Linux

Will my ability to play games be significantly affected compared to Windows?

Depends on the game. In general no, unless it has kernel anticheat, which Linux will not allow because that's a glaring security risk.

Can I mod games as freely and as easily as I do on Windows?

Yes.

If a program has no Linux version, is it unusable, or are there workarounds?

Most Windows software can be run on Linux using Wine. But there are advantages to using Linux-specific alternatives - they are often lighter and faster.

How do OS updates work in Linux? Is there a "Linux Update" program like what Windows has?

Yes, each distribution has its own update tool. They also install and update software (like in Android, where Google Play installs and updates all apps and not just the OS). No need to download exe files from random websites.

How does digital security work on Linux? Is it more vulnerable due to being open source? Is there integrated antivirus software, or will I have to source that myself?

Linux is generally much more secure than Windows, because it is open-source. Most internet servers and supercomputers use Linux partly because of its security.

Are GPU drivers reliable on Linux?

Nvidia is notoriously bad but getting better. AMD is good.

Can Linux (in the case of a misconfiguration or serious failure) potentially damage hardware?

No.

And also, what distro might be best for me?

Linux Mint. It is stable, reasonably up to date and does not make confusing changes every update. It also tends to work on most systems.

Start with Linux Mint and use Steam's Proton or Lutris. I can run just about every game natively or using one of those without having to do too much work to play them.

After about 30 years of Linux, here's my take on your questionnaire. Not sure if it'll add on what many others have said.

The one thing you have to remember is that Linux is not a replacement for Windows. It's a completely different operating system that lets you do the same operations in a different way. It can however run some of the same software thanks to a number of very clever hacks. That being said...

Will my ability to play games be significantly affected compared to Windows?

Significantly, no. Some things won't run, especially games that require deep anti-cheat hooks in the system. An awful lot of stuff will run fine thanks to the incredible work done by Valve.

Can I mod games as freely and as easily as I do on Windows?

Short answer: no. It often relies on software tools that won't run as easily. Sometimes, yes.

If a program has no Linux version, is it unusable, or are there workarounds?

Sometimes there's a functional equivalent in the Linux world, or you can get the Windows version to run either in a virtual machine or in a pseudo-emulated environment (Wine or bottles).

Can Linux run programs that rely on frameworks like .NET or other Windows-specific libraries?

Yes. they can be written specifically for Linux. Or they can be written for Windows and will work in Linux, sometimes (it's hard to get the translation layer right).

How do OS updates work in Linux? Is there a “Linux Update” program like what Windows has?

Every distribution manages this. It works by itself and is typically much cleaner than in Windows.

How does digital security work on Linux? Is it more vulnerable due to being open source? Is there integrated antivirus software, or will I have to source that myself?

The structure of the software in Linux (and the fact that it mostly comes from one source (the distribution) makes for a smaller target than in Windows where it comes from all over the place. Antivirus aren't used.

Are GPU drivers reliable on Linux?

They're the same as in Windows (the codebase is the same, the OS "glue" is specific). Other than the occasional bad release, they're usually OK. Linux is currently transitioning to a new display system, from X11 to Wayland, and nVidia is a bit behind on Wayland adoption. However, all three GPU makers typically work fine whether you use X11 or Wayland.

Can Linux (in the case of a misconfiguration or serious failure) potentially damage hardware?

Even voluntarily, that wouldn't be easy to do.

And also, what distro might be best for me?

Honestly, it doesn't really matter. They all install the same thing in the end. Just pick something mainstream and well documented and not something obscure.

Note that for X or Y reason, a given distribution may disagree with your hardware. It's the problem when everything is very specifically designed for Microsoft's OS, around specs that aren't fully publicly disclosed. If that happens, just try another.

I'm a newcomer to Linux (only about a year in), but here's what I've got so far:

Will my ability to play games be significantly affected compared to Windows?

Mine wasn't at all. Steam has done a lot of work to make this seamless so that more games can be played on the Steam Deck. Check the Proton DB to see what your gamea look like.

Can I mod games as freely and as easily as I do on Windows?

I have very little experience with this, but probably. Linux users tend to be tinkerers.

If a program has no Linux version, is it unusable, or are there workarounds?

Can Linux run programs that rely on frameworks like .NET or other Windows-specific libraries?

Same answer for both: There's Wine, and a whole bunch of setup scripts that can get even stuff like Adobe Creative Suite working with it. Worst case scenario, there's VirtualBox for the one or two apps you might need to run Windows for. But I find that the open source options, while they might have a learning curve, tend to be substantially better than either of those options.

