LucShep

With Windows 10 reaching end of life (EOL), and if one is unwilling to upgrade to Windows 11 or uninterested in Linux (for whatever reason), using a “customized” version of Windows 10/11 focused on lightweight design and privacy could be a practical solution. These “customized” versions - such as ReviOS, AtlasOS and Tiny11 - are unofficial editions of Windows, modified by independent communities. The goal is to provide the same Windows experience, but with: Less bloatware (no Cortana, Edge, telemetry, Microsoft Store apps, etc.) Better performance on weaker or older PCs More privacy (fewer background services sending data to Microsoft) Faster boot times and lower RAM/disk usage _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Disadvantages / Risks Not officially supported by Microsoft (no warranty, no automatic updates) Some versions come from non-transparent sources → always a risk of altered code Certain features may not work (e.g., Windows Defender, Microsoft Store, updates) Sometimes they remove too much, causing possible issues with drivers or apps _________________________________________________________________________________________________ ReviOS Best balance between performance, stability, and compatibility. Focused on performance and low latency, popular among gamers; keeps full compatibility with games and drivers. Base: Official Windows 10/11 with deep optimization Focus: Reduced latency, less bloatware & telemetry, full game and driver compatibility Works with: NVIDIA/AMD drivers, Steam, DCS World, peripherals, etc. Pros: Faster boot and system response Keeps Defender, Windows Update, and Store optional Clean installation — nothing important removed Cons: Updates are manual (you apply project patches) Some Microsoft online features (account, OneDrive) are disabled by default Official site: https://revi.cc AtlasOS Focused on maximum FPS and minimum latency. Similar to ReviOS but more aggressive, aiming for maximum FPS and lowest input lag. Built for: eSports and pure performance More aggressive removals: Defender, Windows Update, Cortana, Edge, etc. Best for: Gaming-only PCs Cons: No native protection (you’ll need your own antivirus/firewall) Some Windows apps/features won’t work Official site: https://atlasos.net Tiny10 For very old or low-end hardware. Extremely lightweight versions made by NTDEV, based on clean Microsoft ISOs. Good for very old PCs, but very minimal. Extremely lightweight (under 10 GB installed) Comes without: Windows Update, Store, Defender, and many dependencies Best for: Old PCs, offline setups, or testing Not recommended for daily or online use Author: NTDEV — https://archive.org/details/tiny-10 (note: it’s best to verify on the official NTDEV blog before downloading) _________________________________________________________________________________________________ If your goal is to stay on Windows, without upgrading to Windows 11 and without suffering MS shenanigans, while making it lighter, faster, and more private, these alternatives may be a solution - provided you download only from the official project sites and verify the files’ integrity. Anyway, just a heads up.

