this post was submitted on 02 Nov 2025
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I partially switched to Linux this week, I had an older Windows machine just laying around so I decided to install Linux (I went with Mint) sit it next to my regular Windows machine and set up a switch to easily switch between them. That way if I really need Windows, I still have it. I don't think I will.
I'm still configuring the (now Linux) machine and getting everything like I like it, and all I keep wondering is why I didn't try this sooner. There are so many cool things (like sftp right in the File Manager? right on). I have no complaints.
Steam has run every game I've tried with only minor tweaks (switching to recommended Proton versions for each game, basically). Gaming is not a problem on Linux anymore. I've run old games (Torchlight II, Portal 2, Skyrim) and new games (Oblivion Remastered, Baldur's Gate) and the only problem has been my shit-ass video card just can't run them basically (1050Ti, time to upgrade, lol).
A little while doing all this and I'll convert the Windows machine to Linux and be rid of Windows altogether. Before the end of the year, hopefully. Everyone should give it a try.
I think your experience is the most common way people first try Linux: most people first try Linux when they have a computer that is no longer valuable to them.
That was what happened to me. I had a Windows laptop that was running too slow for use, and a friend suggested setting up a Linux partition before I bought a new one. I did, and got another two years out of the laptop.
Now I see a lot of libraries and hackerspaces offering folks help doing this.
I understand that things have changed a bit since I first moved over to Linux - moving from Red Hat Linux to Ubuntu 'Warty Warthog' was such a revelation in overall user-friendliness and usability, back in the day. But upgrading my graphics card from an NVidia one to an AMD was a similar change. I might have only just installed the base operating system and a desktop environment and haven't got around to a web browser yet, but I've already got full hardware accelerated graphics - that's crazy.
Most distros now make the NVidia drivers a complete non-issue, I think? My 6600XT is requiring just a few too many compromises on new games, so I'll need something new too, sooner or later. I used to hold off on graphics cards updates until I could get something twice as good so that it was a noticeable upgrade, but I could buy a pretty decent second-hand car for all the ones which are 'twice as good' now.
An upgrade from a 1050 Ti shouldn't be such a problem. Well done on keeping it alive so long - I had a GeForce GTX 970 that would have been a similar age, but it let out its magic smoke years ago.