I have used linux before and love it, only issue for me is im a gamer, until proton can fully integrate with some games Anti-cheat software, i want to know if this idea will work and ill try to give as much info as i can.
I have a Razer Blade Stealth early 2020 model with the 1650ti Max Q then i have a Razer core Chroma x with a 6600xt installed.
My idea is the use a windows VM and pass one of these GPU’s threw to it (pref the Nvidia one) and use something like Looking glass. This is mostly for Games that Proton doesn’t support yet like Valorent, RB6, ect.
Then use the 6600xt on linux for gpu support. Has anyone done this or know if its possible? I want to get away from using windows but the games keep me there.
I am not a gamer anymore (I don’t have time for it anymore.). However, I have heard many games that use anti-cheat can tell if they are running inside a virtual machine; if that is the case for any games you play, they will not run inside a virtual machine. So your best bet is to stay with Windows 10, or don’t purchase any games that require anti-cheat or special anti-piracy software. Also, don’t forget if you run Windows games natively on Linux, you will need to use Wine or Proton, and there isn’t any guarantee Wine or Proton will be compatible with said game.
laptop linux ganging with intel/nvidia is not too bad but you may have a few challenges.
AMD+AMD is nearly flawless for me, I only game on linux and have transitioned all my personal computers fully. My work PC is the only windows computer in my house.
Desktop tends to be simpler because you dont have to swap from iGPU to dGPU all the time like mobile. But that said I have a bootable linux install I use for gaming when I travel and it work with a few tweaks depending on the game.
My biggest gripes, were on 2 fronts, involving Linux and Gaming.
Games involving an anti-cheat / Windows exclusivity, that I’d LOVE to play on linux, are basically 0-go. I did on one instance, was able to get Halo MCC to fully install, but would never launch. Now in last week, Destiny 2 hosting “Battleye” to combat cheating, was basically a deaths knell [in my eye] to any possible door opening for OSS support. Now that game has a performance nerf,* at the gain of this creeper ineffective ACS [*I’ve already been witnessing some hitchiness]
Steam itself: Loved to hard brick on me. Every other fresh boot / login, the steam interface goes through an unnecessarily cranked CPU load [during login / update] and blacks out the screen. I did get sick of the workaround, involving clearing some particular files ahead of time, that effectively force reinstalling steam, to prior installer date [wasn’t a silver bullet method]. This predicament had 0 concern on linux distro ran, or any of the Linux Headers applied [during say '2020]… I’m oblivious on what has happened, in the last few months / near yr
… When it did work, it was nice. Doom '2016 had noticeable performance gains, from my experience
As a small example
I would wait to see if Steam OS 3.0 comes out. It may be better for your case. Supposedly they are working with devs on the Anti Cheat issue so they may have it working within their OS ,with proton, and if we’re lucky it will bleed out to everyone else. This is assuming they release it to the public, but they have said it will be free for other manufactures/OEMS/ODMS so I would be shocked if you we aren’t able to get it at some point.
The trouble with expecting Vale (Steam) to help the anti-cheating and anti-piracy software companies figure out a solution to the issue above is Vale doesn’t have an excellent track record for finishing projects it starts. Also, I think the problem with anti-cheating and anti-piracy software working with Linux is more complicated than the Linux community thinks. Also, you got to remember if a game will run on Proton now, it might not work with a game update. For these reasons, I think it is better to run a program on its native operating system.
Well… I suppose you can’t just ditch those games that are malfunctioning?
Now, hear me out. If you look past the anti-cheat software issues, Proton is pretty much good enough by the standards of today. You have more than half of the Steam library covered already and a world of both single- and multiplayer titles. Quite a few of those are more than playable, talking AAA titles here like Tomb Raider, GTAV, Witcher 3, Watch Dogs 2, Cyberpunk…
Single player is pretty much covered, multiplayer less so - but there are some substantial rumors going around this will be fixed once Steam Deck shows up. Of course, for a gamer your poison is your own. For me, focusing more on retro/single player games, it has been a great experience. For others, focusing more on multiplayer-heavy titles with heavy DRM/AntiCheat, it is less so.
