Why this Linux distro is my new favorite Windows replacement
Zorin OS 17.3 is everything you know and all the things you need. See what makes this latest release so special.
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- Thread starter mkillio
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today I was browsing the Intel ARC series drivers webpage and found that you can enable RT on Linux using Intel. I haven't tried and probably won't:
https://dgpu-docs.intel.com/driver/client/overview.html#ubuntu-24.04
Unfortunately those don't do what you would hope they do.
Level Zero is Intel's own API for bare-metal execution of code for their various accelerators, GPUs not being the only target to their own admission. The point being, it isn't to enable Vulkan abilities, rather would service the layer below Vulkan, where low-level instructions would then be converted to Level Zero to then be sent to the chip itself,
What has occurred in your link is Intel has now exposed the RT-related components of ARC via their Level Zero API. This doesn't enable anything with VKD3D until someone else writes it.
Level Zero is Intel's own API for bare-metal execution of code for their various accelerators, GPUs not being the only target to their own admission. The point being, it isn't to enable Vulkan abilities, rather would service the layer below Vulkan, where low-level instructions would then be converted to Level Zero to then be sent to the chip itself,
What has occurred in your link is Intel has now exposed the RT-related components of ARC via their Level Zero API. This doesn't enable anything with VKD3D until someone else writes it.
do you know what's the name of that open source game that looks like Guitar Hero?
Talking about gaming on Linux, Resident Evil 2 is running pretty well. That said, I only noticed an emulation issue when using the computer screen where at the very beginning the policeman dies crashed by that metallic door. He is calling for help and the game there shows the policeman being prosecuted by a zombie. The sound coming from the computer works okay but the image of the CRT isn't visible at all.
so, I tried several Linux distros, and for several days, and well..., my favourite is Linux Mint, followed by Ubuntu.
Ubuntu is most familiar to me, and it works like a charm, there's a new version too. My only issue with it was that the App Center search gets locked at times for no apparent reason. Other than that, an almost flawless experience.
I also liked OpenSUSE a lot. Manjaro was fine too. The only issue I experienced with Manjaro is that the Update Manager sometimes showed you had some update, but you hadn't. The fix was to refresh the database, not much hassle but still...
Zorin OS is also pretty good. I installed it on my laptop. On my desktop machine though, I started to experiment with updating the kernel and so on and I managed to break it to the point it couldn't launch. Other than that, a great distribution which is working well on my laptop.
Linux Mint is installed on my desktop, definitely, it'll remain there for years to come. It works really well, and most importantly, it's totally compatible with the software I use.
I had to leave some EXCELLENT distributions that were working like a charm 'cos they didn't have a way to install the programs I use, it doesn't matter how hard I tried. On Linux Mint though, those same apps are really working well. Ubuntu also didn't have any problem with that.
What I miss from Windows is pc gamepass, and maybe Outlook.
However, Linux Mint, and Linux in general, handles updates like a breeze. There are also some Quality of Life additions. On Linux Mint for instance you have the option in the secondary mouse button menu to "Send to Trash" to remove a file like in Windows, but ALSO a Delete option so it's deleted without having to use the Caps keyboard key.
Other distributions have the option to Extract and Delete a .zip, .7z, .rar file, etc, along with a simple Extract option. I usually delete the original compressed file once it's uncompressed but I have to do that manually, which makes you lose time. That Extract and Delete option is a super idea too.
Ubuntu is most familiar to me, and it works like a charm, there's a new version too. My only issue with it was that the App Center search gets locked at times for no apparent reason. Other than that, an almost flawless experience.
I also liked OpenSUSE a lot. Manjaro was fine too. The only issue I experienced with Manjaro is that the Update Manager sometimes showed you had some update, but you hadn't. The fix was to refresh the database, not much hassle but still...
Zorin OS is also pretty good. I installed it on my laptop. On my desktop machine though, I started to experiment with updating the kernel and so on and I managed to break it to the point it couldn't launch. Other than that, a great distribution which is working well on my laptop.
Linux Mint is installed on my desktop, definitely, it'll remain there for years to come. It works really well, and most importantly, it's totally compatible with the software I use.
