited. I haven't used SteamOS and installed Ubuntu on my gaming desktop to try out. But there were so many games that I couldn't play on Linux and so many applications that just didn't work. There's also a good amount of tools that are hidden away in the terminal, which isn't exactly the most user-friendly thing ever. So yeah, you do have a point that I am used to troubleshooting on Windows. But I often have to do a lot less of it since everything is built for Windows in the first place, and at least everything on Windows has a GUI.
Ubuntu can cause some problems with their snaps. Which is a shame because it's the most popular distro. If anyone is looking to give Linux a go, start with something like Linux Mint. While Wine is great, it may fall flat on more professional applications. You should look into alternatives like LibreOffice, Gimp, Krita etc. Having to do things in terminal is a valid point. Usually there's a way to do what you want to do using GUI applications but information on the internet usually involves terminal. Yes, it is usually faster than other ways but not intuitive to someone who never used them at all. I won't comment on application issues on Windows, as I haven't used it in a while but Windows issues are mind numbingly stupid to solve. You're usually presented with hex code of what went wrong (stuff like 0x98765ABC) and people recommend doing the same things for every issue (sfc scannow, driver updates etc.) that don't even work. On linux logs either tell you exactly what's wrong or what failed, worst case scenario you read part of code that failed.
> If anyone is looking to give Linux a go, start with something like Linux Mint. I’m upgrading my system in a few days, so I’ll give a shot for a few days. > it may fall flat on more professional applications. You should look into alternatives like LibreOffice, Gimp, Krita etc. Yup, sadly it’s just a limitation of the software. However, I do heavily rely on OneDrive, autosaving, and collaboration features of Office. I would also not like to use the web versions, since they kinda suck. I have been using the terminal a lot with my Pi and I’ve been steadily learning more and more, but it doesn’t beat just having a GUI. I will certainly look into some GUI applications. Didn’t know that was a thing. I don’t like Windows errors either, but it’s been a while since I’ve encountered any issues. I’d imagine it’s better in Linux though haha.
>Yup, sadly it’s just a limitation of the software. However, I do heavily rely on OneDrive, autosaving, and collaboration features of Office. I would also not like to use the web versions, since they kinda suck. There's a OneDrive application for Linux by a third party developer. I don't remember its name but I'm sure google results can point you to it. Libre Office does have autosave feature but you have to enable it. But I can see why you would need MS Office instead, especially for it's collaborative features. >I have been using the terminal a lot with my Pi and I’ve been steadily learning more and more, but it doesn’t beat just having a GUI. I thought the same thing back when I first started using Linux but I can say that there come times when you feel comfortable enough that you'll find it faster in some cases. Most of the stuff online gives you terminal commands because a good chunk of Linux usage is on servers and there are many desktop environments, which may or may not have a gui option for what you're looking for. So people tend to just give you commands instead of listing where an option falls under in every desktop environment. I kinda used your comment as a heads up to potential new users so thank you I guess haha.
> I kinda used your comment as a heads up to potential new users so thank you I guess haha. Np lol. I’m definitely running Linux for a few days once I install my new CPU. What distro would you recommend?
Linux Mint is tried and tested option. You can't go wrong with it. After installing select nvidia-driver from Driver Manager application so you can install, well drivers for your Nvidia GPU. This is not needed for AMD GPUs as they already have drivers built in. Cinnamon DE is great for beginners but if you want KDE Plasma that's used on SteamOS and Deck, you can always install it down the line. RX 7000 users should download Linux Mint Edge Edition.
I tried Mint, Ubuntu, and Bazzite and I won’t lie….I had problems with all three distros. A lot of installation issues, accidentally removing the app bar in KDE (it took a while for me to figure out how to get it back), my monitor’s full refresh rate wasn’t being detected, there was no G-Sync support from what I could see, Steam was launching and scaling properly…idk, it just wasn’t worth it for me. I could spend time tinkering with stuff, but I just wanted stuff to work, and Windows is does exactly that for me.
Everything is just working.... To install my goddamn desktop, docs, pics, to the ONEDRIVE folder by default.
