Why I Switched to Nobara Linux, and Why You Should Too
The Pros, Cons, and Surprises of a Bold Move
In a world cluttered with Linux distributions clamoring for our attention, M$ Windows turning the terrible knob up to, I’m not making this up, 11, my transition to Nobara Linux felt like a refreshing voyage to simplicity, security, and genuine open-source spirit. Most importantly though: Games.
The motivation for switching to Linux
Many reasons push individuals away from Windows: paramount among them is privacy. But there's also security, flexibility, performance—truth be told, the list is extensive. For me, it's a combination of these factors. However, my core motivation? I've always rooted for Linux to succeed. There's something compelling about supporting a community-driven underdog against a corporation boasting a staggering $2.4 trillion market cap.
The Hardware
To be candid, my transition wasn't flawless; I encountered my fair share of hiccups. Yet, it's worthwhile to highlight the hardware that eventually worked out. I chose Lenovo over options like System76 because it was more affordable, and the Lenovo Legion Slim resonated more with my lifestyle. Some might question the laptop over desktop decision—it's simple, I'm often on the move, and while I adore my Steamdeck, there are moments when a larger screen is indispensable. I did daily drive the Steamdeck for a while as I anticipated the laptop's arrival, but that’s a story for another time.
I bought a Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 16" with the following specs:
CPU: AMD 5 7640HS
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU 6GB GDDR6
RAM: 16 GB DDR5-5600MHz (SODIMM) - (2 x 8 GB)
Storage: 512 GB SSD M.2 2280
One of the initial modifications I made was replacing the garbage Mediatek WiFi/Bluetooth card with an Intel AX210 combo card especially given the absence of support for the Mediatek device in the 6.x kernels. Moreover, diving into the laptop's teardown details revealed dual NVMe slots, prompting me to acquire a 2TB drive, the Crucial p5.
Laptop Internals: A Glimpse Inside
Accessing the insides of the laptop proved surprisingly straightforward, although I must admit to accidentally snapping two plastic clips. Fortunately, given the laptop's screw-down design, these minor mishaps didn't pose any serious issues.
Inside, connecting the antenna to the new Intel WiFi/Bluetooth combo card was a touch fiddly. But after a few tries, I managed to connect it up. As expected, adding the new NVMe drive was a breeze.
The Case for Dual Booting
There's an ongoing debate in tech circles: is dual booting truly necessary? In my view, several compelling reasons favor maintaining this flexibility, prompting me to reserve a modest Windows partition:
Resale Value: Reinstalling Windows can be a boon when it's time to part ways with your laptop.
Software Gaps: Some essential applications simply don't have a Linux counterpart.
Gaming Compatibility: We've all been there — that one trending game everyone's engrossed in, which unfortunately isn't Proton-compatible.
With the native 500GB drive, I opted to retain Windows, given a handful of applications I sporadically use. I resized the partition, dedicating 150GB for Nobara (specifically, the KDE Nvidia version). As for the expansive 2TB drive? It's earmarked for Steam games and any other future storage needs.
Installation and Initial Impressions
Installing Nobara had its moments of hiccups—some my doing, and others not so much. After delving into a few resources, I managed to get the system up and running. For the curious, a word of caution: the AMD drivers under the 'additional' section have a tendency to freeze the laptop, derailing the installation process. I ultimately chose to bypass them altogether, especially after some colorful exchanges with the ever-opinionated user community on Discord.
At this juncture, it's probably a good point to shed light on why you should even lend weight to my perspective. After all, I'm just another faceless voice on the internet. To give some context: I've been oscillating between Windows and Linux since the late '90s. Over the decades, my adventures with Linux have seen me fully embracing various distributions. My Linux exploits range from cobbling together a Slackware dial-up sharing box using salvaged parts (so my college roommates and I could share the limited bandwidth and transfer docs when on campus), to the once-daunting task of getting Unreal Tournament to run on a dual-processor Slot-A board with a Voodoo card. More recently, I crafted a smart mirror powered by a Raspberry Pi, which ironically leaned more towards carpentry than tech. And if you've ever squinted through Netscape's font options to find a non-eye-bleeding choice, know that I've been there too.
Yet, throughout these adventures, I often gravitated back to Windows for various reasons, mostly gaming of course or my career making it necessary in some cases. It really was mostly just games.
It's different this time, all the major games I play work fine. One game (Days Gone) actually wouldn't launch on Windows 11 at all, but ran fine under proton in Linux. Imagine my surprise.
However, one lingering blemish in the Linux world remains its user base. The toxic community really hasn’t progressed for the better. It’s a shame too. Back in the late 90’s and early 2000’s everyone was generally helpful. Want to add SMP support to your kernel?! Yeah man, here’s a walk through on recompiling your kernel.
Want to compile Gentoo from scratch on that literal dumpster find of a Pentium? Dude I’m in, I’ll bring the coffee.
Now though it's, “Why are you installing the extra AMD support? Did you even research to see if you need it?” No man, I was just going through the menu items, super impressed by how smooth everything was going, not expecting it to break so easily. But my bad… I can't believe my audacity either, guess I'll dedicate more time to research instead of just reading the description on the package. I’ll pretend I’m preparing my thesis so I can know if it’s worth risking my laptop to get those Xbox controller drivers. I’ll then have the sourced feedback ready when I come to the discord channel, complete with a Wikipedia page that I wrote explaining unequivocally why I need a printer driver.