FWIW, you got a couple more errors on that LOG, make sure it's not a mod (or a problematic module) creating the problem: Line 205: ERROR EDCORE (528): Drivers errors while mounting coremods/aircraft/f-15e/liveries/f-15ese/usaf 17th ws af90 low vis clean.zip: Line 206: ERROR EDCORE (528): ZipDriver: Failed to open zip archive coremods/aircraft/f-15e/liveries/f-15ese/usaf 17th ws af90 low vis clean.zip. Line 223: INFO DX11BACKEND (544): DX11Renderer initialization (w:2560 h:1440 fullscrn:0 vsync:0 adapter:0 monitor:0 shaderErrors:1) Line 239 to 258: ERROR DX11BACKEND (544): Shader "/shaders/ParticleSystem2/groundPuffComp.fx" failed to compile. Reason: /shaders/ParticleSystem2/groundPuffComp.fx:65:1: W4300: Redefinition of LIGHTING_DECAY. /shaders/ParticleSystem2/groundPuffComp.fx:66:1: W4300: Redefinition of LIGHTING_DECAY_SECOND. /shaders/ParticleSystem2/groundPuffComp.fx:67:1: W4300: Redefinition of LIGHTING_FLAGS. /shaders/ParticleSystem2/groundPuffComp.fx:68:1: W4300: Redefinition of LIGHTING_SHADOW_PARTICLES_COUNT. /shaders/ParticleSystem2/groundPuffComp.fx:69:1: W4300: Redefinition of LIGHTING_WORLD_OFFSET. ParticleSystem2/common/clusterLighting.hlsl:77:31: W4300: Redefinition of ComputeLighting. ParticleSystem2/common/clusterLighting.hlsl:78:39: W4300: Redefinition of ComputeLightingInternal. ParticleSystem2/common/clusterLighting.hlsl:79:36: W4300: Redefinition of GetParticleLightInfo. ParticleSystem2/common/clusterLighting.hlsl:80:42: W4300: Redefinition of GetShadowParticleLightInfo. /shaders/ParticleSystem2/groundPuffComp.fx:75:1: W4300: Redefinition of LIGHTING_DECAY. /shaders/ParticleSystem2/groundPuffComp.fx:76:1: W4300: Redefinition of LIGHTING_DECAY_SECOND. /shaders/ParticleSystem2/groundPuffComp.fx:77:1: W4300: Redefinition of LIGHTING_FLAGS. /shaders/ParticleSystem2/groundPuffComp.fx:78:1: W4300: Redefinition of LIGHTING_WORLD_OFFSET. /shaders/ParticleSystem2/groundPuffComp.fx:79:1: W4300: Redefinition of LIGHTING_PARTICLE_SHADOW_GET_FUNC. ParticleSystem2/common/clusterLighting.hlsl:77:31: W4300: Redefinition of ComputeLighting. ParticleSystem2/common/clusterLighting.hlsl:78:39: W4300: Redefinition of ComputeLightingInternal. ParticleSystem2/common/clusterLighting.hlsl:79:36: W4300: Redefinition of GetParticleLightInfo. ParticleSystem2/common/clusterLighting.hlsl:80:42: W4300: Redefinition of GetShadowParticleLightInfo. /shaders/ParticleSystem2/groundPuffComp.fx:902:20: E5017: Aborting due to not yet implemented feature: Non-direct structured resource store.

Bazzite protects you from yourself but it also locks you in when you want to act like a "power user". I'd say to take Nobara (KDE or Gnome, as you prefer) for a spin. It's as close as “Bazzite without restrictions” as it gets right now. It's mutable Fedora base (meaning you can install everything with dnf). It comes with the same game packages and optimizations (Proton GE, DXVK, OBS, MangoHUD, codecs, etc). No crashes - you can tinker with the system, customize everything, compile, etc. More traditional, but equivalent in performance. In practice, “Nobara is what Bazzite would be if it were mutable.” It only lacks automatic rollback and atomic update (which you rarely need).

Dude, relevant for what? Steam stats are only a really tiny portion of the global user stats, which was what was being discussed when you replied with that (once again!). People are getting tired of Windows shenanigans, and the closest working alternative is Linux, period. If that's not your case, fine - use Win11 and the upcoming Win12. That's your choice. If gamers (including DCS users) feel stuck with an OS that they despise, knowing that it's clearly going from bad to worse, then why would anyone oppose to the idea of exploring some other OS that may provide most (if not all) of the same functionality with none of such problems? And where does that hurt you, really, for you to insist (on and on and on and on) with a point that doesn't relate? Don't like it, don't use it. Interested? Then stay tuned, or maybe give it a go and pick a distro (my 2 cents). That's it. Got nothing to do with stats.

