Good news for those with Nvidia still on the fence about Linux

[Hiob]

Our company is about to transition the Frontend Workplaces to Linux. Only thing that kept us back for a while was our ERP, but this being switched now to a server/browser solution. everything else like office solutions, e-mail, Internet runs natively on linux anyway. Most users won't even notice a difference.

PC Gaming and Office are really the only places, Linux doesn't have the bigger market share, and most office workplaces could be swapped easily to Linux.

In the past there wasn't much incentive to switch. Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows 10 (already less so) where relatively inoffensive and Linux (admittedly) was cumbersome.
But now. Windows becomes increasingly annoying and intrusive with each update. MS becomes greedy with the licences and Linux becomes easier and easier to handle and to use.

I can't predict the speed of change. But change is happening. MS wouldn't be the first "unsinkable ship" that went keel up.

[LucShep]

On 10/15/2025 at 2:22 PM, speed-of-heat said:

I didn't say it couldn't , rather that it is not in a position to yet... the split is a function of how PC's are largely delivered... with Windows installed... when it becomes a standardised preinstalled option for more than Steam Deck , I will start to pay attention, but at the moment ...

It doesn't matter what a few of us think about Linux, or disbelieve/contradict.
Things have changed and are evolving fast, whether it takes six months or six years it'll surely get much further than it has already.

Win10 EOL yesterday, with TPM2.0 implementation by Microsoft, means basically locking out of Win11 (and upcoming Win12) a huge number of people with perfectly capable systems, who now won't be migrating to the newer OS, and will be looking to an alternative - right now that's a Linux distro.
The privacy concerns, all the bloating, the forced updates (which can and will break something at some point), all of these have been very real on Windows and, by the way things are going, my guess is when Win12 gets out it might tank - more people then will look for alternatives.

I just wonder, how many of you replying to this thread have tried one of these latest Linux distros, like Bazzite, Nobara, Pop!_OS, Mint, Zorin, among others?
If you didn't, then you might be in for a shock - most of them work out of the box for any regular desktop or laptop use (and for free), with an Office direct alternative included, and a bunch of free software/apps easily downloadable/installed through a "store" equivalent. No drivers hunting or installation - that's done through the distro's installation options. Just as easy/fast (if not more) to install in any system as Windows.

More people going to alternatives like Linux, either by choice or because no other better alternatives exhist, means more people messing with stuff and indirectly boosting its development, either by sheer motivation or necessity. Gaming and related subjects/accessories gets in the mix with that as well, and that's why things have been evolving fast there in last years. While not there yet for people into niche stuff like sims (such as DCS) plus respective gadgets, it'll eventually get enough conditions too.

Let's wait and see how it'll go.
One thing I'm certain, after messing with it for other users/systems, I'm definitely not "upgrading" to Win11 - worst case scenario I'll stay with the "outdated" Win10.

Edited 12 hours ago by LucShep

[SharpeXB]

1 hour ago, speed-of-heat said:

the split is a function of how PC's are largely delivered... with Windows installed

Because that’s how their customers want them. It’s nothing nefarious. If there was a profit in selling machines with Linux pre-installed they’d do that too. Some will.

But you’re still looking at and we still have a Betamax player in the family somewhere

Edited Wednesday at 02:52 PM by SharpeXB

[QuiGon]

4 hours ago, SharpeXB said:

Then why isn’t every game on Linux? Answer: It’s not profitable. And there are also support costs even if the port was totally free. Imagine DCS support dealing with multiple OSs

Huh? Pretty much every game is on Linux now, because of this Proton layer that Valve developed. That means you can play pretty much every game on Linux nowadays (except some competetive multiplayer games that have a kernel level anti cheat protection). It's no longer necessary for game devs to create custom Linux versions of their games.

https://www.protondb.com/

Edited Wednesday at 05:36 PM by QuiGon

[SharpeXB]

1 hour ago, QuiGon said:

That means you can play pretty much every game on Linux nowadays

So why this thread then? Go convert to Linux and stop worrying about Windows   Why aren’t you playing DCS on Linux? Oh yeah cause probably none of you peripherals would work. Kind of a deal breaker… 

Edited Wednesday at 07:05 PM by SharpeXB

[MAXsenna]

47 minutes ago, SharpeXB said:

So why this thread then? Go convert to Linux and stop worrying about Windows   Why aren’t you playing DCS on Linux? Oh yeah cause probably none of you peripherals would work. Kind of a deal breaker… 

Better read his response to me further up then. 