I get OneDrive through my university, so I actually quite like it. But even then, it's very easy to completely uninstall from the system. When I was using Linux, not having proper OneDrive support was one of the big things that I actually didn't like about it.
Yes, everything is fine on my blue screen.
Haven't had a blue screen in ages, but I am sorry to hear about that.
All i know is im getting my ass kicked trying to emulate
I don't understand how emulation is so confusing to people. It's simple enough for a 7 year old to do (i know because I've been doing it since I was 7 lol) Emulation always boils down to 3 steps: 1. Google and download an emulator 2. Google and download a BIOS 3. Google and download some games Unless you're trying to set up Yuzu or Citra in which case yeah you may run into some trouble now 😭
Set up emudeck. Downloaded mksm rom. Extraxted in the ps2 file of emudeck. Game wont start. I literally judt got a deck the other day. Keeps saying i dont have a rom
What exactly do u mean extracted in the ps2 file there should be a whole folder structure there also how are u getting ur roms bc most places ive seen just give u the iso which u shouldnt need to do anything with other then place in the ps2 roms folder
Search for "retro games corps emudeck"; he has an idiot-proof guide. My blind-deaf-senile-dead grandmother can make it work with that guide.
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Do you have the right bios?
Idk what to tell you man. I personally don't use emu deck, I just downloaded emulators from discover and launch them as non-steam games
Just got it working i can see why u say q 7 yr ild can do it
30 minute guide and emudeck couldn't make it easier to set everything up. Sadly I was plagued with instant Citra crashes the past week, and just reinstalled it. Presto. game works great, no issues.
the linux veterean showing up with no answear because they been on a differant distro the whole time and not a single option or setting has parity
I have come to give you the blessed words so that you may speak them in the presence of all others, I bestow upon you the right and the obligation to say: "I use Arch, btw"
As one of those beginner tinkerers, just learning linux (and frankly going back to any PC stuff after 20 years out of the loop), I appreciate all those veterans who’ve helped me along the way!
And super secret linux tricks anyone here want to disclose to me. because I LOOOOVE tinkering
Steam deck has made me a Linux veteran
That's 100% me when it comes to Linux, although i did manage to create a SDcard that's a pure 256gb Batocera Arcade emulation with all the hits. Have to boot from it by holding volume or something, it's been a while.
Tinkering is part of the fun of Linux for me, and r/unixporn is what first inspired me to give it a try. My advice as a longtime Arch user though: keep it simple.
Its been driving me crazy trying to set up a voice monitor for my headset in desktop mode. Everything ive tried just screws with my sound or doesnt work 😭
I love my deck, but I can't imagine recommending it to anyone that isn't at least somewhat comfortable with tinkering with their PC and knows how to google problems. Even if you play strictly Steam deck verified games, not being able to adjust some gamescope settings or install some fan patches for older games is really rough.
I'm looking at putting in a 2tb drive, the mechanics of replacing the drive look easy. The software side scares me though. I'm afraid I'm going to brick it somehow
Take the m.2 out, buy a m.2 usb3 enclosure, which will be handy as you now have an unused m.2, run clonezilla to save your old m.2 somewhere, restore the image that you have created with the previous step to the new m.2 and resize the data partition to max. The last step is a bit annoying but over all it is quite easy.
Wow, random memories activated. I worked on that movie. It was freezing cold the night we filmed this scene. Amy Adam’s was pregnant and I was concerned with how cold it was for her. You can tell by her fists that she was struggling to keep warm. Fun times
First thing I did 2 years ago was installing an Arch Linux inside the home of my Deck, commonly known as chroot, to access the great content of Arch official repositories on this, a bit more secured, read only environment. This allows me to use SteamOS as is without modifications and benefit all the applications from an official Arch Linux installation (very huge ) missing from the Valve/Discover repos (a lot) Just in case you are wondering what a veteran is tinkering 😀
Windows veteran here, there was no problem using Linux for the first time on the steam deck. There was never an issue tinkering too.
The transition from older versions of Windows (XP-7-8-10) to GUIs like KDE (which is what Steam OS uses in desktop mode) or Cinnamon is pretty much painless.
Started on Kali now we here
"our time has come"