How do OS updates work in Linux? Is there a "Linux Update" program like what Windows has?

More or less, but you can pick and choose what updates you want to install and when. Most distros have a package manager that'll let you update the kernel, the drivers, the middleware, the desktop environment, all your apps, and even the package manager itself on your schedule, from one interface. You can also just ignore it and never update anything, though I wouldn't recommend that.

How does digital security work on Linux?

Very well. It's much more locked-down by default, for one thing.

Is it more vulnerable due to being open source?

Quite the opposite. Open source projects are well known for being less vulnerable out of the box; Linux in particular is used by huge companies as a lightweight server OS, so it has a lot of highly-paid people committing security fixes back down to the open source project.

Is there integrated antivirus software, or will I have to source that myself?

Antivirus is a bandaid on Windows, provided because the OS was written with certain naive assumptions that let attackers get access they shouldn't have. On Linux, those assumptions were not made. No application can be installed without your root password, for instance; downloaded files can't even be executed without specifically making them executable; and access to edit system files is restricted by a very robust permissions system.

All of that, plus Linux's much lower market share, also means that no malware authors are really wasting their time trying to write Linux malware. The attack vector just isn't worth the extra effort.

So no, there's no integrated antivirus; but for most users in most situations, it's not needed at all.

Are GPU drivers reliable on Linux?

Your mileage may vary significantly, but anecdotally it seems like most architectures from AMD and Nvidia have good support.

Can Linux (in the case of a misconfiguration or serious failure) potentially damage hardware?

Maybe, but like with Windows, I assume you have to really go out of your way to do so.

And also, what distro might be best for me?

I've only used Ubuntu and Mint. Mint has so far been the easiest and most user-friendly of the two. It's also regularly touted as the best for newcomers.

Will my ability to play games be significantly affected compared to Windows?

No*, with options like Wine and Proton (and Lutris and Steam), it's almost a non-existent problem.

*allegedly some games that rely on kernel-level anticheat won't work no matter what workarounds you use. I haven't played these games, so I cannot vouch for it. The games I have played that use anti-cheat have worked fine

Can I mod games as freely and as easily as I do on Windows?

Freely, yes. Easily... depends. E.g. Nexus now has a standalone application that automates installing mods. Setting up this to work with the different games is a bit of learning how Wine works, but it's not terribly frustrating if you have someone helping you understand.

If a program has no Linux version, is it unusable, or are there workarounds?

There are always workarounds, but a very small subset are still unusable. The best option is always to find Free Software alternatives, which there are many more available than there are for windows. Even when that's not an option, there's always Wine, or virtual machines.

Can Linux run programs that rely on frameworks like .NET or other Windows-specific libraries?

See previous answer.

How do OS updates work in Linux? Is there a “Linux Update” program like what Windows has?

Depends on the OS, but most beginner-friendly distros that are also good long-term distros have an update program like Windows. There are other methods of updating if you go for an immutable distro (like Nix or Guix), but those distros entail less transferable knowledge than distros like Debian or Manjaro.

How does digital security work on Linux?

Same as it works on windows: the weakest link is the user, and the changes they make to the system without understanding the security implications. Which is to say, the strongest security you can have is picking a distro like Debian or Fedora, making no changes to system configuration, and staying up to date on all your updates.

Don't run code you find online without knowing exactly what it's doing behind the scenes, don't follow guides you found online without understanding exactly what each step is doing to your computer.

Is it more vulnerable due to being open source?

No. Why would you think it was?

Is there integrated antivirus software, or will I have to source that myself?

Yes-ish. There are security program that work to protect you in the background (e.g. App Armor and SELinux), but there's no program that actively scans for and detects "malicious activity" like Defender does.

I tend to recommend against these types of active scanning software, as they negatively impact system performance, and they're really only necessary if you're running software from random websites or opening random email attachments or plugging in random usb drives or running random commands you found online.

I can get more in-depth on this, because my job involves setting up systems and maintaining their security, but that's only if you're interested.

Are GPU drivers reliable on Linux?

Yes, but most people have better experience with AMD than Nvidia. They both work, AMD is just a little less finnicky.

Can Linux (in the case of a misconfiguration or serious failure) potentially damage hardware?

No.

Other people may say otherwise, but that's because it's technically possible on all OSes. It just requires so much special knowledge to even unlock the ability to do so, the odds are astronomically against you ever figuring out how to do so, and you will be warned the entire way down.

And also, what distro might be best for me?

