Kubuntu is pretty solid, I personally went with the full install…KDE Plasma is so flexible and can look it’s best with the tweaks users can apply. For the getting Flatpaks over Snaps, you do need to enable the option in Discover, but once you have and restarted…Snaps (save system critical ones) will be optional to install, and Flatpaks will take priority in Discover. Canonical low-key annoys me with their insistence on focusing on Snaps over Flatpaks. They are creating fragmentation in the Linux space just to establish a proprietary packaging system; Canonical is one of the most corporate Linux distros, but damn, the advantages of third party support codecs and drivers right before installation is blessed. Makes setting up a PC so easy. I hit the ground running, often after only 20 minutes, being able to use my PC without further configuration demands.

Ubuntu 24.04 would both be a solid recommendation, as you don’t really need a ‘gaming’ distro per se to game on Linux! It boils down to software choices, hardware support, and a recent Linux Kernel for said hardware support. (I edited this due to noticing the laptop you are using has an NVIDIA Graphics card, and historically Fedora takes umbrage with proprietary drivers).

I run Kubuntu 24.04, using Heroic Launcher for installation and playing my GOG games, Steam (with Proton Compatibility Layer for non-native games) for games I bought there.

If you want to, there’s nothing wrong with using Bazzite on your laptop. Bazzite is more useful for gaming handhelds in my opinion; while any distro with sane defaults work just as well.

ROFL More like chains of Microsoft!

I’ve had luck with anything common, if it wasn’t recognized immediately there was a driver that I could download. Huion, the makers of a drawing tablet is an example of this, they’ve packaged their drivers in a .deb or tar.gz! It’s super easy to install and use the product you purchase. I honestly find that Ubuntu has the best support for not only proprietary drivers but also stuff like PC components. However, if you are using super fresh PC components and the like, the higher the distro’s kernel version, the more likely you’ll have better hardware support.

When it comes to esoteric or not a popular bit of tech, I am always careful to do research first before deciding to shell out cash for it. VR support is pretty spotty, but it might get better if more people gamed using that particular tech. I think Linux as it is, has made huge strides in hardware support via kernel upgrades. It’s my hope that even more work is put into the kernel to make hardware support seamless for future Linux users.

She only got banned because she was trying to make it seem like the harm Kiwi Farms did was minimal. Which is an obvious lie, Kiwi Farms is one of the biggest hives of villiany and scum; they’ve done so much harm to those they didn’t like for petty reasons. Particularly going after trans people and piling an unending torrent of harassment on them until they either kill themselves or go beyond the reach of Kiwi Farms. Proof of my claim that Kiwi Farms caused harm to the Trans community

She tried to conflate Discord unknowingly hosting mass shooters with being their allies. (I noticed said something along the same lines in a response, as you were trying to take the heat off of Kiwi Farms, sussy). That makes me wonder if this account is a sockpuppet, but I can’t say for certain, as there isn’t proof of that.

There’s always that element too, but he seems to be in a post growth stage in his YouTube presence. He hasn’t been as aggressive about growing…However, old habits are hard to banish, which means there is a chance this could be a calculated move designed to farm his audience and others for engagement in the algorithm. It could simply be born out of his own satisfaction with the Linux distro he’s currently using. Since he didn’t go into great detail, his motivation is up in the air. It seems to come from a genuine place, but that doesn’t mean the comment does originate from a genuine place. I suppose that I merely hope it stems from his honest opinion, only time will tell.

Jolly good, I’m only giving him props too…I don’t plan on watching his videos though.

I do too, I hope he can make a lot of people curious, not just children! Yeah, it helps others challenge their own assumptions and trying something new when a public figure tries (fails a bit on the way, but ultimately succeeds). Doing something new will mean you stumble a bit here and there, the fact he didn’t hesitate looking things up during the process is a good reminder to constantly ask questions and find answers.

Role Models aren’t chosen, they just end up resonating with people and helping shape positive changes within others…He has a lot of people who resonate with him and are inspired by him. The fact that he considered his ideas before going deep into the racist pipeline and turned it around makes him a good role model in my opinion. He took a break from YouTube, reflected on his choices, and came back after making a decision to shows others there is a better way to handle controversy. He didn’t double down, sink deeper into the cesspool of racist ideology, he resurfaced as a better person instead. That says a lot about his character, it makes him a positive influence. All people stumble along the road of life, but that doesn’t mean you have to fall to a level that some exist on; you can become an elevated person instead.

Interesting, given he has such a large fan base…It would bring Linux to the forefront. His honest reply about the state of Linux Gaming might sway some of his audience to experiment with Linux.

Before commenting, I did check and saw that he cleaned up his act after that white supremacist shit he was peddling. So that’s good, having positive role models for young people only makes the world better.

My only concern would be the specs of the machine; Laptops can vary so much in terms of performance and level of support for the components within it. It would probably work easily using Steam+Proton. I play The Sims 3 using Steam+Proton on my Ubuntu Linux Desktop, the performance is pretty good! It only made my processor a warm 63C to 65C, I played on high specs with shadows turned down (shadows are always resource hog). I had a few packs enabled, but not enough to truly test my system.

The worst hurdle is always the initial Vulkan Driver processing. Depending on the quality and heat management of the laptop/PC that will be used, it might overheat during this process. Afterward, she should have a perfectly normal launch experience. One thing I noticed is that attempting to sign in will cause a fatal error and the game will need to be restarted; cloud saves are not enabled for The Sims 3. You’ll naturally have to back up her saves and transfer them to wherever they’ll be going post Mint installation.

