this post was submitted on 02 Jan 2024
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If this has affected you, it's time to try out linux, even if you are just running it off of a flash drive for a few days.
Linux Mint is very plug and play, and should feel pretty similar to windows.
Can you play games on Linux Mint? Or are other distros (like Garuda) better for gaming?
I play games on Ubuntu. You can play games on any Linux distro as long as you can install steam or WINE or Lutris or any of the other compatibility layers that let you play most Windows games.
You probably won't notice performance differences between distros. It's likely a few percent at most. You can generally install all the same apps and tools.
If you're new to Linux, pick based on the update schedule and desktop environment.
For updates you have periodic vs rolling release. Debian-based distros (Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora) tend to be periodic and give good stability if you're using your PC for more than gaming. Arch-based distros (Endeavour, Garuda) tend to be more cutting edge if you're solely focused on games.
For DEs it basically comes down to KDE If you prefer Windows or Gnome if you're used to Mac. Though Cinnamon and XFCE are great lighter alternatives, and similar enough to classic Windows.
Mint with Cinnamon is a great starting point, and should be stable and comfortable. I'm personally switching to EndeavourOS with KDE mostly for its closeness to SteamOS.
If in doubt, grab a portable HDD, install Ventoy, and drop some live images on there to try the distros yourself.
It is my understanding that Linux Mint will install the bootloader on the internal drive regardless of whether you tell it to install the remainder of the OS onto the external drive. You can change the boot partition wherever you want, but I suspect that does not affect its end behavior. I would like the external drive to contain the bootloader such that my internal drive isn't touched at all by my fiddling with Linux. I currently have a Samsung 990 Pro 2TB SSD in an external USB case, Mint installed, but with no compatible bootloader. Is there a way to sort the bootloader problem?
This will depend on the Linux distro, some of the installers make it very clear which drive the bootloader will go to, and others won't - more so in the case of BIOS/MBR based systems.
Systems that use UEFI should only have a bootloader where the
/bootpartition (which should have the partition type "ESP", generally labeled in the installer) - however during the installation of this it may modify your PC's boot order to try to boot from this first. Both legacy BIOS and UEFI systems should have a way to change the boot priority however, so that this won't be a problem.Sadly it's a bit hard to be specific since every distro's installer is different, and I haven't used Linux Mint in 8+ years to know what their installer's behavior is.