I currently use Windows 10 and I’d like to try out Linux. My plan is to set up a dual boot with OpenSUSE tumbleweed and KDE Plasma. I’ve read so many different opinions about choosing a distro, compatibility with gaming and Nvidia drivers, and personal issues with the ethos of different companies like Canonical. I value privacy and I’d rather avoid a Linux distro that’s implementing something like ads or telemetry…if that’s even a thing that’s happening?

As a complete beginner, what sort of advice would you all have for me? Should I avoid OpenSUSE or KDE Plasma for some reason? Are there any ‘10 things to do first when installing Linux for the first time’ recommendations?

Despite all the ‘beginner friendly’ guides and tutorials around, I still feel a little lost and like I’m going into this blind.

EDIT: Thanks to everyone who’s offered advice, I really appreciate all the help and the patience with my dumb questions! There’s a lot to look through and it’s been a busy day for me, but I’ll get back to reading through everything and replying as soon as I can!

  • @Ultimatenab@beehaw.org
    2•7 months ago

    After contemplating for 3-4 years about switching my main rig to Linux, I did it on Friday just gone.

    Note for the below, I have a full AMD system.

    • I went with Garuda Dragonized distro as it is gaming focused and has all the game related stuff included.
    • took me less than 30mins going from gaming on Win11 to Linux, but I did the research before.
    • there are a few tweaks if you use Steam but you have Lutris to help you.
    • of the 35 ish games installed, all of them work without issues, but they need updating once you enable compatibility to Proton.
    • the default theme is too flashy but you can select to bring it down a few notches

    Technical

    • if you have secondary SSD or HDD, dedicated to games or files like I did, it is advisable to have them backed up to an external drive as you will need to re-partition them from NTFS to use them properly in Linux
    • with Garuda Dragonized Gaming, all drivers are installed but follow the Wizard at the beginning and check all that apply to you. It will save you time.

    Good luck and looking forward to having you on Linux!