Hey everyone! I'm thinking about making the switch to Linux because I'm not keen on upgrading to Windows 11. I want to know if it's feasible and not too complicated to run a few specific Windows applications and games on Linux. Here's what I'm looking to run:
1. Games like Diablo 4, SWTOR, STO, GOG Galaxy, and Steam.
2. Photoshop CC 2015.
3. A program called John's Background Switcher.
4. Adobe Acrobat Viewer.
I'm a bit worried about potential memory issues when running these programs. I definitely have more concerns on my mind, but can't recall them right now. Any advice would be super helpful!
5 Answers
If you're looking into Linux specifically for gaming and creative work, you might want to check out Regata OS or Aurora Linux. They are tailored towards balancing those needs, making the transition a bit smoother. But be aware, if you try to run Windows software, you're likely going to encounter complications.
You'll find that most Windows games run well on Linux using Proton, provided they don't have kernel-level anti-cheat. Just check ProtonDB for specific game support. For Adobe products, though, they unfortunately don't work on Linux, so if those are essential, you might want to keep Windows as your main OS or dual-boot for the best of both worlds. Otherwise, you may need to adapt to Linux-native software alternatives like GIMP or Krita.
For alternative software, you could probably use GIMP instead of Photoshop. There may even be a way to run Photoshop CC 2015 through Wine – just be prepared for some troubleshooting. For PDF viewing, web browsers can handle that pretty well, and there are plenty of Linux PDF viewer alternatives out there.
If you rely on Windows programs, Linux might not be the best fit as it operates quite differently. It can run some Windows software via Wine or a VM, but it's not guaranteed to work seamlessly. If your workflow depends heavily on Windows apps, I’d suggest trying Linux on a secondary machine or through virtualization to see how it feels.
For gaming on Linux, a good starting point is checking out ProtonDB and AreWeAntiCheatYet to see how your favorite games perform. As for Adobe’s software, you might need to let that one go since they don’t officially support Linux. You could consider using a virtual machine to run Windows apps, but it's not always the most efficient solution.
Seriously? I use Photoshop and PDFs a lot, and it works fine for me.
What do you need Photoshop for, exactly?