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Anyone got any tips for a Linux newfag?

AK-12

varishangout.com
Regular
Hey everyone. I noticed that quite a few of y'all have got some knowledge when it comes to Linux and other Open Source Software stuff from the other tech threads.
While I am not a complete newfag and I do have a few hours of experience with a few Debian based distros like Ubuntu and especially Mint, I am a complete when it comes to Arch and server distros. I also do have 2-3 hour experience with Anonymity distros like Tails and Whonix because of few CySec courses that I finished 2 years ago.

I know how to install apps and I know some basic commands when it comes to the Command Line/Terminal, but all those shell scrips and DE modifications & all those libraries etc. that I have heard from people, I haven't got a smallest clue what to do or even how to do. I also am a retard when it comes to WINE, since I haven't the slightest idea how to use it to make Windows apps work on Linux. But the funny thing is I tried PlayOnLinux and with that I actually managed to get some stuff working like Microsoft Office 2010 and STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl.

The thing is, since good Windows OSes like XP and 7 are not supported anymore and Microshaft are pushing this flaming pile of shit called Windows 10, I've decided to jump ship and try to go on Linux on my next PC, but also I don't wanna be barred from all those apps that I am using on Windows right now. I did think about using Windows VMs but I am skeptical about that. I am not really sure if it's possible to make a Windows VM and then on that VM be able to have a stable gaming experience.

Anyone got any tips or some useful guides/links?

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DarkMahesvara

varishangout.com
Regular
Hey everyone. I noticed that quite a few of y'all have got some knowledge when it comes to Linux and other Open Source Software stuff from the other tech threads.
I'm not a linux pro but i try to answer some of your questions.
I've decided to jump ship and try to go on Linux on my next PC, but also I don't wanna be barred from all those apps that I am using on Windows right now. I did think about using Windows VMs but I am skeptical about that. I am not really sure if it's possible to make a Windows VM and then on that VM be able to have a stable gaming experience.
Gaming in Windows VM on linux is possible but you will have worse performance than with Wine/Proton (when they work). I think it would make more sense to use Linux as your main OS and Windows in a VM for stuff that won't work on linux. You can check protondb for game compatibility on linux which has and will only get better as time goes by. There are also tons of tutorials on YT about wine you can follow.
Anyone got any tips or some useful guides/links?
the only good guide i can think of rn for beginners is this bash tutorial video.

Generally i like Manjaro for gaming since they are pretty fast with updates. You could just install it on a usb drive and test it out as a live-system.
 
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Jahy

varishangout.com
Anyone got any tips or some useful guides/links?
The best advice that I can offer as a relative newfag myself is very simple: just be patient. Be ever so patient. You basically have to learn how to use a computer from scratch. I can't tell you how many times through my early days where I just completely gave up and went back to Windows for an extended period of time.

Fortunately, some distros make it easier than others to transition. You already mentioned you have experience with Debian-based systems, so why exactly do you want to jump? There's no hurry, and before attempting more advanced material you may want to consider turning those few hours into a few more. There's no rush, and one of the wonders of Linux is there's just such a variety of distros out there to choose.

Anyway, one thing I like to recommend is to become familiar with what is familiar and work from there. When you have a solid foundation with the operating system, it becomes much easier to learn the ropes as you get into the intermediate and advanced elements of its design. I was (and still am) fortunate things like Debian packages, snap, FlatPak, and AppImages all function similar or closely to Windows installers and executables, as they allowed me to establish a base of operations while I looked more into scripting and terminal usage. I can't speak much for many other distros, but I imagine this strategy works just as well there. I know in Arch Linux specifically has a nice package repository similar to what you see in Debian/Ubuntu-based distros. Just start simple and work your way up to the more complex.

I did think about using Windows VMs but I am skeptical about that. I am not really sure if it's possible to make a Windows VM and then on that VM be able to have a stable gaming experience.
Using a Windows virtual machine will probably work in most cases for whatever software you want to run, unless you're running something GPU intensive. This is when we get to the main issue of using these for gaming; most virtual machine emulators out of the box do not even use your GPU for graphical emulation but rather your CPU. You will need to specifically set-up and configure a virtual machine using some form of graphical passthrough to get as close to a native experience as you want. Frankly, I haven't gone this far yet, and when it comes to gaming I plan to elect keeping a partition for it.

