I've finished building a new gaming PC and want to use Linux as my primary operating system. I've experimented with Arch on a test machine, but I'm still looking for recommendations before choosing a distribution.
I'm interested in trying SteamOS, although I would prefer a normal desktop experience rather than the console-style interface and boot flow. I'm also concerned about systemd and its past discussion around optional age-related account metadata, so I'd prefer a distribution that uses an alternative init system if that is practical. The computer will mainly be used for gaming, with only occasional general desktop tasks.
4 Answers
SteamOS can work if your hardware is compatible, but its immutable system and console-oriented design make it less convenient as a general-purpose desktop. For a gaming PC that you also want to customize, a regular Fedora, Nobara, Bazzite, Arch, or CachyOS installation will probably be less frustrating. Kubuntu could also provide a familiar KDE desktop, although it is not the first choice many people would make for a gaming-focused setup.
Most mainstream distributions use systemd, and the age-related change being discussed was only an optional birth-date field in user account metadata; it was reportedly reverted, and there is no clear indication that systemd is implementing an age-verification system. Replacing systemd on a system that officially depends on it is not usually straightforward, so choosing a distribution built around another init system is safer than trying to remove it later.
If you want something close to SteamOS but with a more traditional, customizable desktop, Bazzite is probably the easiest recommendation. It uses KDE Plasma if you choose that edition and is designed to work well for gaming with minimal setup. Nobara is another gaming-focused option based on Fedora, while CachyOS is worth considering if you want something closer to Arch with performance-oriented defaults.
If avoiding systemd is a firm requirement, look at Artix or Void Linux. Artix is based on Arch and supports alternatives such as OpenRC, runit, and dinit, while Void uses runit and has its own package system. They offer more control, but they can require more troubleshooting and gaming setup than mainstream distributions. Since you already have some Arch experience, Artix may feel more familiar, though a systemd-free setup is not necessarily the easiest route for a first full-time Linux gaming machine.
I’ve experimented with dinit on Arch, but I’m still not very clear on how it differs from runit and OpenRC. I’ll compare Artix and Void, though most of my use will just be gaming with occasional email and basic desktop tasks.
Thanks, that’s really helpful. I already have KDE Plasma running on my Arch test machine, so I’ll take a closer look at Bazzite and the other options.