Question Should i use Linux, or stick with Windows ?

[jordanbuilds1]

I've been recommended Linux a couple of times, but i havent really looked into it mostly because:
1. it would require me to learn another code language (im currently using lua).
2. i would not be able to use my regular day-day apps (also a youtuber).
3. i just didnt feel like figuring that out at the time.

But seeing as linux is gaining popularity more recently and more and more CPUs are losing windows support, ive been looking into linux and I'm now considering it. but before i decide I need to know a couple of things:

Can i use OBS and possibly DaVinci Resolve (or another free editing software), is installation easy, and what should i do to get started? i already know i can use Geforce Now on Chrome to play most of my games that aren't supported (which is an upside), but if im unable to use OBS or a free alternative, that will be a huge turn off.

 

[Eximo]

Well, things in Linux will have been written in a variety of languages. Once you learn the core of one language, moving to others is usually just a syntax learning curve.

Yes, OBS is supported in Linux.

You can get Davinci Resolve working in Linux as well.

https://obsproject.com/kb/linux-installation

https://github.com/flolu/davinci-resolve-linux

I won't say you won't run into pitfalls with Linux, but it doesn't hurt to try.

I've been running Kubuntu for the last several weeks and find it pretty usable. I haven't done anything fancy yet. I have been considering migrating my gaming PC to Linux as well, but the convenience of Windows for gaming has its advantages for now.

 

[rustigsmed]

OBS studio no worries at all, davinci resolve yes but it can have some quirks on linux - here is an article that goes through configuring davinci on linux https://www.maketecheasier.com/install-configure-davinci-resolve-linux/ - Another - more simple video editing free option is Kdenlive https://kdenlive.org/en/ - can get the job done but it is not on the same level as davinci resolve.

some distros make it easier than others to install certain programs (such as davinci resolve) - check out https://nobaraproject.org/ - which i think is as simple as ticking a box when setting up the distro installation (I don't use nobara but think that's how they've set it up).

in terms of starting off you might want to try out a few different distros and desktop environments (look and feel). many distros have a 'live' iso so you can try it out on a usb. ventoy allows you to put multiple distros on one usb https://www.ventoy.net/en/doc_start.html - so i'd suggest setting up ventoy on a usb. then downloading a few live iso's onto the ventoy usb. you can then launch into ventoy and choose the distro you want. other people may suggest using a vm in windows but it will give you a false impression of lagginess which won't be there on bare metal.
a few distros worth trying would be Mint / Nobara (for your use case) / Pop_OS! / Ubuntu.
Some of these distros have the option to select more than 1 desktop environment for example Mint (Cinnamon, MATE and Xfce), Nobara (GNOME/KDE plasma), Ubuntu (standard is GNOME, then there a heap of others eg Kubuntu is KDE plasma preinstalled). So you could also try a couple of different versions of the same distro (noting that different distros can look the same if you have the same desktop environment).

If that sounds like a lot of work then perhaps just go with Mint (Cinnamon) Nobara (KDE Plasma), Ubuntu (Gnome). Nobara and PopOS also have options if you have an AMD or nvidia gpu's which intends to make installation of the proprietry nvidia drivers a no-brainer. I usually suggest people try PopOS (good software manager store/driver management) or Mint (stable and geared toward newbies with a good community). But I prefer KDE plasma desktop environment personally due to the crazy customisation available so would likely suggest Kubuntu.

Gaming is pretty easy these days - steam you need to just select a couple of options in the settings (compatibility -> enable steam play for support titles and -> enable steam play for other titles - then select proton experimental). Non-steam games you can use a launcher called Lutris (eg Gog Galaxy / EA App / Epic Games Store / Ubisoft connect). the main issues are generally found in competitive online games (not all) and it is mostly due to anticheat not being compatible with linux - you can check the compatibility of your main games on protondb.com - there are ratings. i don't even bother checking if new games are going to work - unless it is a competitive game - they have all worked for me.

 

[BrickStation]

Best thing to do if you're looking into Linux is boot from a live USB and use it before you install. Ubuntu, Mint Cinnamon, or Pop OS are pretty user friendly. Mint is one of the more popular OS, especially for Window users since it mimics the Windows theme.

As mentioned before, OBS will work, I have it installed on my Pop OS workstation. I've also switched from Windows 11 to Pop for gaming recently and the experience overall is better, I was even able to install mods from Nexus Mods. One thing that surprised me was that Fallout 4 has yet to crash to desktop, it was always a guarantee to crash on Windows even without mods.

Quite a few Linux distros automatically install Nvidia, AMD, and Intel drivers for graphics cards. Pop OS has all three options when you run the installer, for example, and it will also install drivers for an older card like my 1070 or the 960 you have in your signature.

 

[USAFRet]

You don't have to jump all at once, with no fall back.

For a while, run Linux from a USB, or dual boot on a different drive.
See how it goes.

 

[dmroeder]

Long time Linux user here (Kubuntu). I haven't had a windows machine at home for about 12 years.

When people ask whether they should make the switch or not, the right answer often is probably not. But I always say, no reason not to try it out. Spin up a virtual machine with VirtualBox and goof around. Maybe take a youtube video you've already created and create it again in your Linux VM. Or make a new one in your VM to see what it will be like. Cool thing about this approach is if you don't like the flavor of linux you chose, you can delete the VM and spin up another one.

I switched because I got bored of Windows and Linux was something new to learn. Around 12 years ago, I stopped using Windows, though I still use it professionally. I've installed and used both OBS and Davinci Resolve in Linux.

 

[rickentick44]

ive been recomended linux a couple of times, but i havent really looked into it mostly because:
1. it would require me to learn another code language (im currently using lua).
2. i would not be able to use my regular day-day apps(also a youtuber).
3. i just didnt feel like figuring that out at the time.

You might actually enjoy a distro like Catbird Linux, with its array of apps for content creation and writing code. Has OBS, GIMP, Shotcut, etc. Neovim and Wezterm are configured in Lua, and I think the latest installed version is 5.1. It is a "window manager" distro, with DWM and a fancy terminal, and a lot of command line tools.