I recommend getting Virtualbox or VMware on windows and setting up and messing around with a few distros people mention as virtual machines to see which one works best for you. The nicest thing about FOSS is the utter freedom you have, so exploring always pays off more in the long run than sticking to a step-by-step guide.

I use Debian: it's easy, it's secure, it's reliable, it's not failed me yet. It's what distros like Linux Mint and Ubuntu are based on. Fedora is also a great mix of reliable, secure, and easy.

I'm happy to get more in-depth on these questions, or really any computing questions you have, I just didn't want to overload you if you weren't looking for a thesis. Feel free to ask me to elaborate though.

Lots of good answers to your other Qs here so I'm gonna focus on your last one. If you lack in-depth computer skills as much as I'm imagining, than I think the best distro for you would be Bazzite.

Firstly, I'm going to call out the users here suggesting Mint. Mint is only a good beginner distro for people that are already "early adopters" or tech-savvy to switch to Linux for the first time. When I first switched from Windows 10 on my desktop last year, I tried Mint. Keep in mind, I have extensive knowledge of the commandline and headless Debian from several years of running a homelab. I found it completely intolerable how much wasn't intuitive, how difficult cinnamon was, how much set up was involved in getting graphics drivers working, and gaming going. It wasn't that I'm incapable, it's that I don't want my gaming desktop to require that much tinkering just to play games. Let alone that I can't imagine how steep that learning curve would be for a casual gamer with minimal tech skills.

That brings me to Bazzite. I switched back fully to Windows 10 for several months because of how disillusioned I was before learning about it. Bazzite is one of a handful of distros that have taken the SteamOS experience from the Steam Deck and tried to build on/improve it. It uses the KDE desktop environment, which is super similar to Windows 10 in look and feel. It includes everything you need for gaming right out of the box, including graphics drivers already installed, Steam as well, all of the frameworks and compatibility tools you need already configured. It's immutable too, which means the system directories are locked down so you can't accidentally break things. There's a unified system updater that cover everything. The system, your applications, compatibility tools, all of it updated with just one click.

As well, games just work without needing special configuration. It's truly the easiest to use distro for people switching from Win10 that just want to play games with their computer, maybe some internet browsing and email alongside that. You also don't have to worry about stupid codec issues if you wanna watch youtube or streaming sites in the browser.

Seriously people, stop recommending Mint. All the folks who would be okay with the amount of tinkering it requires have already made the switch. If we want the less tech-savy gaming folks to be able to make the switch, we need to be recommending something that will just work out of the gates for them. Pushing them to distro-hop is just going to push them to Win11. Plus, the more that make that leap, the more likely game devs will have to target WINE, the less games will be borked. It's already pretty minimal though, especially if it doesn't use anti-cheat.

Here are some answers I can give

1: Depends on which game you play, performance ma be better or worse, cant say without specifics

2: If modding a game requires copying files from here to there, you will have 0 issues, but if it requires some software to do it, you will have to do some digging

3: In some cases, you can use something like WINE to run these applications. But I have personally never done it. A better way would be to search for how to do it in Linux, which look difficult at first, but its just different not difficult

4: That I dont know enough to say, maby WINE can run them

5: Yes, there is a Linux update button on many so called beginner friendly distributions like Ubuntu and Linux Mint

6: Lets just rephrase it this way, a vehicle is open source, anyone can unscrew anything, anyone can change brakes, does that make it less safe?

7: Yes, GPU drivers are very stable these days, there was once a time where it was not true but thats history now

8: No and Yes, Linux will not try to prevent you from breaking your computer if you want, this sounds weird but there are good reasons why. But you gotta understand, Linux is a layered architecture and most of the hardware related stuff lives on the bottom layer, and you need to go out of your way to modify it and disable safety features to cause hardware damage.

Personal note:

1: Anything you can do on a web browser is not an issue, that includes office 365 or Adobe cloud or stuff like that.

2: If you have iPhone and require full support, you are out of luck, I know some folks were able run iTunes through WINE and get its full functionality, but thats just hack and nobody can tell if that works or if you can get it working now. The only support that comes out of the box is being able to copy media from iPhone to computer, cant remember if you could copy media from your computer to iPhones.

3: Adobe support is absent. I know some were able to get older version of Adobe products working with WINE but cant say that works anymore. Like I mentioned previously, being able to use stuff over cloud with a browser is non issue.

4: Libreoffice in Linux is pretty must identical to MS Office. Its just that buttons are in different places and you can save as PDF which will look exactly the same.