Here's a call to the community: Rise above. Be better. Do Better. This air of condescending elitism, sadly, isn't constrained to one distribution—it's an overarching sentiment across many Linux communities. And it's a pity, truly.
Let me provide a window into the world of individuals like me: I’m a software developer. My day is a labyrinth of stress, code, challenges, and complexities. By dusk, I’m emotionally spent, energy reserves nearing depletion. I harbor aspirations of contributing more to this community I hold dear, but the stark realities of life—professional commitments, side projects, and personal pursuits—siphon away my bandwidth.
I have a job, and a second job for a project I’m trying to get off the ground, so when I hit a roadblock, one without a clear solution and the community turns its back or worse, scoffs, it's not long before I abandon ship. I have a sneaking suspicion that this sentiment resonates with many.
Why Nobara Linux
Navigating the vast landscape of Linux distributions, I finally picked Nobara. Why? Because it just... worked. I tried Arch, Manjaro, both LTS and latest versions of Ubuntu and all of them had roadblocks. Hardware that couldn’t get detected, having to fight with cups to get a working printer, which is such a stupid problem in this day and age. Or even just games launching on the wrong monitor regardless of which was set to primary.
I even tried Holoiso, which is a cool project, but so incredibly buggy that it was just too frustrating.
Performance, stability and user experience
Tackling performance and user experience is no easy feat, especially when devoid of concrete benchmarks. Yet, I've decided to embrace subjectivity for this piece. For me, Linux doesn't need to attain perfection—it merely needs to supersede the quandaries Windows 11 has introduced. And truth be told, while privacy breaches in Windows 11 have been a colossal hurdle to surmount mentally, Nobara isn't without its imperfections either.
Bluetooth seems to be a tiny bit laggy. I’ve resorted to cabling the mouse instead as a result. Windows 11 is better here and I don’t know why. Not a deal breaker, but I’d sure like to get back to wireless at some point.
Moreover, the system itself exhibits lag. A reboot provides temporary respite, leading me to speculate a potential memory leak.
As for gaming on Steam, my experience has been generally favorable. Admittedly, my recent purchases have skewed towards those verified on Steam Deck. Here's a snapshot of my current game library:
Battletech
Xcom2
Rimworld
Days Gone
Football Manager 2023
The last starship
Raft
Cyberpunk 2077
Risk of Rain 2
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt
Valheim
Wildermyth
Beyond all Reason
Interestingly, the sole hiccup has been with "Beyond All Reason"—an outlier that isn't from Steam's stable. Deploying it across my tri-monitor setup, it oddly defaults to my secondary display, which unfortunately sports a subpar refresh rate. A quick shuffle, if timed right, lets me haul it to the primary screen. Miss the window, and I'm resorting to KDE's taskbar functions to move, but then the resolution is skewed. A minor grievance, but one I've learned to navigate.
Diving Deeper: Applications and Aesthetics
It's undeniable: KDE is amazing. After recent explorations predominantly on Ubuntu Gnome, I was swiftly reminded of KDE's captivating allure. Using it is not just functional—it's an outright delight. Holding the title of perhaps my most valued utility, KDE Connect stands out. It addresses a pain point I frequently grapple with due to my secondary job, which involves a significant amount of multimedia. With KDE Connect, transferring images or videos becomes a seamless endeavor—no compromises, just rapid transfers. While I've tested a myriad of apps previously, all seemed to possess some drawback. No more plugging in my devices and wading through the tediousness of USB transfers. KDE Connect nails it—a resounding five stars!
On the topic of essential tools, the Cura slicer is non-negotiable for me. While its presence and functionality in the apps list is great, a hiccup emerges when I need to access my STL, 3MF, and GCODE files located on a network share. While KDE seems to offer easy access, Cura falls short. It's a tad irritating, but I've found a way around it. I'm optimistic that future versions might present a more streamlined experience.
And now, to the realm of RGB—the dazzling lights that decorate our devices. For reasons unbeknownst to me, my laptop keyboard has spontaneously adopted a rainbow-breathing pattern, contrary to my preference for a tranquil backlit blue. I'm unsure about the RGB support scenario in Linux or what triggered this switch. It's on my list to tackle, but I might find myself momentarily booting into Windows to reestablish my preferred lighting scheme.
The Road Ahead
The next step on this journey? Bringing the Linux experience to the family's computing devices. With a myriad of machines from different brands, including an Asus ROG laptop that's a concern for compatibility. I've faced challenges with an ROG before, eventually opting to part with it. Yet, as the family's tech lead, the onus falls on me to ensure this transition. If it mandates replacing some hardware along the way, so be it. The gaming landscape on Linux has undergone a significant evolution, and the efforts of many, particularly Valve, have been instrumental. Their monumental impact on this ecosystem doesn't go unnoticed or unappreciated.
In Retrospect
Navigating the terrains of Nobara Linux, I've grown fond of the fine equilibrium it maintains between ease-of-use and prowess. If you're hunting for an OS tailor-made to your professional needs, gaming inclinations, or simply a rejuvenating Linux adventure, Nobara beckons with open arms. True, every system has its quirks, but the autonomy, protection, and adaptability offered by Nobara have etched a mark on me. To fellow Linux enthusiasts or the curious, I recommend dipping your toes into the Nobara waters. You might just discover it's the missing piece in your tech puzzle.
For those who've journeyed with me till this endpoint, thank you. If you've enjoyed this odyssey, do consider subscribing. And the best part? No account, no fuss—just a click away. But if you do have an account, I welcome your insights— you could tell me just how wrong I am.