Hello and welcome! Always good to see newcomers around here!

Quoting: yourrealnameI noticed SteamOS seems to be a Linux distribution. Does SteamOS support non-Steam gaming?(i.e. Would I be able to play games I've purchased on GOG using SteamOS?)

Going by the Steam Deck, yes you can. But you'd probably be better off with a more general-purpose Linux distro - as far as I know there isn't a ready-to-go release of SteamOS for desktop use right now, though supposedly it's still on the way.

Quoting: yourrealnameCan Proton be used on other Linux distributions?

I haven't used them myself (so I'm really sorry for not being able to provide more information beyond this pointer!), but I believe you'll want to look into Bottles or Lutris for something like this.

Quoting: yourrealnameMy dad has recommended Linux Mint, but his usage is vastly different from mine(he doesn't use PCs for gaming at all, and never has).

I use Linux Mint Xfce Edition and game with it on my non-Steam Deck systems (I previously used Xubuntu for 15 years and Kubuntu for one), and haven't had any problems with that, so I'd certainly second the recommendation for Mint! It's incredibly well-polished, though as with anything there'll surely be an adjustment period from what you used previously.

Last edited by Pengling on 6 October 2023 at 3:18 am UTC

Quoting: yourrealnameI noticed SteamOS seems to be a Linux distribution. Does SteamOS support non-Steam gaming?(i.e. Would I be able to play games I've purchased on GOG using SteamOS?)

Do I need to be logged into Steam to use SteamOS?

SteamOS is Steam Deck only. On the Deck Steam needs to be running to be able to use the controls. On the Deck you would generally use something like Heroic to configure your non-Steam games and then add them to Steam. SteamOS is not a good general-purpose distribution (and isn't available outside of the Deck, although there are some other gaming appliance distros inspired or based on it for other hardware).

QuoteCan Proton be used on other Linux distributions?

Proton is Steam only, but has been a part of Steam on all Linux distributions for five years. There are tools based on Proton, such as GE-Wine, for use outside of Steam, and the components - such as DXVK - are open source for use elsewhere.

QuoteIf not, is there another Linux distribution that would suit my needs?(i.e. is Wine good enough to use for gaming?)

There's essentially no difference between the distros for things like gaming performance or availability of applications. The differences are in default configurations, default desktop environments, packaging method and update cadence, and the availability of support.

https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2022/12/the-best-linux-distribution-for-gaming-in-2023/

Quoting: yourrealname...

My dad has recommended Linux Mint, but his usage is vastly different from mine(he doesn't use PCs for gaming at all, and never has).

Fellow mint (xfce) user here, and I mostly manage my gog games library with the heroic launcher - it can handle installs with proton without the steam client.

For the dos games from gog I download their windows install files manually, and use innoextract to extract the game files for running them on a version of dosbox of my preference (dosbox-staging).

Last edited by emphy on 6 October 2023 at 12:53 pm UTC

Quoting: CatKillerThere's essentially no difference between the distros for things like gaming performance or availability of applications. The differences are in default configurations, default desktop environments, packaging method and update cadence, and the availability of support.

I have to agree, I did this with Fedora Workstation 38 and thus far been working solidly ever since I added Cinnamon Desktop to it.

That what I like about Linux, if you don't like something you might be able to find something online about adjusting it from there.

Quoting: yourrealnameGreetings,

My primary motivations are to migrate all of my gaming(and really all PC usage needs) off of Windows, but I don't(and won't) use Steam. As it appears most Linux gaming these days is based on Steam's solutions, this leaves me with some questions:

I noticed SteamOS seems to be a Linux distribution. Does SteamOS support non-Steam gaming?(i.e. Would I be able to play games I've purchased on GOG using SteamOS?)

Yes, that distribution can use games from GOG and other sources.

Quoting: yourrealnameDo I need to be logged into Steam to use SteamOS?

Yes, it will prompt you endlessly until you do.

Quoting: yourrealnameCan Proton be used on other Linux distributions?

Yes.

Quoting: yourrealnameIf not, is there another Linux distribution that would suit my needs?(i.e. is Wine good enough to use for gaming?)

My dad has recommended Linux Mint, but his usage is vastly different from mine(he doesn't use PCs for gaming at all, and never has).

I've got some experience with Ubuntu, and with Wine, though I don't currently have Linux installed on any PCs.

Your dad is right, you want a more general purpose distribution for your desktop. SteamOS is aimed solely at the Steam Deck, so if you aren't using it on the Steam Deck, then you're using it wrong.

Most if not all distributions can play games at this point, it's just the case of getting the right tools installed.

Since you are aiming to play games without Steam, there's two key applications you may wish to look at:
- Lutris
- Bottles

Both of these can make the installation of games on Linux easier overall. They will manage the installation of wine (proton) for you and provide a means to setup the games. I recommend bottles over Lutris personally. You may use either, or both if you want, it's up to you!