5: There is no reason not to atleast have Windows dualbooted, you can find something like Oprekin's Windows 10/11 lite with everything removed, though it may be absolutely insecure, Windows cannot support Linux's filesystem so its fine when you need it. It can fit in about 50GB disk space so no reason not to have it.

I'm only responding to the lack of computer skills portion of the OP as I'm sure others have already answered points plenty and probably better than I could.

If you've used Windows, you have enough basic computer skills to get you started. You'll learn the Linux by using Linux just like you learned Windows by using Windows. There are plenty of mainstream distros that give you an out of the box working experience that is a great starting ground. It does take research and try things out instead of wanting someone to give you the perfect play book.

Will my ability to play games be significantly affected compared to Windows?

Depends on what you play. As a general rule I would say that unless you like competitive multiplayer games you're probably going to be fine. That being said the vast majority of games don't support Linux natively so you need to use workarounds. Steam has a workaround built-in, so if most of your gaming is through Steam it should be an almost seamless transition (all you need to do is enable a checkbook in the settings). But like I said, it depends on what you play, I recommend you check out https://www.protondb.com/ and look for the games you play to see how they run on Linux.

Can I mod games as freely and as easily as I do on Windows?

Same answer as before, if the game runs okay then modding it would also work okay, but if not it might worsen an already bad situation. Also be very careful here, because when you run Windows games on Steam they're sort of sandboxed, i.e. they're running isolated from other stuff, so installing mods is not as straightforward as it would be on windows where binaries are installed globally. It's not a big deal, but just the other day someone was complaining that they installed a launcher needed for a game and the game wasn't finding it and this was the reason.

If a program has no Linux version, is it unusable, or are there workarounds?

As a general rune there's a workaround, it's called WINE (which is an acronym for WINE Is Not an Emulator) which is an "emulator" for Windows (except it's not really an Emulator as the name implies). Then there are some apps built on top of that like Proton (which is what Steam has embebed) that include other libraries and fixes to help. It's not perfect, but unless the program is actively trying to detect it or uses very obscure features on Windows it should work.

Can Linux run programs that rely on frameworks like .NET or other Windows-specific libraries?

Yes, you can use WINE like mentioned above to run Windows binaries that use .NET, but also .NET core is available for Linux.

How do OS updates work in Linux? Is there a "Linux Update" program like what Windows has?

Oh boy, this is the big one, this is the Major difference for m Windows to Linux. Linux has a thing called a package manager, ideally everything you install gets installed via that package manager. This means that everything gets updated together. And here's the thing, we're not talking OS only stuff, new version of the kernel (Linux)? New version of the drivers? New version of Firefox? New version of Spotify? All gets updated together when you update your system. This is crucial to the way Linux works, since it allows Linux to have only one copy of each library. For example, if you have 5 different programs that use the same library, in Windows you'll have 5 copies of that same library, because each program needs their own in the specific version, but in Linux since they will all update together it's easier to have just one library that gets updated together with the programs. This makes maintaining Linux a piece of pie in comparison, just one command or one click of a button and you're all up to date with everything you have installed.

How does digital security work on Linux? Is it more vulnerable due to being open source? Is there integrated antivirus software, or will I have to source that myself?

As a general rule open source programs are more secure than their counterparts. Closed source programs always remind me of Burns going through several security measures, that sort of thing is imposible in open source because if everyone can see all of the security measures, so someone would notice the gaping hole in the back, whereas in closed source only attackers might have found it. Like cyber security experts say: Security by obscurity is not security. As for Antivirus you don't need to worry, Linux is inherently more secure than Windows, and also has a small enough user base (most of whom are security experts) so the number of virus written for Linux is extremely small. Also because you should install stuff through a package manager it's very difficult to get someone to download a bad binary since there's lots of security in the package manager to prevent this sort of thing. In short almost every antivirus program for Linux checks your computer for Windows viruses to avoid being used to store or transmit viruses to Windows computers, so it's completely pointless in your home machine (it's used for example in email servers).

Are GPU drivers reliable on Linux?