The packages are stinky as they are so old, in addition to program versions on offer are frozen several versions behind program versions on modern distros. System76 even started to offer Ubuntu 24.04 on their prebuilds for this reason. It’s too old and while they managed to bring more recent drivers to Pop!_OS, it’s going to be phased out when COSMIC DE is ready for stable launch with an Ubuntu 24.04 base. Pop!_OS is not a good recommend going forward; System76 let it get too old before taking appropriate action, but to be fair to them, building a DE from scratch is hard work.

Pop!_OS is a bit too out of date in my opinion, the packages are super stale as it’s based on Ubuntu 22.04! It certainly worked fine when I used it for a few months while trying to decide what distro was next. I used it briefly and enjoyed a lot of how System76 handles the Pop!_OS DE. However, so much of the software is trapped many versions behind of what is current in the Linux space…I can’t be certain System76 was backporting fixes to these old ass program versions because I did have odd issues from time to time. Nothing system breaking, just annoying to deal with.

However, even System76 has finally started to offer Ubuntu 24.04 on their prebuilds, as they knew their repository is very stinky at this stage. That opens up access to modern versions of programs, access to bug fixes that make using a lot of software a smoother experience. I would recommend System76’s COSMIC DE with an Ubuntu base when it is in stable; as the System76 team are bringing a lot of those handy Pop!_OS features with a brand new coat of paint and fresher (not bleeding edge) packages.

In summary: Choose what you want, what you have the easiest time working with.

A bit more into my own opinion-

Personally, I use Ubuntu as my gaming and productivity distro. It’s super easy to install and does everything for you (you can customize aspects of installation if you want). I’ve had issues installing Arch-Based distros on my rig, even with UEFI off. Arch-Based distros need more technical knowledge; I’ve found myself unable to dig too deep in the guts of certain aspects. The installer is truly hands-on, and due to the UEFI issue, my manual partitioning failed. It was specifically the EndeavourOS installer, which had this particular issue. Completely deleted my ability to boot Ubuntu, leading to a frantic night of reinstalling Ubuntu. I’d only suggest anything Arch related if you’re comfortable with learn by doing or have advanced experience with the inner workings of software.

For me, Ubuntu is a good middle ground that gives the user room to play, but also a stable base to build on top of. Valve’s Proton Compatibility makes gaming on most distros fairly easy because a lot of the work is done for a user. I’ve run so many games on Ubuntu just fine using Proton. There are exceptions for older games, which have different methods to get them running on Linux.

You can also enable Flatpak on Ubuntu (using commands to install the proper dependencies to make Flatpaks work on your system). There are so many options aside from using Debs and Snaps on Ubuntu. Snaps have gotten much better over time, I find myself not having any noticeable issues now since Canonical has worked heavily on the installer.

The distro I end up recommending more, second to Ubuntu, is Linux Mint because of their onboarding new users experience. It’s just as easy as Ubuntu to use, a bit aesthetically challenged though as Mint really embraces that default older Windows look. However, that familiarity helps ease new users into a Linux Distro.

Honestly, now it’s a toss-up between getting a Legion Go or a Steam Deck…As I prefer the control scheme Lenovo is rocking. I never really liked the massive touchpads. However, that could easily be resolved by using the Steam Deck in Docked Mode on my 4K TV. Getting cozy on the couch with a good game or on the go is pretty appealing. It makes me happy that another manufacturer is hesitantly embracing Steam OS, as it if this does go well, we’ll see more devices with Steam OS.

Its only one LTS Version behind, but its still very usable. I have confidence that COSMIC is going to be just as easy to use as Pop!_OS is now. This gives them an opportunity to make even more changes that will improve the end user experience. The System76 team knows what they are doing and won’t release a busted product.

Pop!_OS is built different than other distros, I only had to apply 1 tweak and was minor AF. Honestly, if they were up to date with Ubuntu, I’d still be using that banger distro. First they must build COSMIC, their Rust based DE.

With tweaking, I’m sure most games would be just fine running on the Steam Deck. It’s just a matter of figuring out the right settings.

I find older Windows games have the most issues like Oblivion or Morrowind if you install the stock standard GOTY. However, there’s an open version of Morrowind that can be run via Lutris its just a bitch to get Lutris to work. Persistence is key.

Gaming on Linux has drastically improved. I’m still cautious about buying non-native games and running them via Proton, but I am no longer worried about not having access to cool games! Proton is one of the best innovations that Valve came out with thanks to their Steam Deck. It makes non-native games feel like native titles, most of the time my save data is intact, and I can just pick up where I left off. It’s rare that I can’t use an older save if I am using Proton to play a game.

It is an old game, but The Fun Pimps have been working on it the whole time; the old console version was the only one that wasn’t getting updates because the studio that maintained it went under. It’s still surprising for me, even, that the 1.0 is releasing on July 25th.

I’ve been playing 7 Days to Die, the experimental 1.0! It’s been a fun but challenging experience. I’ve logged about 72 hours now (I had some play time before starting on the Experimental 1.0). I plan on playing Spirittea again on Xbox because they dropped the Fishing Update finally (Microsoft took their sweet time in evaluating the update).