I installed Linux in a dual-boot setup on my desktop, using separate SSDs for Windows 11 and CachyOS. I also run Linux Mint on older hardware as a small server, but my main goal for the desktop is gaming with Steam and titles such as Counter-Strike and Factorio.
The CachyOS installation took considerable troubleshooting. I had to be careful with Secure Boot and an NTFS drive that needs to remain accessible from both Windows and Linux. After initially getting Steam and Counter-Strike working, the system failed to boot the following day. I eventually restored an older Btrfs snapshot, but that rolled back the installed applications as well. Some people suggested the NTFS drive might have contributed to the problem.
More recently, I tried to get back into the system by installing Steam and Factorio. CachyOS's gaming-package installer failed with dependency errors, and running a system update produced an error about a missing package database such as extra.db. Checking the mirrors did not resolve it. I understand that Steam's Proton compatibility tools are important for Windows games, but I am unsure what needs to be installed manually and what Steam handles automatically.
I am willing to spend time setting everything up initially, but I do not want a system that requires frequent troubleshooting afterward. I am looking for a stable gaming-focused Linux distribution without unnecessary bloat, advertising, or spyware. Have I simply had unusually bad luck with CachyOS, or is Bazzite likely to provide a more dependable, low-maintenance experience?
3 Answers
It sounds like you were hit by several unlucky problems at once. CachyOS does not necessarily behave this way for everyone, and once the initial setup issues are resolved it may become easier to use. If you are already close to having it working, sticking with it and learning the basics could be less effort than starting over.
If gaming is the main purpose of the machine, Bazzite is worth trying. It is designed to get a gaming setup working quickly, and Steam should install the necessary Proton components alongside it. Keep games on a Linux filesystem such as your SSD rather than installing them directly on NTFS; NTFS is generally fine for shared documents and media, but running games from it can cause problems.
You might also prefer a more conventional, beginner-friendly distribution such as Manjaro with the Xfce desktop. It should involve less of the specialized troubleshooting you have encountered, although some games may occasionally need a different Proton version selected manually in Steam. Compatibility databases can usually tell you which version works best for a particular title.
The NTFS drive is only intended for shared storage. I plan to install the games on the Linux SSD, so that part should not be an issue.