I'm fed up with Microsoft and ready to switch to Linux, but I really need help making sure my workflow doesn't suffer during the transition. Here's what I'm looking to run or replace:
For gaming, I play titles like GTA V Online, Call of Duty, and BeamNG.drive. I know Linux gaming has improved a lot, but I don't want to believe everything works perfectly if it doesn't. If dual-booting or keeping a minimal Windows install is the best route, I'd appreciate that info.
For school and daily use, I primarily rely on Google Chrome (Docs, Drive, Classroom, etc.), as well as PDFs and some basic office tasks. This part seems manageable.
When it comes to photography, I need Adobe Lightroom – that's a must unless there's a real alternative out there.
Lastly, I use OneDrive for about 700GB of data.
I'm realizing the switch might not be completely doable right away. Perhaps debloating and optimizing Windows 11 might be a more realistic approach for now until I can get a more powerful computer capable of running Windows as a virtual machine and transferring files to a NAS.
4 Answers
Running GTA V Online and Call of Duty on Linux is pretty much a no-go because of the anti-cheat systems. You might have to stick with a dual boot setup if gaming is a priority. For now, sites like ProtonDB can help you check the game's compatibility with Linux, just in case you want to explore other games that might work better.
Honestly, if you want to keep your gaming options open, dual booting is your safest bet. While you can run a Windows VM for non-gaming tasks, anti-cheat systems often flag VMs. So if those games are a must-have, you'll want to keep Windows on hand just for them.
Totally makes sense! I guess I'll stick with dual-booting for now.
For cloud storage, access is usually straightforward through your browser, but syncing with OneDrive might be tricky. As for a gaming setup, many folks do dual boot with one drive set up for Windows and the other for Linux to keep things neat and tidy.
That sounds like an effective strategy! I’ll definitely consider dual-booting.
You're right about the Adobe software; it's a pain on Linux. Alternatives like Darktable for Lightroom could be worth checking out, but they aren't exactly the same. If you just need basic PDF handling and web access, that should work fine on Linux. Make sure to check integration options for your storage solutions like Google Drive and OneDrive because they might require extra steps to sync up.
Thanks! I’ll look into Darktable, but I might just stick to Windows for photo editing.
Gotcha! So dual booting is the safest bet for me, huh? I’ll definitely check out those sites.