Microshaft
Whether intentional or not, this does remind me of the CLASSIC:

download.jpeg


Who says nerds can't meme? :tohru-smug:
 

Cayhr

varishangout.com
Artist
Regular
Dark and Valenthyne have pretty much covered everything regarding your specific questions. I don't have too much to offer off the top of my head since I was just passing by the thread, but you should definitely spend some time to look at all the cool things you can do to customize your distro, since it seems you're setting it up for personal use. As you spend time messing around customizing your system, you'll learn how the system works and get comfortable using it, with the added bonus of claiming it as your own thing. That, or do some legitimate reading, piggybacking off of what you already know. Check what package manager your distro uses, and then just start looking for meme things or things you find might be useful! When I was at an Intel internship, I used Arch to do programming in C and Python, but I took the liberty of customizing it in a ton of ways both visual and technical (i3 tiling manager, st "simple terminal" by suckless, nvim). I ended up saving all those rc (run control) files for later use. Advanced usage can be daunting, but you just take your time, learn, figure out what works for you, and become leet overtime.

Also I like the vi text editor. Comes with some extra flavors like vim and neovim, too.
 

AK-12

varishangout.com
Regular
Aight fellas, for the past 2-3 days I've been playing around a little with Mint and Manjaro (VMs) and I believe that I have reached the normalfag level, since I know how to easily install apps in both the app manager & the terminal commands.

While I have more experience with Mint, I really like the DE of Manjaro.

I wanna also axe you, if anyone has any experiece with installing the "7 Seas versions" of games on Linux? I thought about trying to install some of em through PlayOnLinux (most of them are repacks that on Windows you just run the .exe file and it opens. That way I installed a cracked version of Microshaft Office 2010 and also STALKER: SoC in the past).
As for Proton, I did diddle around Steam a little and at first I was stuck with the "Available on Windows" bullshit, but soon found that on "Settings/Properties" you can enable Proton and ding ding ding, now the install button on steam library turned from Black to Blue.
 

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Jahy

varishangout.com
While I have more experience with Mint, I really like the DE of Manjaro.
I'm curious to learn more about your experiences here, because I am giving heavy consideration in moving from Mint to Manjaro. I learned only recently that the latter was actually based off Arch Linux, which so many in the community tend to cum themselves over at the mere mention of it. I'd really like to know what it is exactly that makes it so appealing.

Can you specifically touch on the File Manager, especially as it compares to Windows Explorer? While I love the visual aesthetics and heavy dark theme compatibility of Nemo (from Mint), functionally it frustrates me beyond hell.
I wanna also axe you, if anyone has any experiece with installing the "7 Seas versions" of games on Linux?
I haven't had experience personally but as far as I know it should work exactly the same as it would on Windows, barring the restrictions of the Wine.

I know it's probably not relevant to anything you download, as I assume you are a responsible sailor, but I wonder how malware-infected files might work through Wine. I should read up further on the specifics of how exactly it emulates Windows software; does it not construct and utilized a virtualized C drive of sorts? Is that self-contained and independent from your filesystem at large? I'm curious to know, since all I do know is that Wine does its best to translate Windows API calls into POSIX-compliant ones.
That way I installed a cracked version of Microshaft Office 2010
You can't tolerate how shitty LibreOffice either, eh? :gura-pain:
I did diddle around Steam a little
Sorry again to ask you the questions here, but I actually cannot get Steam to open anymore on my installation. Did you remember having to fuck around with drivers in a specific way to get things set-up correctly? Are you using the latest proprierty drivers available or something else?
 

Aglezabad

varishangout.com
I will make an extract of all messages of the thread.

¿Playing on Windows VM?
Not recommended. A Virtual Machine does not use any bare metal device (like GPU) as default. You can configure them with KVM and using VT-d or IOMMU (so you can use a device exclusively on the VM), but the effort is excessive (hardware compatibility and needed knowledge) compared to using Wine or having a Win10 partition only for gaming (you can also use Blackbird on W10 to remove tracking or using a prepared version like AME).