Yes... But actually no. It depends, if you have a relatively modern AMD GPU (as in last 10 years) the answer is a resounding YES, AMD currently has wonderful Linux support and their cards work excellently with drivers being fully open source and integrated into the Linux Kernel. For Nvidia the story is unfortunately not as nice. Essentially there are 2 drivers available, nouveau (open source driver written by the community and purposefully hampered by Nvidia) and nvidia (closed source driver written by Nvidia that has gaping incompatibilities with Linux). Since you game your only option is nvidia, while nouveau is great for several reasons it can't match the performance of the nvidia driver. For 99% of stuff the nvidia driver should work fine, but I haven't had good luck with getting Wayland to run on it, which means you're probably stuck in X11 (I know this doesn't mean much to you, but in short it means that you're somewhat limited in your choice for graphical interface and have to use stuff that people are trying to deprecate but can't because of Nvidia)

Can Linux (in the case of a misconfiguration or serious failure) potentially damage hardware?

Technically yes, so can Windows by that matter. But realistically no, unless you're writing your own kernel drivers you won't be in any position to cause hardware damage.

And also, what distro might be best for me?

I would probably go with Mint, it's beginner friendly and I've been recommending it for decades. One thing to bear in mind is that in your knowledge level the distro you choose won't make that big of a difference, try to pick something beginner friendly and you should be fine, no need to overthink this.

PS: some extra notes that you didn't asked but I think are good to know:

• Any Linux can look like any other, it's just a matter of installing the right packages
• You should keep your / and /home in separate partitions, this makes it possible for you to reinstall (or even change distros entirely) without losing your files and configuration. This is due to how Linux manages partitions, which in short is not like on Windows where you have a C and D drives but instead any folder can be a different partition or disk.
• You can dual boot, i.e. have 2 OS and choose which one to use every time you turn on your computer.
• You should probably install Linux on a virtual machine first to check it out safely. And do a backup before installing it on your computer just in case you make a mistake.

1: it’s a cantankerous beast that can smell your fear and lack of computer skills

This can either be true, or not true. It depends on which distro you go with, IMO. There are linux distros specifically designed for new user experiences, and then there are "basic" distros which don't do unnecessary hand-holding for those who are used to the *nix desktop experience.

Making the change has slowly become a more real possibility for me

There has never been a better time to try linux.

I’m pretty much a fairly casual PC-user

If you do light computing, then linux is the best case scenario for you. You won't be changing much about the OS, so not much can go wrong. I installed linux for my 65 year old mother 12 years ago or so, and it's never had an issue. So frankly, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Will my ability to play games be significantly affected compared to Windows?

As with all things when it comes to linux, it depends. Some of my favorite games have anti-cheat which has no linux client, so therefore even if you can get the game to work in theory, it won't function because no anti-cheat.

If a program has no Linux version, is it unusable, or are there workarounds?

You would be hard pressed to find something which is windows only these days, but even if you do there are virtualization options like WINE or bottles which simulate a windows environment for the application and force it to run under linux anyways.

Can Linux run programs that rely on frameworks like .NET or other Windows-specific libraries?

Sure.

How do OS updates work in Linux? Is there a “Linux Update” program like what Windows has?

Generally, most people use the command line for updating the system itself, but a lot of distributions come with a "Microsoft Store" type application to give you a GUI to update your OS and applications.

How does digital security work on Linux?

Linux works off a multi-user environment which lends security to the OS. You have a root user, which is your super administrative user, and then normal user accounts which can be added as "administrators" which can then run commands and edit files/settings which are reserved for administrative accounts.

Is it more vulnerable due to being open source?

The security is stronger because we know what's in it. Security through obscurity is generally frowned upon, even by NIST.

Is there integrated antivirus software, or will I have to source that myself?

Generally no, but there still are anti-virus available, like ClamWin.

Are GPU drivers reliable on Linux?

My heart says yes, but my fingers won't let me type it.

Can Linux (in the case of a misconfiguration or serious failure) potentially damage hardware?

It's technically possible, but you would have to meet a laundry list of conditions for that to happen.

And also, what distro might be best for me?

New users seem to really like Mint. But it's exceptionally easy to test different distributions, even directly under Windows using Hyper-V. Test a few out and see if you like em.

In terms of games and programs, it's best to look for/ask about the specific ones. Things have improved a ton with Steam/Proton, but just make sure there isn't a deal breaker in there somewhere. Otherwise, there's great distros out there that are EZPZ for normal everyday computer tasks (web surfing, file browsing, office shit).

Will my ability to play games be significantly affected compared to Windows?

No. Thanks to Steam Deck, most popular windows games also work on Linux. See https://www.protondb.com/ for a complete list of 18,000 titles.. Someone already mentioned that kernel level anti-cheat is the big, obvious blocker.

Can I mod games as freely and as easily as I do on Windows?

