Are These Six Myths About Linux Still True In 2022? – Terminal, Nvidia, Software, Hardware & Gaming
99In this video I discuss some myths about Linux, and whether they are still true in 2022.
Myth Number 1 - You Have To Use The Terminal In Linux.
Linux includes a command line-based utility called the Terminal, but depending on your distribution, you will likely never need to use it.
For example, distributions such as Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Pop OS or even Manjaro include full GUI tools for near enough everything you would want to do with your system.
But on the flip side a distribution such as Arch, which is exclusively Terminal based will not include GUI tools by default, so you need to use the Terminal.
Myth Number 2 - Linux Is Had To Install.
In 2022, all modern operating systems have a full GUI installer, including Linux, but granted, unlike Windows, it is unlikely that will purchase a computer with Linux preinstalled, unless you purchase online.
So, in that case, you will need to install Linux from scratch, which I think is where the supposed difficulty comes from.
The process involves choosing a distribution, downloading the ISO for that distribution, flashing it onto some bootable media, booting from the installation media, and running through the installation wizard.
Of course, if you install Windows from scratch, you do the exact same process, so the difficulty level is the same for Windows or Linux.
Myth Number 3 - Nvidia Does Not Work On Linux.
If you install and use the Nvidia proprietary driver on Linux, you will have full support for NVENC, Cuda, G-Sync, Free-Sync as well as accelerated 3D graphic support for gaming and browsers although the latter does need to be enabled manually.
Nvidia also provides a day one driver for all hardware launches on both Windows and Linux and supports the hardware equally over the lifetime of that product.
Historically, Nvidia support has been lacking on Linux, especially when it comes to switchable graphics as officially only laptops with 10 series and newer have support under Linux.
Myth Number 4 - Software Availability Is Lower For Linux.
Linux supports every browser found on Windows, every well-known open-source project such as Audacity, Putty, Libre Office, Kdenlive, OBS Studio, VLC, and GIMP, as well as proprietary software such as Discord, Steam, Zoom, TeamViewer, Dropbox and Spotify.
However it does not support subscription based software such as Microsoft Office or the Adobe suite.
Myth Number 5 - Hardware Support Is Lower For Linux.
Technically, Windows does have more drivers written for it than Linux, but chances are that if you plug a device into a system using a Linux distribution, then the hardware will be recognised and start working straight away.
There are some exceptions however, Nvidia hardware and certain wireless cards, but for the most part, if you have a recent Linux kernel installed, you have the latest drivers installed.
In fact, due to the nature of the Linux kernel, hardware that is not supported under newer versions of Windows may still work with Linux.
However in some cases, popular hardware, such as VR headsets will not work with Linux due a lack of a driver.
Myth Number 6 - You Cannot Game On Linux.
As of 2022, approximately 80% of the games found in the Steam store that were originally developed for Windows are now playable to some extent on Linux but this does mean that there are approximately 20% of games that cannot be played on Linux.
In most cases, this is usually true for games that use DirectX12 or kernel level anti-cheat such as EAC or BattlEye, and the gap widens when you take popular games not found on Steam such as Fortnite, Valorant, and Warzone which are very unlikely, if ever to work on Linux.
Unfortunately, this does mean that it is very likely that you if you do switch to Linux, there will be some games that will work.
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