Not saying you should go all in on a setup that may or may not suit you… But maybe it is worth trying it out? Otherwise, stick with Windows. WSL is even a decent Linux substitute these days, I hear.
thanks to everyone for the info. Basically right now till Steam OS3 or Proton upgrades its self with the Anti-cheat stuff ill stick with windows. With that said, Is there a way i can do the same idea above i posted before but in windows? If so what VM client works best for this idea?
I have gotten it work with Pop OS and a 980ti in the core v1. ( the main issue with that was some stupid kernal issues with the razer laptop) It wasn’t bad but i wasn’t getting Nearly the same speed i was on windows. Now that i have a AMD card i was hoping to work something out to use linux for most things besides the Anti-cheat games i play.
I have done it before with success. Most of the games with Anti-cheat is what the group of people i play with play. Im probably going to just setup a Linux VM and use that for everything that isn’t gaming. If i can get my head to work with it.
AFAIK steam will release the OS v3 to the public like they have with the other versions. They want 100% compatability with there steam deck to insure everyone can play what ever they want on it. Im curious to see how they are going to do Anti-cheat software on it honestly.
Aaaah right… See, the trick is to either convert them, or burn the nonbelievers at the stake for heresy. That will surely convert the friends that aren’t already converted.
You would also end in jail. “The penguin made me do it!” is not a valid defense.
No, but in all seriousness, your plan of a Windows / Linux VM is pretty sound, but… Why, in that case? WSL has most already figured out, and once bash and an xorg server is installed there is pretty much no reason to run a Linux VM over WSL in Windows. You won’t gain any additional security benefits with WSL over VM, so at this point it’s just a desire to use Linux interface and programs. Which I understand of course, but…
Incidentally, a 5700G specced machine would make an awesome Linux box capable of many 1080p titles, so might be worth looking into downsizing your PC so you can fit two of 'em on your desk, and have one run Windows and the other Linux? Costs a bit, to be sure, but could be worth it, especially if you want a Linux box to do work on.
@Razorline, I don’t mean to sound negative and discourage you from your ideas. I want to keep your expectations based on reality and not on flights of fantasy. I have read two vital stumbling blocks that are preventing Proton from being more compatible with multi-player games; they are Anti-cheat and anti-piracy software. Vale has said they are working with game creators for anti-cheat software, not anti-piracy software. How is the anti-piracy issue going to be solved?
At the moment I think you are completely correct. But it’s hard to tell the future. Which is why I’m recommending that the OP wait and sees what happens. If Valve can deliver on what they promised it should be a pretty big leap forward in Linux gaming and give OP what he wants for a linux OS.
What about just dual booting?
You can continue to play the games that won’t work well in linux on windows.
And use Linux for anything else.
Of course it’s not really the most ideal solution but for gamers still the best option,
without many headaches and or compromises.
I used to dual boot when I was a gamer, but I had many issues with using Windows 10 and Linux Ubuntu on two separate drives. Sometimes I would want Windows and Ubuntu would be the operating system that would boot up. A few times, Windows 10 updates would be corrupt Ubuntu and force me to reinstall Ubuntu. I had Bios issues with trying to dual boot. Since I am not a gamer anymore (no time), I decided on my next build (at the time) To just run Kubuntu and set up a virtual Machine for the infrequent times I need to run Windows.
I think @Razorline’s best options are to either wait and see if Vale can accomplish want we hope it will. I wouldn’t wait any more than a year or build a Windows system now and run Linux in a virtual machine.
getting too lazy to reboot into Linux and never using it.
Exactly, or the opposite. While in practice it literally only takes a minute or two to switch, anyone with ADHD or other forms of executive dysfunction will tell you that sort of switch is a fairly big mental hurdle to actually say “Yes I’m going to do this”.