Just to clarify where those "ballpark figures" came from - they're all pulled from public, human-compiled datasets rather than anything hidden or speculative. Steam Hardware & Software Survey: https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey Linux share sits around 2-3 percent of monthly active users, roughly equal to about 3 million PCs. StatCounter Global Stats: https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/desktop/worldwide Reports Linux desktop share between 2 and 3 percent worldwide through 2025. Flathub Stats Dashboard: Flatpak downloads have roughly doubled since 2022, showing higher desktop activity. The official Flathub statistics page: “Statistics | Flathub” shows total downloads and apps. Flathub - Apps for Linux A news article reporting that Flathub has passed 2+ billion downloads. https://www.phoronix.com/news/Flathub-Two-Billion-Downloads The stats directory showing year-folders for Flathub downloads (indicating long term data collection). Flathub - Apps for Linux Canonical / Ubuntu blogs and Launchpad metrics: Canonical has published multiple posts and pages showing user metrics, repository activity, and desktop adoption trends confirming Ubuntu and its derivatives remain the most widely used Linux desktop base. “A first look at desktop metrics” (June 2018) — Canonical’s initial data about Ubuntu Desktop installs, upgrades, and geographic distribution. https://ubuntu.com/blog/a-first-look-at-desktop-metrics “Canonical and Ubuntu – user statistics” (October 2018) — Explains Canonical’s approach to telemetry, user-count transparency, and privacy. https://ubuntu.com/blog/canonical-and-ubuntu-user-statistics “Ubuntu Live Stats” (Launchpad.net) — Publicly visible Ubuntu ecosystem metrics (bugs, translations, code, and repo activity). https://launchpad.net/ubuntu-stats “Ubuntu Desktop 24.04 LTS: Noble Numbat deep dive” (April 2024) — Mentions that “Ubuntu powers millions of PCs and laptops around the world.” https://ubuntu.com/blog/ubuntu-desktop-24-04-noble-numbat-deep-dive Arch and Manjaro mirror telemetry: Arch and Manjaro maintain public mirror directories showing ISO and package activity; timestamps and file volumes indicate consistent year-over-year growth since 2022. Arch Linux Downloads page: https://archlinux.org/download/ Example Arch ISO mirror (dotsrc.org): https://mirrors.dotsrc.org/archlinux/iso/latest/ Example Manjaro mirror listing: https://mirror.archlinux.tw/Manjaro/pool/overlay/ (NOTE: the caveat here is these sources demonstrate that mirror/ISO/package telemetry exists and is visible (downloads, timestamps etc). However, one can not locate a source that publishes “steady rise” as a quoted official growth figure for arch/manjaro ISO downloads publicly in a simple graph or table with date-based trend (at least not in the sources I found). So the statement “show a steady rise … since 2022” is still reasonable deduction (based on visible increasing timestamps, releases, mirror traffic) rather than a clean “here’s the table” citation) UnionTech / Deepin (UOS) press releases and IDC analyst reports (2023-2024): mention "millions of users" for Deepin / UOS deployments across Chinese government and SOEs - exact figures vary. “Linux Deepin’s big brother claims it’s hit three million installs” (by The Register) — reports UOS has “over three million installs” in China. theregister.com “Recently … UOS has shipped over 6 million units in the desktop market” (on a Chinese-site article) beijingetown.com.cn “Deepin community … global users over 5.4 million … its downstream commercial distribution UnionTech UOS has been installed on over 6 million devices in China.” linuxjournal.com “China-made OS aims … with potential mass market of 300 million individual users” (in a 2020 article) globaltimes.cn (NOTE: These sources support the idea of “millions of users/devices/customers,” but they do not always offer a fully transparent breakdown (free vs. paid, region, exact dates)). In the end, none of these sources agree perfectly - which is exactly why any figure has to be treated as an estimate, "ballpark figures". Combining them gives a reasonable global Linux desktop range of roughly 40-60 million users (about 2-4 percent market share). Whether one prefers StatCounter, Steam, or distro-mirror data, they all point to the same trend: Linux's share is small but steadily growing, helped by better drivers and more user-friendly distros. And THAT trend was the only real point behind my post back there! Anyway, the sources above speak for themselves - folks can check whichever they trust most. Negative. You're not paying attention to the sequence of posts and their context (which is EVERYTHING). He's posting the same chart that he has repeatedly posted for eons, without context to the post (mine) to which he directly replied to, with that. He's trolling -again- and you're fueling him - YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!!!!!111111oneoneoneone So, this thread starts with news that there'll be changes on Linux, involving Vulkan, Nvidia and VK3D, which should boost Nvidia to work as good there as it does in Windows. Which will soon benefit anyone - including people in here - who does not want to continue using Windows (for all the valid reasons!) and have been at the side fence looking at Linux (deterred by the lower gaming performance of Nvidia there). Then it became a back and forth argument about the validity of Linux in the gaming scenario..... Then its validity in the grand scheme of global usage..... Then it spiraled into a “philosophical” fight about AI credibility rather than staying on-topic about Linux...... Seriously, WTF has gone wrong in these forums??

