Modern linux distros, and especially with KDE stuff (so Kubuntu/KDE Neon) is just amazing. It's a very easy jump from windows because plasma can have a windows-y setup and look.
Unless you have really bad luck and very specific hardware weirdness, shit just works from the start.
The proprietary drivers for Nvidia can shit the bed, that's true, but sadly that's nobody's fault except Nvidia who refuse to fucking open-source them.
And unless you play a lot of specifically incompatible games, something like 80% of my steam library is either Native or basically native through proton, and another good 15% works through proton with a few commands/fixes that were listed on the proton website. I rarely have to think about the fact that I'm on linux, and when I do I just check the protonDB website and see what commands/fixes people there suggest and it works.
The only thing that can have little issues is audio but those are getting fixed constantly.
I really hate pulseaudio and jack so the one big thing i'm super excited for is for pipewire to get better and become the new standard, which should happen very soon given how stable it already is.
It works with default stuff and setup sure. if you want to do anything beyond that tho it's complete hell.
Trying to setup audio-pulse for recording things or streaming things for example is incredibly annoying. A lot of audio related software (audio production, etc..) avoids PA completely and requires jack, which is even more annoying to setup and configure and maintain, especially if you do it on your regular machine and want it to work alongside PA, or if you want to replace PA with jack permanently and have it auto-start, etc..
Basically if it works (which it probably will) it's fine, but if there's issues they can be almost impossible to fix (I for example have a weird stutter bug that randomly happens on a music player app, or my mic keeps resetting to its default volume and removing my settings, etc..). I don't want to shit on the insane work that went into PA and ALSA, I love the people who made it and contributed, but at this point it is a big trashpile of code that is increasingly difficult to maintain, isn't very flexible (specific software needs and setups are basically impossible without a lot of hacks) and has a lot of compatibility issues.
Yes? I know, that's why I mentioned i'm excited for it to be the new standard. It works but it's not fully available/integrated into OS as a standard, such as on ubuntu. I know I can install it right now and it would work, but I'm waiting until it's mature and fully standard.
Yep, this. I use arch (btw) with KDE, and there's no way I could use Windows or macOS. I need the flexibility and cheap software for both my personal projects and my job. I think what probably makes it is that I'm not a high-end gamer, just a few easier Steam games now and again and some classics like Age3.
I do really like Pipewire. There are definitely some crinkles still to iron out but it's really coming along and simplifies everything so much.
Modern linux distros, and especially with KDE stuff (so Kubuntu/KDE Neon) is just amazing. It's a very easy jump from windows because plasma can have a windows-y setup and look. Unless you have really bad luck and very specific hardware weirdness, shit just works from the start. The proprietary drivers for Nvidia can shit the bed, that's true, but sadly that's nobody's fault except Nvidia who refuse to fucking open-source them. And unless you play a lot of specifically incompatible games, something like 80% of my steam library is either Native or basically native through proton, and another good 15% works through proton with a few commands/fixes that were listed on the proton website. I rarely have to think about the fact that I'm on linux, and when I do I just check the protonDB website and see what commands/fixes people there suggest and it works.
The only thing that can have little issues is audio but those are getting fixed constantly. I really hate pulseaudio and jack so the one big thing i'm super excited for is for pipewire to get better and become the new standard, which should happen very soon given how stable it already is.
audio is already flawless on the linux desktop
pulseaudio just works, it just detects everything and works
pipewire also just works as well, i've been using it for like months now and it's stable as hell
It works with default stuff and setup sure. if you want to do anything beyond that tho it's complete hell. Trying to setup audio-pulse for recording things or streaming things for example is incredibly annoying. A lot of audio related software (audio production, etc..) avoids PA completely and requires jack, which is even more annoying to setup and configure and maintain, especially if you do it on your regular machine and want it to work alongside PA, or if you want to replace PA with jack permanently and have it auto-start, etc..
Basically if it works (which it probably will) it's fine, but if there's issues they can be almost impossible to fix (I for example have a weird stutter bug that randomly happens on a music player app, or my mic keeps resetting to its default volume and removing my settings, etc..). I don't want to shit on the insane work that went into PA and ALSA, I love the people who made it and contributed, but at this point it is a big trashpile of code that is increasingly difficult to maintain, isn't very flexible (specific software needs and setups are basically impossible without a lot of hacks) and has a lot of compatibility issues.
Recording from a digital piano has been a fucking nightmare. It seems to be totally random when it works and when it doesn't.
pipewire does work though and it has clients for alsa, jack, and pulseaudio
pipewire is already complete on the audio side, the only side it's incomplete in is the video side
Yes? I know, that's why I mentioned i'm excited for it to be the new standard. It works but it's not fully available/integrated into OS as a standard, such as on ubuntu. I know I can install it right now and it would work, but I'm waiting until it's mature and fully standard.
Yep, this. I use arch (btw) with KDE, and there's no way I could use Windows or macOS. I need the flexibility and cheap software for both my personal projects and my job. I think what probably makes it is that I'm not a high-end gamer, just a few easier Steam games now and again and some classics like Age3.
I do really like Pipewire. There are definitely some crinkles still to iron out but it's really coming along and simplifies everything so much.