I had to leave some EXCELLENT distributions that were working like a charm 'cos they didn't have a way to install the programs I use, it doesn't matter how hard I tried. On Linux Mint though, those same apps are really working well. Ubuntu also didn't have any problem with that.
What I miss from Windows is pc gamepass, and maybe Outlook.
However, Linux Mint, and Linux in general, handles updates like a breeze. There are also some Quality of Life additions. On Linux Mint for instance you have the option in the secondary mouse button menu to "Send to Trash" to remove a file like in Windows, but ALSO a Delete option so it's deleted without having to use the Caps keyboard key.
Other distributions have the option to Extract and Delete a .zip, .7z, .rar file, etc, along with a simple Extract option. I usually delete the original compressed file once it's uncompressed but I have to do that manually, which makes you lose time. That Extract and Delete option is a super idea too.
Looks like Frets on Fire
many thanks! Will use the screengrabs I find on the internet to compare, that name sounds familiar, but I never played Frets on Fire.
On a different note..., this video from 2024 shows the creator trying Linux Mint.
maybe a bit too hardcore but still interesting anyways.
Kicksecure security rules for linux mint
If you're looking to apply Kicksecure-style hardening on Linux Mint to increase your privacy and system resilience, here's a practical guide covering AppArmor, DNS protection, kernel tweaks, and...
ppkcomputers210.weebly.com
Also available for windows
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There are many others, I've mostly used Performous and Clone hero with real E-drums. Which is much more fun than clicking some godawful plastic buttons.
some not so good news but also some good news. So I have 4 gamepads at home. One of them is a Canyon GPW3 controller, the other one is an old controller that emulates de Xbox One gamepad, both wireless, and then I have 2 wired PS4 inspired controllers.
First the not so good news. The Canyon GPW3 worked perfectly fine in Windows, via wireless -but didn't work when wired, to recharge the battery-.
On Linux my wireless X360-like controller works from the get go, but the Canyon GPW3 didn't. Linux detected the GPW3, and treated it like a device with a battery, more like a laptop than a gamepad.
Those are the not so good new and I was about to give up. But I connected the Canyon GPW3 using the cable and it started working!
Now comes the best part. My 2 PS4-like gamepads when the wireless controllers were connected on Windows didn't work. Even disconnecting the wireless controllers didn't fix the issue. Ever since I bought them a few years ago, I never managed to use them together, but I usually got 1 of them working, as long as any other gamepads were plugged.
However, in Linux they both work from the get go!
It's great 'cos I have 5 nephews, and 4 of them like videogames and during Christmas they couldn't play together some fun games that accept 4 players co-op because of the issue with the gamepads. So 2 of them could play but there were always two of them who had to watch the other 2 play, and it wasn't fun...
Now that's fixed on Linux.
First the not so good news. The Canyon GPW3 worked perfectly fine in Windows, via wireless -but didn't work when wired, to recharge the battery-.
On Linux my wireless X360-like controller works from the get go, but the Canyon GPW3 didn't. Linux detected the GPW3, and treated it like a device with a battery, more like a laptop than a gamepad.
Those are the not so good new and I was about to give up. But I connected the Canyon GPW3 using the cable and it started working!
Now comes the best part. My 2 PS4-like gamepads when the wireless controllers were connected on Windows didn't work. Even disconnecting the wireless controllers didn't fix the issue. Ever since I bought them a few years ago, I never managed to use them together, but I usually got 1 of them working, as long as any other gamepads were plugged.
However, in Linux they both work from the get go!
It's great 'cos I have 5 nephews, and 4 of them like videogames and during Christmas they couldn't play together some fun games that accept 4 players co-op because of the issue with the gamepads. So 2 of them could play but there were always two of them who had to watch the other 2 play, and it wasn't fun...
Now that's fixed on Linux.
An operating system has both a kernel and a set of userspace packages that allow it to actually execute software. It doesn't need a user interface but that's a pretty basic requirement.
Technically, Linux is the kernel, and for most Linux distros GNU is the set of packages that make it an OS. There's a few non-GNU distros.
The only thing GNU in a distro like Fedora or Ubuntu is glibc, bash and some core system utilities like mv etc. Ubuntu even plan to replace those system utilites: https://www.phoronix.com/news/Ubuntu-25.10-Rust-Coreutils
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