So I've mentioned before but was waiting on an SSD upgrade, but I'm finally taking the plunge into Linux gaming now. Those of you that are using Linux for gaming, is Garuda the best distro? Should I try something else?
Main concerns are being able to run as much of my games as possible, with the biggest portion of my library being from GoG, the rest with Steam. I'd prefer to not have to spend hours on config files for every game. I do intend to keep a Windows partition to dual-boot, but for me to consider this a success, the vast majority of my single player games and emulation needs to be in Linux. I don't plan to share installs on an NTFS drive so I can play on one or the other or anything, if it's to run in Linux it will be on a proper Linux partition.
My Linux experience and knowledge is well above average, it's been my "productivity" desktop for about 4 years now. I've done some small-scale server administration going back 20 years. Command line doesn't scare me, but I'm pretty bad at getting things to work that I have to compile myself.
I know Trump is the hot topic right now, but no reason to be the only topic.
My personal recommendation for someone who is new to full-time Linux is: don't get involved in non-mainstream distros.
There are a lot of distros that might be just perfect for what you want. But if something doesn't work right or, worse, something works and then stops one update, you're going to be SOL for a while because there are fewer eyeballs on your specific software landscape.
The sales pitch of these alternative distros is usually "better than Ubuntu, better than Fedora, better than Arch". This isn't nefarious, and they might be 100% correct for certain component values of "better". They just want that critical mass of users where the support machine takes off on it's own. But, unless you're both an expert and okay with having a borked system until such a time that you yourself can figure out a problem (and, most likely, figuring it out based on what happened in another distro that was similar), you'll be unhappy.
I'd recommend something like Ubuntu or popular derivatives from Ubuntu like Mint, Pop_OS. I'd even say interest in SteamOS is high enough that they have that critical mass with the extra bonus of avoiding Ubuntu descendants. If you're okay hitting the books and can follow guides precisely, you'll learn a lot with Arch, but that's a rolling release which brings it's own issues for people who "just" want to game (or go online, or do spreadsheets, etc).
Good news is I'm not new to Linux at all, just gaming on Linux. I know nothing about how to do any of the graphics stuff, outside of just install and hope amdgpu works. I've been on desktop Linux for 6ish years now. Just not on a gaming PC. The PC at my desk is just a little mini PC and it's what I do internet, spreadsheets, business stuff, scripting, etc. on. I actually moved from Ubuntu to Fedora because of the rolling release thing. Can't remember specifics, but there was something I had that was not cooperating that had native support in a newer kernel, and back then Ubuntu was on some ancient 4.x kernel. Most of my other experience is Debian or RHEL based server stuff, which skills translate to gaming pretty much zero outside of comfort with the console. I'm not great with drivers, because you just don't have to do that much on servers.
I think I'm going to start with Arch and just see how it goes. I was thinking of going to that on desktop some day anyway. If it doesn't go well then I'll try Steam OS or something.
Funny enough, I had the idea that Steam was only officially supported on Debian, because that's all they offered on the website. Yeah, I should have at least looked at my own system first. I never expected it would be in the Fedora repos already.