Linux might become the main to go OS for mainstream gaming, in let's say ≈5-10 years. Flightsims? Well, if MSFS becomes available... And pretty much everyone agrees that if peripherals and VR works. I'd say 50%+ will make the switch. Definitely if we get a performance gain.

Wish we had a "remind me in five years" feature on this forum!  

[Hiob]

50 minutes ago, SharpeXB said:

So why this thread then? Go convert to Linux and stop worrying about Windows   Why aren’t you playing DCS on Linux? Oh yeah cause probably none of you peripherals would work. Kind of a deal breaker… 

You really don’t get it, do you?

Nobody suggests that Linux is the end-all-be-all solution just yet. But things are improving and some mighty players (Steam) are pushing it.

Eventually, hopefully it will become a viable alternative to windows. And that’s a good thing, because windows SUCKS (nowadays).

[SharpeXB]

1 hour ago, MAXsenna said:

Linux might become the main to go OS for mainstream gaming, in let's say ≈5-10 years.

Likely not because people do other things with their PCs besides gaming. And most of whatever software they need isn’t going to be available for Linux. One of the big uses I have for my PC is doing taxes. Is that software available for Linux? Nope. So forget it. 

1 hour ago, Hiob said:

You really don’t get it, do you?

Right. I don’t. The angst over Windows is rather amusing though. 95% of people don’t care and have probably never heard of Linux

[MAXsenna]

1 minute ago, SharpeXB said:

Likely not because people do other things with their PCs besides gaming.

Yeah, you could be right. I keep forgetting I personally don't mix gaming and productivity on my computers. 

[QuiGon]

On 10/15/2025 at 9:01 PM, SharpeXB said:

So why this thread then? Go convert to Linux and stop worrying about Windows   Why aren’t you playing DCS on Linux? Oh yeah cause probably none of you peripherals would work. Kind of a deal breaker… 

If you would have read the thread you would know why that isn't an option for DCS yet:

On 10/15/2025 at 9:22 AM, QuiGon said:

The only thing that is preventing me from switching to Linux on my Desktop machine is the lack of driver support for sim peripherals like HOTAS, Track-IR or racing wheels that I need for my sim games. If that wouldn't be an issue I would have already switched over to Linux. My notebook, which I also use for some gaming, is already running on Linux.
 

 

[SharpeXB]

2 hours ago, QuiGon said:

If you would have read the thread you would know why that isn't an option for DCS yet

Rather a big obstacle. Not likely to be resolved…

So if everyone can easily run any Windows game on Linux, why are 95% of them still using Windows? Maybe because they don’t care about any of this.

[LucShep]

10 hours ago, SharpeXB said:

Rather a big obstacle. Not likely to be resolved…

So if everyone can easily run any Windows game on Linux, why are 95% of them still using Windows? Maybe because they don’t care about any of this.

At this point, either you're trolling or living under a rock.

Did you even read the title of this thread, and the OT?  You didn't, did you?
 

Edited yesterday at 10:28 AM by LucShep

[SharpeXB]

2 hours ago, LucShep said:

Did you even read the title of this thread, and the OT?  You didn't, did you?

So there are Linux drivers for Nvidia. That doesn’t mean people will migrate en masse away from Windows, there are so many other reasons it’s 95% of the market. And in DCS or flight sims there are too many peripherals that won’t work with it. So why do drivers matter?

[LucShep]

16 hours ago, SharpeXB said:

So there are Linux drivers for Nvidia. That doesn’t mean people will migrate en masse away from Windows, there are so many other reasons it’s 95% of the market. And in DCS or flight sims there are too many peripherals that won’t work with it. So why do drivers matter?