What, you again? Still grasping at straws on repeat with Steam charts which, alone, don't matter to the current discussion? Go away troll. What? ....ashamed?? LMFAO ooh boy, the drama! Look, nobody said the numbers were gospel. They’re clearly labeled as estimates - as I mentioned, and again, just rough ballpark figures based on public data like repo stats, project reports, canonical blogs, mirrors and forums data, ISO downloads estimates, Github stats, distrowatch rankings, Steam surveys, etc. That’s how almost every Linux userbase estimate works, since hardly any distro publishes exact telemetry. The point wasn’t to “fake data”, it was to show Linux’s scale has grown - especially with Windows 10 going EOL. If you think the numbers are off, cool - bring your own sources! But yelling “lies” and telling me "I should be ashamed" (ROFL!) over something that’s obviously presented as an approximation just misses the point, is downright comical, and does not invalidate the argument and the context, at all. This isn’t about being “AI-generated” or “made up” - it’s about putting rough context behind a trend that most people already see happening. And that’s not something you can “push back” against - it’s simply the reality.

Sure thing bro, go ahead and do your own research to contradict the ballpark figures shown there (which is all they are). Have fun in the process.

Unsure it'll help but, this may be worth a look:

Sorry pal, got more things to do than waste time searching all over the interweb for what the AI will pull up in mere seconds, from the same inumerous internet sources... (canonical blogs, mirrors and forums data, ISO downloads estimates, Github stats, distrowatch rankings, Steam charts, etc) .....which you'd probably contest anyway and label as "just random untrusty data from the internet" riiiiiight? Notice the "FWIW" (For What Is Worth) that I used there. That's what AI has been well used for - pretty good for quick ballpark figures (i.e, rough estimate numbers for a general idea) and valid enough for matters like this one.

Be it as it may, things are only getting better for Linux and its varios distros. Numbers are already very significant and will only increase. FWIW, enquiring ChatGPT about ballpark figures of Linux users: I think it's a reality that some kind of exodus of Windows has already started. Which also means more people involved and more men at work, directly or indirectly, to make things better. With the upcoming Nvidia improvements for it (see video on first post of this thread) more users will get to Linux gaming. Even Pimax (VR) now mentions Linux support in their roadmap. As for other HMD brands, it seems VR in Linux is more complicated but no longer impossible (check). Although it'd be fantastic, I'm not counting on @mbucchia to make VR software for Linux. Others will find a way for most popular headsets. I see simracing FFB peripherals starting to get support (for example), one would presume same will eventually happen with flightsim equivalents. Headtracking already works, with Opentrack (with Lutris inside DCS wineprefix, I read somewhere), even some compatibility for TrackIR seems to be developed (linuxtrack). Matter of time until things get better organized and standardized, and for other interested users here to atempt the transition in much easier ways.

Meanwhile.... ....and it's just one among so many other Linux distros, for which similar stories will be happening. It'll be cool to see the numbers in a few months from now.

Yep. And I think that there's a misunderstanding regarding Linux. It's not trying to take on the world and become a monopoly. That won't happen, not anytime soon if ever. It's about having a great alternative, for anyone who has all the valid reasons to be discontent with MS Windows and wants a way out of it. I get that the adaptation fears, the related complexities, and the lack of mainstream info (so many questions about software compatibilities) scare people away. But, regardless, there is interest. The simple fact that Bazzite alone (just one among many of the Linux versions/distros) gained over 10.000 users (ten thousand) between May and August this year is telling. That was two months ago... you can count on many more giving a chance to whatever Linux distro since then (disgruntled users with Win10 EOL) and even more in the future.

