I was in the same situation in 2012, after testing the beta version of Windows 8, it was clear that I finally had to switch to Linux.
You need to adapt your workflow and expectations and implement what is left with solutions that are easy to maintain or at some point you’ll get fed up
The problem is not even getting it running with all the programs you think you need, you also have to maintain it, that’s the harder part.
If the next system update causes problems and you have to solve dependencies issues manually, Linux is no fun.
This is why I’m spending a bit time now testing and trying things. I want to understand what I need and try and simplify where I can so if I need to redo stuff it’s not such a big headache. It’s one of the reasons I like Mint… the only tweaking I do after a fresh install is dark theme and disabling animations, but I find Mint fits my needs best on a laptop or as a VM.
ok , i want to take time and read everything in this post , but because of time shortage , i will ask a few questions regarding switching to linux . recently i am heavily considering linux , i am in windows 10 . i am a designer btw , i work with CFD , CAD , simulations and 3d rendering , these are the things i do i my pc for now .
the softwares i use are -
ntopology
starccm+
rhino 3d
blender
maya
unreal (occasionally )
Would i be able to run these softwares , if there isn’t a linux version , i am thinking abt using something like bottle , winapp .
i am leaning towards Debian for its stability , researching more into windows environments .
if i use a vm in linux for windows , how will the performance loss be like especially for rendering 3d and stuff ?
i plan on dual boot but separate ssd for a few months at least , cant risk it
I am far from an expert and my work needs is building software which is usually a lot easier to switch over to Linux even when working with Microsoft’s DotNet.
Because you need 3d acceleration, you may need more than 1 GPU and be able to pass/dedicate 1 of the GPUs to a Windows VM if you can’t find an alternative option for what you need on Linux. As with any VM, there will be some performance loss, but I think 3d should be decent if you dedicate a GPU to the VM. GPU pass through is not something I’ve tried yet…
Some apps can work using WINE which fools the software into thinking it’s running on windows… it’s how most windows games work in Linux, but that will require some research and stability might be an issue when that software updates requiring new WINE tweaks to get it to work again.
The basics should not be an issue. Drivers, editing docs, email, and browsing the web is for the most part something you don’t have to worry about out the box. I installed Mint on my mom’s laptop a few years ago now and it’s been great… she even got the printer working all on her own. But certain types of specialized software can get tricky and may have only 1 option which is Windows… either standalone machine or VM with GPU pass through.
I will say this, when you first try Linux it can feel impossible. You won’t even know what to ask or google. I’ve used Linux for simple things here and there over the last 8 years or so and mostly for secondary devices like laptops, but it’s not quite as easy to just switch your main setup as many online like to make it out to be… especially when you don’t have a lot of time to experiment and test what works and what doesn’t. Once you clear that initial hump things will start to click, but that first hump can be tough and frustrating.
There is Chris Titus Tech’s Windows Utility which allows you turn off a lot of the crap in Win11. My brother is using this and it seems OK so far. It is a bit of an arms race though and who knows what the next windows update will bring that the tool can’t handle.
I’m sticking it out and I’m going to have to learn new software because I just can’t get myself to install win11, and I REALLY want to take the easy route here, but I think Microsh!t is just getting started…
I think integrated + a 5080 should work. Use the integrated for the main machine and then pass the 5080 to the Windows VM.
Again, I’m no expert. The most advanced thing I’ve done with Linux is a Proxmox server which really wasn’t that difficult, but I’ve not done any GPU pass through stuff.
I’m also ditching Visual Studio which I’ve used since mid 2000s. I tried VS Code, but out of the box I disliked it right away as just about everything needs some sort of plugin. I’m currently using Rider which is OK and out of the box I didn’t need to add anything extra to run my personal C# projects, but mainly it’s not Microsh!t
i came across this thing called winboat , seems very promising tbh , so far from what i understand , its kinda like a vm , but running on linux directly . no gpu passthrough \ acceleration so far , the devs say they are working on it . this seems like an ideal choice if u want windows software to run on linux with 100% compatibility