Maybe that's where you should have started and questioned, instead of repeatedly concluding nonsense based on zero experience. 

Pretty much anyone that has used Nvidia GPUs on Linux knows what a huge deal this is - probably the biggest thing for gaming on Linux in many years (if not the biggest ever).

There are plenty reasons why Windows will become less and less prefered (and lose numbers to alternatives):  the immense bloat (no matter what optimizations), the privacy concerns and the annoying ads (spying and telemetry occurs - even when you think you've disabled it all, it hasn't), forced updates that turn to be a lottery everytime (may or may not break something), TPM being a requirement for Win11 (leaving out many countless users with perfectly capable systems), and now the "AI companion" thing that -is speculated- may become mandatory to the OS (non-disableable).

And then, consider that most PC gamers are using Nvidia (dominates the GPU market at +90%). This is not trivial, really, if you think about all these things.
You already have countless numbers of Nvidia GPU users just waiting for it to happen - people who, for many years, still dual-boot just to game on Windows and, when done with that, get back again to Linux for their non-gaming daily PC usage.
If gaming gets the boost on Linux, both in user numbers and developments, it's just a matter of time until you see solutions for the "problems" (or complaints, for lack of support) that people encounter on Linux when migrating from Windows.

Two very simple and basic examples of such common problems/complaints to ilustrate: 
- "There is MSI Afterburner on Windows, to overclock/undervolt the GPU and make custom fan profiles" ...well, now there is an alternative on Linux (GWE).
- "There is RivaTuner on Windows, for in-game monitoring (FPS, Frametimes, % usage, temps, power, etc)" ...well, now there is an alternative on Linux (Mangohud).

And the list goes on, and on, and will keep increasing/improving.
With more and more people giving Linux a chance at some point, for whatever reasons, the chance that they'll enjoy it (and stick with it) also means more and more small developers helping it to evolve - as the saying goes: "Rome wasn't built in a day".

The constant progress of Linux and its distros already make it a viable (and free) solution today, with many already prefering it over Windows on a daily basis (no spying, no bloat, no ads, no TPM, no forced updates breaking your stuff). With all these issues in Windows, it'll just push more people towards Linux, as the alternative. 
At some point, if it can overcome all those problems of Windows, make it a viable (and free) alternative where you can finally use equivalent stuff (if not the exact same stuff) for your gaming, peripherals and VR (etc), then why wouldn't you migrate to it? 
 

Edited 7 hours ago by LucShep

[SharpeXB]

14 minutes ago, LucShep said:

You already have countless numbers of Nvidia GPU users just waiting for it to happen

Sure. Like 3% of the market. “Countless” is a stretch

16 minutes ago, LucShep said:

get back again to Linux for their non-gaming daily PC usage

How or why would someone do this when in all likelihood whatever software they need to use won’t be available for Linux? 

[LucShep]

14 minutes ago, SharpeXB said:

Sure. Like 3% of the market. “Countless” is a stretch

Oh really?    You have stats on how many Nvidia users are dual-booting Linux/Windows today?

That's a good one... pulling numbers from your arse does not equal reality. 
 

14 minutes ago, SharpeXB said:

How or why would someone do this when in all likelihood whatever software they need to use won’t be available for Linux? 

What do you mean?
I can use everything I need on Linux for my daily PC usage, inclusively for work (so, outside of gaming), as good or better than on Windows, with none of its downsides.
 

Edited 22 hours ago by LucShep

[SharpeXB]

1 minute ago, LucShep said:

You have stats on how many Nvidia users are dual-booting Linux/Windows today?

A limited number of enthusiasts no doubt. How many people would go through such hurtles for no real benefit?

[LucShep]

1 minute ago, SharpeXB said:

A limited number of enthusiasts no doubt. How many people would go through such hurtles for no real benefit?

I'm sorry, but you're talking in circles... what are you speculating, really?  And where does that fit in this thread?

