I'm planning to switch from Windows 10 to a Linux operating system—specifically, I'm leaning towards Kubuntu with KDE. Before I make the change, I have a few questions and concerns about the transition:
1. How does the file system work? I have my OS on an SSD (C:) and my game folders on a secondary drive (D:). If I install Steam on Linux, can I link these folders, or will I need to redownload all my games and lose my progress?
2. Can I still access my other drives after switching?
3. My PC has relatively older hardware (like an NVIDIA 2060 Super), and I'm curious about how to check if my setup is supported. I need to know about compatibility for the games I play a lot, as well as drivers.
4. And lastly, any thoughts on why I should choose Kubuntu with KDE over other distributions? I've heard it's beginner-friendly, stable, and offers good customization, which suits me well since I'm quite tech-savvy and willing to dive into the details.
3 Answers
For checking compatibility, it's a mixed bag depending on your hardware. Most newer NVIDIA cards are supported well, but for specifics, I recommend checking the archwiki—it’s a treasure trove of information. Also, testing your hardware through a live USB of the Linux distro could give you a solid idea of what works. As for choosing a distro, if you like customization, Kubuntu is great. I've had good experiences with Linux Mint too—it's pretty user-friendly and stable!
The way files are organized in Linux is a bit different than in Windows. Linux treats everything as part of a single tree structure, so once you mount your NTFS drives, you can access them just fine—though beware that performance might not be stellar for gaming. It's smart to save big games externally or format your new drive to ext4 for better performance. Steam also supports cloud saves for many games, so check if your favorites do before worrying too much about progress.
Awesome, thanks! I guess I’ll need to check which games support cloud saves.
Good to know you're moving to Linux! Just a heads up—Linux and Windows use different file systems (Linux usually uses ext4 while Windows uses NTFS). If your games are on an NTFS drive, it's likely better to redownload them to avoid any issues. You can still access your drives, but you might face some tinkering to get everything working smoothly. Also, check out ProtonDB and Are We AntiCheat Yet? for game compatibility information.
But what about my save files? If I redownload, will I lose all my progress? Is there a way to keep that?
Thanks for the tips! I'm mostly worried about gaming software; I use some modding tools for Minecraft and others. Hopefully, those will work on Linux too.