~~Im guessing that most moders target Windows users therefore, don't think mods would be AS easy. Not saying modding wouldn't exist or work at all.~~ Edit: see sp3ctr4l's reply to this comment. They know more than me

If a program has no Linux version, is it unusable, or are there workarounds?

There are workarounds. Linux has some great alternative software to popular paid stuff. See LibreOffice or Krita.

There are also more advanced options to run Windows apps under Linux, see Wine or Virtual Machines

Can Linux run programs that rely on frameworks like .NET or other Windows-specific libraries?

Yes. Similar to the above answer/ similar to aforementioned Proton. For .NET specifically, there is a Linux runtime.

How do OS updates work in Linux? Is there a "Linux Update" program like what Windows has?

This can depend a lot on what distribution you're running, but definitely, there are ones with easy buttons for whole-system updates.

How does digital security work on Linux? Is it more vulnerable due to being open source? Is there integrated antivirus software, or will I have to source that myself?

It's different and probably overall better than windows. Most distros are much better out of the box than windows.

Open source is ususually a security advantage because (long story short) security mistakes can be caught by more people.

I don't have a good answer for you on anti virus. I am very privacy and security conscious and I dont use one on linux. My personal opinion is that you don't need one and shouldn't need one if you're not downloading sketch stuff.

Are GPU drivers reliable on Linux?

Totally. GPU drivers are much, much better than they used to be.

Can Linux (in the case of a misconfiguration or serious failure) potentially damage hardware?

Theoretically. You would have to try really hard, but for normal use, no. More likely, you could lose data or access to the system if you misconfigure stuff (just like with Windows)

Distro recommendations. My personal opinions, don't flame me.

• Bazzite. hard to mess up, gamer focused, super simple updates, and targeted support for gamer hardware. Feels like a cross between steam deck and windows. Less support for tinkering but if you never want to touch the terminal, this is my choice.

• Pop!OS. Simplified Linux with great driver and steam support with easy updates. More tinkering support than Bazzite

• Linux Mint. Easy to start on but more traditional back-end. Much more support (forum posts) than the previous two. A lot of what works on Debian or Ubuntu works the same on Mint, so you'll be able to do all kinds of fiddling

In terms of games, modded minecraft runs perfectly for me and so does steam with proton. Theres probably more user friendly distributions that have some sorta GUI to update the OS, but on my machine a shell command is the only way. In terms of security, unless you copy-paste a malicious command into the shell or download malicious software from an untrusted source, you'll be fine. Package managers are probably the best way to download software. Someone probably offers antivirus for Linux somewhere but I don't use anything like that 🤷‍♂️ . As for what would be the best distro for you, I've never used it but I've heard Mint Linux is a good place to start.

I wont reply point by point because others have already done a fantastic job at that.

Install virtualbox, get some linux images from mint, bazzite or what ever other distro you might want or was recomended and install them as VMs in windows.

Set up a list of things in 3 tiers:

• must have functionalities/workflows (crucial functionality)
• nice to have (important to have)
• optional (can live without)

Then in the installed VMs, test out this list, something like "can I change the volume per app, can I change the audio device per app" or what ever is important to you, according to your list.

This way you can test out if its for you or not, you wouldn't even have to leave windows for it.

One thing regarding gaming, as I game quite a bit too - games with intrusive anticheats dont work, most of everything else works with steam proton. Check potondb.com for your games, you will see what works and what not.

first quesrion: no unless you play rainbiw six or fortnite all games run with wine or proton tou could take a look at garuda gaming edition 2: Yes you can r2modman has a appimage (universal linux app) and forge has a linux client for minecraft 3: you could use wine or always just spin up a windows vm if you need it and it doesnt work with wine 4: yes it can run .NET using the wine compaitibilty layer 5: updates are distro specific for example on debain ud do sudo apt update && upgrade or on arch its sudo pacman -Syu 6: its actuslly more secure with it being open source because anyonr can check for vulrabiltys and since its so unkown theres little malware affecting desktop users most are targeting servers and theres one av i know called clamtk theres also rkhunter that looks for root kits only 7: linux has a weird reltonship with gpu drivers for nvidia theres nvidia open source that offer worse perfomrance but are open source and nvidia properitary that run better but are prob spyware 8: Linux cant really damage hardware 9: for distros Linux Mint is and like windows Pop os is good for gaming or for a arch linux based exooernce but still easy try garuda gaming it comes with everything you need to game.

.NET is not Windows specific

I'm too tired to reply to everything but for those who didn't know the Nexus Mods App is pretty good already and is in its AppImage stage. Any of the games it supports are flawless imo