this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2025
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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Two of my friends switched recently.
They had none to very little experience with anything Linux before, their previous win11 installs just over bloated and the copilot bullshit pushed them over. Both (indie/non-pop shooters) gamers btw.
This is the year of linux.
I wish I could get my friends to switch. I even had one tell me they would rather use it if supported the games that don’t work (which of course are games with anti-cheat issues). But they at least recognize that Windows is getting quite bloated
My first one to switch did so recently. Gave him an open offer to help get going if he ever got interested, then proceeded to just go about using my linux system for our multiplayer gaming and couch gaming hangouts.
It took a little less than three years from when I first switched for him to follow.
My sister is also on linux, has been since she took my gaming laptop as her own, and she never felt a need to switch it back to windows.
That’s actually similar to how I got one of my friends on it. I got a Framework 16 about a year ago and installed Linux on it with a very customized KDE DE and he seemed pretty interested in it whenever I brought it with me whenever we hung out. Offered him a hand in learning more about Linux, how to install, customization, different distributions, Steam Proton, etc. About 7-8 months after and he has a Framework 13 with Fedora Linux.
My other friends are just stuck on the gaming side of things sadly. The games that I dropped when I made the switch I really didn’t care a whole lot about anyways. Not the case with my other friends though.
However, I have my brother and my parents using it for their laptops as they don’t need it for anything else but a web browser and an office suite and over the last year or so there have been no complaints!
Do they choose distros made for gamers?
One is trying Bazzite the other one is just classic fedora
Do they make much difference? Genuine question
Sometimes.
They tend to make sure stuff that gamers care about are up to date and working.
You'll likely need the newest kernels and software packages if you're running the latest gen of GPU and/or CPU, to get the most out of them, or even get them to work at all.
Wouldn't a rolling distro be enough forma that?
Some of it, yeah.
All a distro is, really, is a preset. It comes with some package manager or other, along with a collection of pre-installed packages.
The reason one chooses one distro over another, is because it's closer to what you need. I could install arch, and spend a day setting it up exactly the way I like. Or, I could start with Endeavour, and get to essentially the same state in an hour.
I'm familiar enough with linux that I could strong-arm any install into doing whatever I need, but at times, to get from preset A to preset B, it's faster to just start over from a known preset that's closest to what I want.
Rolling releases typically mean the software available is recent, but that's only one aspect of what your starting point could look like.
"Gaming" distros are going to be a preset that contains a bunch of configurations, defaults and software, that gamers typically care about. That steam is usually already installed, is an example of one such thing. The same way my mention of GPU and CPU support is only an example.
Maybe instead of "They tend to make sure stuff that gamers care about are up to date and working" I should have phrased it "They tend to make sure things that gamers care about are easy to set up and supported, if not even ready to go, out of the box".
Okay, I see. Thanks for the detailed explanation.