It's tough to recommend one because none will feel like Windows. Opinions vary which to recommend. I think it'll depend on the use case. Whether it's more "generalistic/casual" (also the kind you'd put on a non-gamer machine) or mostly PC gaming focused. And whether you prefer an "immutable" or a "mutable" distro (more about it HERE) - the former may be better for a newcomer, but very restrictive once he/she becomes progressively more advanced as a user . Each distro comes ready with more or less and different stuff (drivers, apps, etc) already pre-installed and set - which is an important aspect of each distro, to provide a more "hands on aproach" out of the box for the user, i.e, lose less time installing and testing stuff. It's more about "which one suits my preference", so looking/reading (watch reviews, etc) about each, and maybe test for a short period if curious, is recommended. All are capable of being a "daily driver" OS, but I'd say: "Generalistic/Casual use" - Mint, Ubuntu and Zorin are among the most popular. "PC Gaming focus" - Bazzite, Nobara, Pop!_Os, Manjaro, Garuda and CachyOS are among the most popular. Mint actually works for gaming and is great for someone new to Linux or migrating from Windows, but you may need a bit more manual setup (drivers, Proton, etc). It's a solid choice for stability and minimal tinkering, but gaming performance is not on par with “gaming-focused” distros, which will generally do much better for that use case. Bazzite is a gaming-focused distro (Fedora-based), it works great for gaming (comes prepared with packages and optimizations) and good for someone new to Linux, or migrating from Windows. It might be the "easiest" to adapt, it's ready to game "out of the box". It's great for new users who prefer a "set it and forget it" experience. However, its immutable design means that making significant changes or customizations later on could require more work, compared to other distros (note: all others in this list are mutable, aka "traditional"). The non-english translations are also a bit "crude", which also denounce the "still in development" stage and feeling of this distro. Pop!_Os may be the single best choice for most users who are migrating, if one distro has to be picked (balance of ease, gaming performance, and high-end hardware support). It offers strong out-of-the-box support for GPUs, for gaming and modern hardware, yet remains beginner-friendly enough for a smooth Windows-to-Linux transition. It feels refined if compared to other distros in this list (maybe because it's being backed by a company - System76), even if the Gnome desktop environment feels unrelated to Windows. It's definitely worth trying, in my opinion. Nobara is probably the best overall choice if you’re more adventurous and comfortable learning new things (or anticipate a lot of tweaking for DCS with peripherals or VR). It's built specifically for gaming (Fedora-based), includes game packages and optimizations (Proton GE, DXVK, OBS, MangoHUD, codecs, etc) and, for someone migrating from Windows, it’s very attractive because many of the “gaming setup” tasks are already handled. Some users might find the experience a bit "rough around the edges", particularly with incomplete translations or less-polished features. But, having both KDE and Gnome for the desktop environment means it can also suit different tastes, really good. Then there are three other popular choices that are Arch-based, which are more of a risk, or harder first step, for a new user migrating to Linux. 1) Manjaro is generally stable, performant, with rolling updates, but a bit less predictable and might need a few extra steps for gaming-specific optimization, if compared to Bazzite or Pop!_OS. It does have a large community, so solutions are easy to find, and it may be the easiest Arch-based distro to use and with least Arch-specific pains. 2) Garuda, which is very performance and gaming-oriented, with lots of customizations and tools. It offers great power and flexibility, but updates can occasionally break things, and the learning curve is high. 3) CachyOS, which is highly optimized for gaming (custom kernels, performance-tuned) and aimed at power users. It’s excellent for someone who enjoys tweaking/optimizing and is already comfortable with Linux, but it’s probably quite challenging for a beginner migrating to Linux. The thing with these three distros is that, while they try to simplify, the Arch base they use means a higher potential for constant manual fixes or troubleshooting. TL;DR: best Linux distros for gaming (and DCS World?) from easiest to hardest: Bazzite ↔ Pop!_OS (tie) → Nobara → Manjaro → Garuda → CachyOS The tie between Bazzite and Pop!_OS is because the former is “easier” from the first boot, but the latter is more forgiving once you want to change things.

@SharpeXB As always with your long standing "modus operandi", you keep derailing threads. To keep talking in circles, with back-and-forth arguments, just to guide the conversation off-topic, in whatever unrelated direction that entertains you, is not being part of a discussion. And that ruins meaningful debates. I've been guilty myself of taking your bait and fueling you - my bad - sorry to everybody else who was looking into this. You've dismissed the topic outright, without even having the most basic understanding of Linux, how it runs games. It's been made clear that this subject doesn't interest you, nor does it concern you. You're clearly antagonizing for whatever sadistical reason. In other words: it's "trolling". So there is no point for you in being here. Go away. Go derail some other thread, please.

Note that there are two versions of Necksafer: VR Neck Safer Steam VR: https://gitlab.com/NobiWan/vrnecksafer VR Neck Safer OpenXR: https://gitlab.com/NobiWan/xrnecksafer