[SharpeXB]

3 hours ago, LucShep said:

I'm sorry, but you're talking in circles... what are you speculating, really?  And where does that fit in this thread?

This is one of those circumstance where multiple competing products do not actually benefit the consumer. Like VHS and Betamax. So your prediction in the OP that Linux will see greater and greater market share isn’t considering this reality. Imagine a world where NaturalPoint has to produce three versions of its TrackIR software for no increase in potential customers. Or where customers have to choose between competing OS products which to them are nearly identical but have differing app support. That just adds extra cost and confusion. And in the case of software, a learning curve. Everyone is aware of this which is why companies and customers will gravitate to a single format or system. Every so often this lesson gets forgotten like the HD DVD vs Blu-ray disc war etc. That’s why 95% of gamers are on Windows. And why you don’t see very many games or peripherals that support Linux. So there won’t be a “format war” between Windows and Linux, everyone knows how that would end and the loser in the contest would be the customers. Nvidia producing drivers for two OS only increases their costs, which they pass on to the customer. For graphics cards which are already very expensive. 

Edited 19 hours ago by SharpeXB

[LucShep]

12 hours ago, SharpeXB said:

This is one of those circumstance where multiple competing products do not actually benefit the consumer. Like VHS and Betamax. So your prediction in the OP that Linux will see greater and greater market share isn’t considering this reality. Imagine a world where NaturalPoint has to produce three versions of its TrackIR software for no increase in potential customers. Or where customers have to choose between competing OS products which to them are nearly identical but have differing app support. That just adds extra cost and confusion. And in the case of software, a learning curve. Everyone is aware of this which is why companies and customers will gravitate to a single format or system. Every so often this lesson gets forgotten like the HD DVD vs Blu-ray disc war etc. That’s why 95% of gamers are on Windows. And why you don’t see very many games or peripherals that support Linux. So there won’t be a “format war” between Windows and Linux, everyone knows how that would end and the loser in the contest would be the customers. Nvidia producing drivers for two OS only increases their costs, which they pass on to the customer. For graphics cards which are already very expensive. 

Listen, I could try to educate you or point to info, but I won't - it's all in hundreds (thousands?) of internet articles and videos explaining (in depth, or losely, there's all kinds) why Windows has been going on a downward spiral and will only get much worse from here on, and why Linux is going on an upwards one - perhaps people should be aware.
It's not my job trying to convert users (I hate that sh!t). It's up to you to be informed, understand, and maybe decide what to do (or not to do) - if that interests you, that is.

What I know is simple and is this: I want the OS on my own PC to be an OS, because that's all it should ever be.
I don't want it to be bloated;
I don't want it to spy on me;
I don't want to have ads on it;
I don't want my PC to be an AI PC;
I don't want it to do needless updates if (and especially when!) I don't want it too, or having updates breaking my stuff out of nowhere;
I don't it want it to decide that a plethora of capable hardware out there is no longer supported, and then left out hanging (forcing to buy new stuff when it's not needed!); 
I also don't want to spend hours investigating and tweaking it all over again, everytime a major update or version comes out, just to block all of this moronic stuff - I'm tired of it.

Windows used to be great up to Win7 (plus Service Packs), when long standing issues could be ignored in favour of its other qualities. No more, it's gone too far.
If whatever OS (seems to be Linux) can provide what I want/need on a daily basis, then once it also provides most of what I want/need for gaming, that's it: "bu-bye Windows". 

But hey, that's just me and some few other guys (according to you), so...  ..."you do you".
 

Edited 7 hours ago by LucShep

[SharpeXB]

44 minutes ago, LucShep said:

Windows has been going on a downward spiral and will only get much worse from here on, and why Linux is going on an upwards one

I very much doubt Linux is ever going to take any significant market share from Windows. I’ll bet most people don’t even know what it is. Heck if Linux really wanted to swing for the fences they’d have to advertise. But since it’s open-source who would have anything to gain from promoting it? So I can’t imagine any “I’m a Linux” adds with Justin Long in a penguin suit.
But yep you do you