According to WineDB states, an application can work or not:
- Platinum: Working with default settings and no issues.
- Gold: Minor issues that can be solved using workarounds.
- Silver: Some issues and working sometimes using some special settings or winetricks.
- Bronze: Major issues and glitches. Won't work as desired.
- Garbage: As the name says, it's garbage. It won't work in any possible way.
For games, as other users said, proton compatibility is another option.

¿Risk of malware?
The Linux installation can be affected by the malware designed for Windows when you are using Wine but can be solved if you don't execute any windows application using wine as root. The best option is executing wine as another user and restrict writing permissions on your user home to avoid any modification on personal files.

Also you can install clamAV to scan the downloaded software to avoid the risk.

About training on Linux distros, I recommend using Virtual Machines for that. You main distro will be the one you are comfy with (Debian, Ubuntu) and the VM can be any distro, so you can test them without reinstalling and damaging the bare metal installation.
 

Typewriter

varishangout.com
Anyone got any tips or some useful guides/links?
Well, you've cum to the right place. Linux is not something you learn, its a lifestyle, i know lots of ppl that liked it and so on but stayed on win. That said if you dont need Adobe crap/Some weird prof or other softs or win only games you should install it RN, usually some software you use has better alts. Also when planning on using only GNU/Linux also think hardware, AMD GPUs have OS drivers already in kernel, also Intel APUs, nvidia drivers are usually easy to install but can cause headaches, also if you have some fancy RGB keeb that you can only change in software well it wont work. Also experience on VM will be different than on real hardware.
For distros i always recom Ubuntu (also ubuntu flavours)/Mint. It will have everything you need and is easy to install, down the road you can also try some other distros as debian (downside: ancient packages and less support for proprietary drivers), Arch (relatively ez to install with new installer but can be a major pain to maintain +new software +AUR), dont even think of installing some meme distro. Also pick distro by DE that you will use Ubuntu - Gnome, Mint - Cinnamon, Xfce, Mate.
because I am giving heavy consideration in moving from Mint to Manjaro
Not a good idea, rather install vanilla arch or endeavourOS or artix or even better stay on mint or whatever you are using rn, please do no distrohop. Manjao has its packages held back a week from offical arch ones (can cause major problems like broken fonts, broken depedencies), devs forgot to update the SSL certificates and spent donation money for a gaming pc.
if anyone has any experiece with installing the "7 Seas versions" of games on Linux
There is a thread on /t/,you can find some but i wouldnt recom it, even if they are gog copies, which are most of the time, also again linux isnt as much for gaming as win.
. As you spend time messing around customizing your system, you'll learn how the system works and get comfortable using it, with the added bonus of claiming it as your own thing. That, or do some legitimate reading, piggybacking off of what you already know.
Great advice, also do some some shell scripts for stuff you want to do, you will eventually find your way of using it , since GNU/Linux is your os.
My advice would be: Don't think of GNU/Linux as windows, its something completely different, forget your .exe, your GUIs and comfort. You make it your own OS. Just stay with Mint or Ubuntu in beggining, dont run some obscure and meme distros, think before you hit enter and again its a whole different OS and experience.
I did think about using Windows VMs but I am skeptical about that
Its a headache to get it working, you need two GPUs or integrated/GPU, and messing aroung with KVM and QEMU, messing with kernel parameters and so, you will just hate yourself for it , at this point rather buy a meme laptop like Thinkpad T,X or Dell Latitude,Precision, HP Pro/Zenbook and install gentoo on it.
Anyone got any tips or some useful guides/links?
They are everywhere, but just experience it learn yourself and google the problem, also there are tons of channels like Luke Smith and his copycats, and distro/ linux meme reviewers like Distro Tube.
Think what you want to do with it and how you want it, if you mostly play games and use office and adobe/similar software, you are better off with win.
But again if you go the GNU/Linux route, remember its a different os with different workflow and structure. Have fun !
 
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