Additionally, if you're a regular GOG user and do not want to go download each game manually from the website or use Galaxy (like myself), you may wish to look into lgogdownloader:
https://github.com/Sude-/lgogdownloader

This utility can be setup to download all your GOG games as offline installers for you, which you can then use with lutris and bottles.

Bottles and Lutris can be installed using Flatpaks, which means they can be used on any distribution. lgogdownloader may, or may not be available in your chosen distributions repositories.

Without Steam, there does tend to be a little more tweaking and alteration required to get some games working perfectly, but that's merely because Steam automates a lot of that for you. Once you've applied the same tweaks, there may be no difference at all.

It may seem a little complicated at first, but once you've done a couple of games that way, the rest will be a walk in the park (it's not as much to learn as it seems).

The distribution choice isn't overly important, it's more down to what you prefer and what suites you. Try a few out, see which one works best for you.

If you have a Nvidia GPU, check how the nvidia drivers would typically be installed on the distribution before you install it, some distributions handle this better than others. It's best to know what to expect before you install, to make things easier.

Finally, one key thing to remember: Linux is not Windows. So things will be different.

Once you get used to things, you'll begin to enjoy it!

(Sorry if this is a lot of info! Just trying to provide a good subset of information to build off! )

Last edited by BlackBloodRum on 6 October 2023 at 5:35 pm UTC

Quoting: BlackBloodRumcheck how the nvidia drivers would typically be installed on the distribution

Any advice on how to go about figuring this out?

Don't worry about giving me too much info! I started building PCs before Windows 3.1 was available, and I've got fair bit of experience with jailbreaking Apple devices, and rooting my Android phones + installing new ROMs. I also love reading. :D

Quoting: yourrealname

Quoting: BlackBloodRumcheck how the nvidia drivers would typically be installed on the distribution

Any advice on how to go about figuring this out?

Don't worry about giving me too much info! I started building PCs before Windows 3.1 was available, and I've got fair bit of experience with jailbreaking Apple devices, and rooting my Android phones + installing new ROMs. I also love reading. :D

Typically the first point of call would be a quick duck search of "How to install nvidia drivers on <distribution>". Usually this should bring up how that particular distribution handles it. Though, do bear in mind there are some bad tutorials out there, so be sure to check separate results for the best solution (much like anything really).

The issue is that nvidia drivers are proprietary, which means many distributions don't bundle/install them by default for legal reasons.

Depending on the distribution, it could be a simple task of clicking install in a software manager, or a little more complex requiring the addition of third party repositories to the distribution to add the drivers. The good news is, once they're installed and setup it's usually sorted once and for all (it may break sometimes, but rarely if the distribution manages things carefully.)

I should mention this only applies to Nvidia GPUs. AMD GPUs have open source drivers available directly as part of mesa and the kernel, so they should work out of the box in any case.

As to your prior knowledge, that's great! If there's one thing that benefits a Linux user most, it's taking the time to read the manual and understand. That and a little patience.

All of the big distributions have documentation to help you get started, and if you have the time, go ahead and read! It really can benefit you.

Just do bear in mind, a lot of things you may have done on Windows won't apply on Linux (and vice versa), they are very different beasts. One of the hiccups a lot of people encounter when switching to Linux is that they try to use Linux the same way they used to use Windows, which often leads to confusion or anger when it doesn't work the same.

You'll find over time that's actually a benefit, not a drawback. Overall, it'll all clear up and become simple the more you get used to working with / using Linux.

Oh, and don't worry, it's not all commands and terminals! With some distributions you may never have to touch a command line.

Last edited by BlackBloodRum on 6 October 2023 at 8:31 pm UTC

My advice would be to stick with Ubuntu or an Ubuntu-based distro. If snaps are not your thing, go with Pop!_OS or Linux Mint. My reasons are simple. Look at the system requirements to run a game in Linux at either the GOG or Steam websites (either natively or via WINE / SteamPlay). They always indicate Ubuntu (and sometimes Linux Mint) in the requirements. For the developers and the stores, Ubuntu is clearly treated as the baseline Linux distribution. Ubuntu and it's derivatives are simple to use with tons of support resources available online.

I tested Linux Mint and then Manjaro before trying a couple more Ubuntu derivatives and settling on Pop!_OS. The gaming support in Pop!_OS is excellent. For an Nvidia GPU, especially a legacy chipset, support just seems to be more up-to-date on Ubuntu distros. With the new major version upgrade process, Linux Mint would likely be an excellent alternative if you find it difficult to adjust to the Pop!_OS Cosmic Desktop. I certainly find Mint's software manager superior to the Pop!_Store.

Caldathras has it right. Most help and instructions are for Ubuntu. Once you're feeling confident you can start looking around at other things, if you ever feel the urge for it.

Last edited by damarrin on 11 October 2023 at 12:24 pm UTC