Hey everyone! I'm new here and excited to join the Linux community! I'm considering switching my main PC to Arch Linux for better control and resource management, but I have some concerns, especially regarding office tasks and gaming. I work extensively with documents, including PDFs, Word, and Excel files. I've tried a few alternative office suites on Linux, but none have fully satisfied me yet. I'm looking for recommendations on reliable PDF editors or office suites that work well with Linux. Additionally, I use iCUE for my peripherals, and I'm curious if there's a way to emulate or replace that functionality on Arch. I'd really appreciate any tips or experiences you can share! Thanks in advance!
3 Answers
Hey there! You’re not alone in this transition! For office software, there are a few options: LibreOffice is quite popular, but if you really want something similar to MS Office, you could use the web versions through Edge for better compatibility. As for gaming, you'll definitely want to research compatibility on ProtonDB for specific titles. Some run great, while others—especially those with tougher anti-cheat measures—may give you trouble. And for your peripherals, OpenRGB is an excellent alternative to iCUE if you're mainly focused on RGB lighting!
Switching to Arch can indeed be a bit of a headache, especially if you're relying heavily on software that doesn't have robust Linux support. Dual booting with Windows or running a VM can be a great solution if you find you can't give up certain applications just yet. As for office suites, besides LibreOffice and Google Docs, you might also try OpenOffice, though I’ve heard mixed reviews. But just be prepared for some initial hurdles; Linux can be a learning curve!
Welcome to the community! For office tasks, I'd recommend checking out LibreOffice—it’s a solid choice for documents and spreadsheets. It may differ a bit from MS Office, but you can tweak the settings to make it feel more familiar. If you're open to online options, Microsoft 365 works well in browsers and Google Workspace is a good alternative too. As for gaming, it depends on which games you're into. I suggest looking at ProtonDB, which provides compatibility info for many Steam games. Just keep in mind that some games with anti-cheat systems might not run well on Linux. It all comes down to your hardware too, like whether you have Nvidia or AMD graphics. Lastly, for managing Corsair devices without iCUE, check out OpenLinkHub. It might do just what you need!
Thanks for the advice! I'm definitely considering dual booting if I find Arch too challenging, especially for office tasks.